How did Alex Ferguson build a great MU?

Man United went through three consecutive trophyless seasons from 2003/04 to 2005/06. However, after this lull, the Red Devils rose strongly and established the most glorious period of the legendary coach Alex Ferguson era.

Writer Michael Cox of the Independent, a close friend of Sir Alex, recently revealed the secrets that helped MU go from being a loser to becoming great.

Changing the perspective of human resources

At the end of the 2005/06 season, Man United finished 8 points behind champions Chelsea. It was the third consecutive season that the Red Devils had finished empty-handed in the Premier League. At that time, many people thought that MU had reached the end of its road to success. While Chelsea emerged as a new force with bold moves in both tactics and personnel, Man United looked old.

However, with a radical reform in many areas, Man United quickly regained their glory. They won the Premier League three consecutive seasons 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09. During that time, the Red Devils always maintained their presence in the Champions League semi-finals and once won the prestigious tournament (2007/08 season). This was the most glorious period of the legendary coach Alex Ferguson era.

Sir Alex's first revolution was in personnel. Previously, Man United often only used players from the UK, or football backgrounds that easily adapted to the Premier League such as France or the Netherlands, and rarely used Latin players.

But from January 2006 onwards, the Red Devils no longer limited themselves. They prioritized buying players with high mobility, who could perform many different tasks, depending on the development of the match. Patrice Evra was one of the typical deals that represented this philosophy. The French defender was not only responsible for protecting the left wing, but also often advanced to become a dangerous attacking spearhead.

To a lesser extent, signings like Nani and Anderson can also play in a variety of positions. The mobility and versatility of the players become the premise for Ferguson to build a more flexible style of play.

Transforming the gameplay

The tactical revolution of Man United in the last decade was started by Carlos Queiroz, Ferguson's right-hand man and assistant at Man United. It was Queiroz who proposed selling the main striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, because in the long run, MU did not need a striker but would use attacking players with a tendency to move widely.

United have abandoned the traditional 4-4-2 formation of English football in favour of a 4-5-1, or sometimes a 4-3-3. The Red Devils no longer rely on the opportunistic talent of a top striker. Instead, they look for breakthroughs through the cohesion of the team's positions, the ability to move and the emphasis on counter-attacks.

Some Man United fans were initially not very enthusiastic about these changes. They were surprised when Ferguson brought Carlos Tevez to Old Trafford, because the Argentine striker played quite like Wayne Rooney and was not a goal-scorer in the penalty area. But Sir Alex had his own plans.

“A lot of people have said to me that Tevez is too similar to Rooney. But I don’t see that affecting the plan we’re pursuing. They’re both quick, good at dribbling and both have good shots with both feet. That similarity doesn’t affect them playing together,” Ferguson said.

By the 2007/08 season, Ferguson's system had reached its operational maturity. At that time, it was difficult to determine who was the Red Devils' main attacking force. MU often played with the attacking trio of Ronaldo - Rooney - Tevez. But sometimes Nani or Giggs were also pushed up to play as strikers. In home matches against weaker opponents, MU's attacking players did not have a fixed position. They moved back and forth and together controlled large areas.

Ronaldo thrived in this free-flowing system. Sometimes CR7 played on the right, then moved to the left, or moved into the middle. Rooney, Tevez or Park Ji-sung would fill the position left by Ronaldo.

Recalling this period, former defender Gary Neville said: “Ronaldo would usually try to test all four defenders before actively drilling into the position he thought was weakest. When he saw the target clearly, Ronaldo accelerated, strong like a leopard.”

According to bongdaplus.vn