Manchester United legend

Chapter 67 No.60 The Young Man of Seven Manchester United
In January 1995, the winter transfer window opened, and Manchester United introduced an extremely important striker in the transfer window.He is Andy Cole.

Ferguson insisted on going his own way, insisting on introducing Andy Cole from Newcastle United at a club record, and even the entire league record. Many people thought he was almost crazy-the club already had Cantona, Mark Hughes and McClair as strikers, and the two wingers were extremely sharp.
Only Ferguson knew that Manchester United's attack line looked as normal as it could be.These strikers are strong, confident, full of domineering, omnipotent in the opponent's penalty area, and the number of goals is almost the highest in the Premier League. Why do you want to buy a striker?

Because Ferguson knows that Mark Hughes and McClair are already too old, it is difficult to continue to maintain their best form, and it is difficult to guarantee that they will play their best in every game.

Buying Andy Cole is mainly to prepare for the "post-Mark Hughes" era.

In addition, Cole's ability to score an astonishing 34 goals last season and win the league's Golden Boot also gave Ferguson the courage to start.

Andy Cole was born on October 1971, 10 in Nottinghamshire, England, with a height of 15 cm and a forward position on the field.

He first received football training in the Arsenal youth team and officially signed with Arsenal in the summer of 1988, but he was not appreciated by the coach at Arsenal.

At that time, Arsenal coach Graham only valued physical fitness and hoped that the players would be tall and strong.

Cole came on as a substitute for Arsenal only once in December 1990, away to Sheffield United.

In the second year, Cole was loaned to the Fulham team, which was still in Group C, where he played 13 games and scored 3 goals. His performance was not outstanding.

In 1992, Cole was sold by Arsenal to Bristol City in the Second Division for 50 pounds-he became the most expensive player in the Second Division team.

Andy Cole performed well in Bristol City. He won the main position in the team and became the first choice for his teammates to deliver shells.

In February 1993, Newcastle United, who was still the leader of the League One at the time, invited Cole to join with a team record of 2 million pounds.

As a result, in the remaining seasons, Cole scored 12 goals in 12 appearances for Newcastle, helping the team win the First Division Championship and successfully promoted to the Premier League.

Andy Cole's goals for Newcastle United continued. Even in the top Premier League season, even if he played in the Premier League for the first time, his sharpness was still unstoppable.

In the 1993-1994 season, Cole played 40 games in the league, miraculously scored 34 goals, and finally helped Newcastle United win the third place in the league.

Counting other games, Cole scored 41 goals this season, breaking the record held by the team for nearly 70 years.

The Professional Players Association voted him Young Player of the Year.In the first half of the second season, before moving to Manchester United, Cole played 18 league games for Newcastle and scored 9 goals, maintaining an amazing record of scoring one goal every two games.

Although Cole performed well in Newcastle, he was not happy.

In Newcastle United, no matter how many goals he scored, no matter how terrifying his offensive power was, Keegan's team never thought of building a truly strong team with him as the core.

The more brutal fact may be that, in Keegan's mind, Andy Cole is not even his first choice of striker.

Andy Cole is a rare Maxima in the Premier League, but Keegan is not his Bole.As a result, he could only be frustrated under Keegan's men, and when Manchester United proposed a trade plan, Andy Cole decisively agreed to the transfer.

On January 1995, 1, he left Manchester United without hesitation.Of course, this is also Andy Cole's luck.

This is a rare opportunity to change fate. Manchester United is his own beloved team, the team he has always supported, and the real giants of the Premier League.

Although coming to Manchester United means that he may become a bench player for Manchester United and Ferguson's fourth striker to play.

Although Manchester United's requirements and standards are higher than those of Newcastle, although the fans here welcome Scholes, who was promoted by the youth team.

Andy Cole transferred from Newcastle to Manchester United for a record £700 million. Not only that, in order to get this "forward who is best at handling opportunities in front of goal" in Ferguson's eyes, Manchester United even used Gillespie as part of the deal. Let him join Newcastle.

Gillespie played as a full-back against Newcastle, played well, and scored several brilliant goals in a row.

As a result, he was shocked by his opponent's coach Keegan and was included in the poaching target.

In this transfer of Cole, he was spotted by Newcastle United and finally joined the Magpies as a bargaining chip for the transfer of Andy Cole. Newcastle coach Keegan assured Gillespie that he would be given the main position.

The joining of Cole has made Manchester United's offense even more powerful.After getting Cole, Manchester United's offensive play is more diverse.

Among the Manchester United forwards, Cantona is the core of the offense. When Cantona is on the court, most of Manchester United's offense will revolve around him.Manchester United without Cantona played a different kind of football.

Manchester United with Cantona on the pitch.At this time, Ferguson is more accustomed to sending out a 442 lineup, but it will give Cantona absolute freedom to attack in the frontcourt.

Ferguson gave Cantona freedom to play in the midfield.Therefore, Manchester United's lineup is more precisely 441+X.

Unlike all England's native strikers, Cantona was a striker who went beyond the box.

He is not a center forward, nor a shadow forward, nor is he just one of the two forwards. He belongs to that kind of free hunter who is active in any area of ​​the opponent's backcourt.

Ferguson also very accurately gave him more freedom in the midfield and more control of the ball.

Cantona is the soul of the frontcourt for Manchester United, but it is a super headache for the opponent.

The French striker has a very high football quotient and is naturally sensitive to the situation on the court. He can observe, analyze and predict the development of the game, which is equivalent to activating the superpower of predicting in advance.

In addition, the tall Cantona has excellent skills at his feet. His dribbling skills can be regarded as super masters at the level of the Premier League. His ability to control and protect the ball can make the most powerful intercepting midfielders and defenders despair.

In terms of off-ball running and support, no one in the entire Manchester United team does better than him.As the most critical part of a striker, his shooting skills are very sharp.

Cantona's shots rarely use strong bursts. He basically predicts the coming of the ball in advance, then selects his position in time, and finally uses an extremely elegant movement to shoot.

Sometimes he can also make a lot of difficult moves, and even juggle shots... Even if he is blocked in the attack with the ball, Cantona can still play the role of the attacking bridgehead and support point in time.

Such Cantona, with Mark Hughes who is still sharp in the penalty area, with the help of two double wings Giggs and Kanchelski, and Lee Sharp, Jost, and Ince in the middle, Manchester United's offense can be described as three-dimensional and effective.

Manchester United's control of the game with Cantona is something the entire league needs to look up to.

The strong team that beat Blackburn in the league and almost swept the league is a reflection of Manchester United's strong combat effectiveness.

Andy Cole is different from Cantona who can lead Manchester United's offense alone. Cole is a striker who is very adaptable to Manchester United's wing attack style. He can also drop back to respond, but he mainly seizes opportunities in the penalty area and does not require more possession of the ball like Cantona.

When Cole started and there was no Cantona in the Red Devils, Manchester United's offense put more emphasis on the widening of the two wings and quick assaults, and more emphasis on pressing forward layer by layer from the midfielder and advancing layer by layer.

Mark Hughes and Andy Cole are really two centers in the opponent's paint, or they can both feed each other, or they can pull in time to find different shooting positions.

The configuration of these two strikers is also very powerful for Manchester United, although Mark Hughes is often injured in the rest of the season, which affects the goals.But Cole, who focuses on shooting, is also an extremely powerful goal machine, and he will make up for Manchester United's state of not scoring.

And with a quick shooter like Cole who is flexible in the penalty area, Manchester United's two-wing tactics have also fully exerted their power.

It is difficult for Manchester United's opponents to organize their defenses to face the back and forth attacks of Giggs and Kanchelski.

Ferguson's well-crafted side attack is still excellent this season, but it has lost the invincible power of the past two seasons.

The main reason is that the opponents have become familiar with the characteristics of Giggs and Kanchelski, and generally take the initiative to send more people to guard and fill the position.

However, this season Ferguson once again has a master hand, that is, he used Lee Sharpe and Scholes.

He put these two very offensive players in the middle, sometimes hiding directly behind the striker, and aggressively advanced in the game.

Under such a deployment, the opponent's defensive system will still be destroyed by Manchester United.

Of course, by normal standards, Manchester United's wing attack in the first half of the season is still excellent, and the forwards are also very good.

However, because Manchester United is too domineering, almost all teams in the league have adopted a tactic of defending and counterattacking against the Red Devils.

Another key point of Manchester United's tactical play is that Manchester United's games are played very fast, with fast rhythm, fast offensive and defensive transitions, and extraordinary intensity of the game.

In high-intensity games, it is generally easy for opponents to exhaust their physical energy in advance and have to surrender their guns.Why can Manchester United continue to persist?
On the one hand, of course, it is high-intensity self-training, on the other hand, Manchester United's youth army has begun to play on the bench one after another, or grab the main force.

This group of young players in their 20s is full of boundless energy!
At the beginning of this season, what attracted Manchester United's attention was the rapid flashes of those young players, and Ferguson's youth training program began to enter the harvest period.

Taking this season as a sign, in fact, Manchester United's youth army has grown up, Giggs is the main force that cannot be shaken, and Jost is gradually occupying the starting position.

Ferguson began to hone them in different games.Of course, it is mainly in competitions like the League Cup and the FA Cup that they have a longer game time. In the league and the Champions League, Ferguson only gives them the time to come off the bench. Such meaningless games are also a good opportunity for Ferguson to train.

Ferguson's training was step-by-step, without rush or delay, and the 92 generation also shined step by step.

In many games, these young players cherish the opportunity to play, and are often more desperate, braver, and harder than the old players.

Their performances are also more vibrant, giving United a sharper overall look.

While strictly abiding by team discipline and implementing team tactics, the youth army seized even the slightest chance to shine.

Even Ince said in an interview that there has been a lot of pressure recently, not from the first team, but from the second lineup.

He analyzed: The talented teenager Ryan Giggs has already been the main player.

Paul - Jost also began to show talent.Paul Scholes was a fearless, technical midfielder.

Nicky Butt can both defend diligently and score.

David Beckham, a London kid, has been a Manchester United fan since he was a child, and he is very good in both the right wing and the midfield organization.

Among the two Neville brothers, Gary is a very mature player-although he is only 19 years old, he looks like 90 years old; Phil is more skilled than his brother, and he can play both left and right fullbacks.

Gillespie from Northern Ireland is an excellent winger.This made him feel a deep crisis.

Obviously, in the near future, the names of Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Neville brothers and others will appear in the first lineup, but it is not known who will be squeezed out.

They contain great energy, despite their inexperience and youthfulness.

The players of the 92 generation played first and then later, but this season, Ferguson still began to throw them collectively into the cup for polishing and testing.

In the League Cup, Ferguson fielded a lineup including Gary, Butt, Gillespie, Jost, Beckham, Scholes and Davies against Port Vale.

This caused an uproar at the time.The critics couldn't even believe their eyes, because it was this group of players who finally won Port Vale! "Manchester United Second Team" relied on Scholes' brace to win 2-1!

Gary Neville, who has won the semi-main status this season, is representative, "I am eager to become a one-man full-back. Even if some tackles are very dangerous, I am desperate. I admit that I was a little crazy in the first few months.

There was a horrible tackle against Jenson Dodd at Southampton that deserved a straight red card.I also remember against Sheffield Wednesday, I had a [-]-[-] with Carlton Palmer, and I shoveled him off his back.

The coach told me to make a difference and I took that to heart as always.

I knew I had to take my chances and make an impression.It's often said that mortals have no place at Manchester United and don't expect to last long.But maybe the urgency has gone to my head. "

Because of the decline of Parker's state, Gary Neville had the opportunity to start and also played the main force for a short period of time. He used to play as a central defender in the youth team, but was completely changed to a right back in the first team.

Although Gary Jr. has made great progress, Manchester United still introduced David May as the main defender this season. Gary Neville was more of a substitute for May, and shared with May the few starting opportunities throughout the season.

In addition, Gary has played almost all the League Cup and FA Cup games, and has accumulated more game experience.

Gary Neville himself thinks he is a very ordinary and ordinary player. In fact, in the eyes of harsh football critics, his physical fitness is average and his skills are not outstanding. He seems to be almost relying on pure desire to win and unremitting willpower.

But Ferguson doesn't see it that way.He took charge of Manchester United's right flank, put in assists, returned to the defense quickly, and sent high-quality crosses into the penalty area from time to time.

Neville is actually a much more talented player than he is given credit for, as evidenced by his consistently high level of consistency at Manchester United.

Neville never flinched or flinched in the face of criticism from others; time and time again he proved them wrong with his performance.

The already star-studded Giggs has occupied the main position on the left this season. The Welsh winger continues to improve, and his strength and skills continue to improve.

Unlike Gary, Scholes belongs to the type of Giggs, who shines as soon as he debuts.

Scholes represented Manchester United in an official game for the first time on September 1994, 9. His opponent was the little-known Port Vale.

What people remember more deeply is that he represented Manchester United for the first time in the league against Ipswich Town on September 9 of the same year.

In that game, the fledgling Scholes scored 2 goals. Although Manchester United lost 2-3 in the end, the young Scholes was so sharp that he attracted widespread attention from the English media.

Scholes began to emerge, and he also got more and more opportunities to play.

Mark Hughes was absent due to surgery, and Scholes was lucky to be his replacement and was able to start consecutively.

He acted as an attacking forward in the midfield, played steadily, and his attacking ability in the back was displayed to the greatest extent.

Bart's chances to play this season have also increased. Objectively speaking, Bart's qualifications are not particularly outstanding, and his physical fitness is not particularly outstanding. Many critics once laughed at him for being too mediocre, but Bart did his best for the team's victory and gave his all.

This kind of fighting spirit and willingness to give also made him loved by fans.

Of course, he didn't have many chances to shine this season, and only occasionally played as a substitute for Ince and Jost.

Butt often replaces Jost as an intercepting midfielder. Butt is a fierce and clean defensive midfielder.

He has an excellent ability to regain the ball, and steals in midfield rely more on accurate judgment and early action rather than brutal collisions.

Of course, as a professional player, Butt never shied away from any challenge, including any necessary steal.

He was never intimidated by the need to fight for a place at the club.

The team's enviably handsome David Beckham from London got a first-team appearance in 1992.

对于贝克汉姆来说，历史性一天是1992年9月23日，当时的小贝只有17岁零144天。

It was a game in the UEFA Cup against Brighton, and Beckham sat on the sidelines as a substitute for the first time.

Although he has been playing well in the reserves, he does not expect to appear in the main team.

For the evening's game, he flew south to Brighton in a damn small plane.

Although they stayed at the luxurious Grand Hotel in this seaside resort, the excited Beckham stayed up almost all night.

When that game was 20 minutes away from the end, Ferguson informed Beckham to do warm-up exercises because he was going to replace Kanchelski.

Beckham was so happy that he jumped out of his chair and hit the ceiling of the bench.

Although he only played the last 17 minutes, it was not much of a performance, but this iconic game has marked the official start of Beckham's career as a professional player.

But the competition in the Manchester United team is extremely fierce.Giggs, Kanchelski, Lee Sharp, and Gillespie who just moved to Newcastle are all good players on the wing.

It was not until the 1994-1995 season that Beckham began to officially play for Manchester United again-he had been training hard in the reserve team for more than a year.

Even the youngest Phil Neville got a chance to play.

And Jost, who has gradually secured his position as the main force. His midfield interception is indispensable for Manchester United. He has super power, strong body, and inexhaustible physical energy.

As a defender's barrier, he has a strong defense, can completely cover the midfield, and plays a key role in defensive support.

Moreover, after Robson's previous special training, Jost's offensive talent has also been shown, and he has gradually become a player who can attack and defend well.In the transition to a complete midfielder like Robson.

Manchester United's class of 92 gradually entered the stage of history. The "children of Ferguson" have already begun to make all the preparations, and what they are waiting for is their own opportunity.

(End of this chapter)