Nobody mines the misery of the past more productively than Sir Alex Ferguson. Sifting through memories of wrecked campaigns, Manchester United’s driven manager finds even more fuel to stoke his burning “obsession” with the European Cup.
Much is made of how Ferguson uses censure of him and his players as a motivational tool. The longer the editorials, the shorter the required team-talks runs the legitimate thesis on Ferguson’s reaction to criticism. Painful episodes of history similarly stir Ferguson. Defeats stay with him.
Ferguson largely leaves the celebrating of his triumphs to others, famously once observing that the glow of victory swiftly evaporates, even by the time he’s left a jubilant dressing room. He has new trophies to chase and old scorelines to settle. If United protect or embellish their first-leg advantage over Chelsea tonight, Ferguson will immediately be plotting for the semi-finals, probably against Schalke.
This evening marks a century of European games for the Scot at Old Trafford and praise flows freely. United’s programme pays its own sepia-tinted salute, lauding “the best of the Boss’s Continental clashes” at the self-styled Theatre of Dreams. Reminiscences abound of the Ryan Giggs-inspired 3-2 win over Juventus in 1997, the 7-1 thrashing of Roma in 2007 and the edgy 1-0 defeat of Barcelona secured late on by Paul Scholes that allowed United to squeeze through to the 2008 final against John Terry and company.
Reminded on Monday of that nervy night against Catalonia’s finest, Ferguson could recall only on the distress it stirred. Typical. “I always remember that last 10 minutes was absolute agony,” he said. “You don’t deserve to be put through that.”
Even a win bequeaths a grievance, a source of motivation. It’s the memory of adversity that makes such men as Ferguson even stronger. It’s the easy games and flattering headlines that blunt a warrior’s edge.
Listening to Ferguson holding court in the Europa Suite at Old Trafford on Monday, his audience was left in no doubt that this was an individual who never forgets. He still had an issue with the year 1997. “When we lost the first Champions League semi-final to Borussia Dortmund it was devastating because we missed 15 one-v-ones that night,” he reminisced. “I always remember that.”
Always. He often mentions that night. He can’t escape it. Trailing 1-0 from the Westfalenstadion, Ferguson picked a very attacking team for the home leg, starting with Eric Cantona, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Andy Cole, yet could still not break through the German defence.
United’s task was rendered hopeless when Lars Ricken scored. A frustrated Ferguson stayed up late reviewing the game, almost punishing himself but also ensuring the hurt stayed, driving him on. In the morning, Ferguson was informed by a devastated Cantona that he wanted to retire. Ferguson, though, kept fighting. It’s in his DNA.
It’s because of the disappointments stored in his mind that need tackling. “Losing the semi-final against Dortmund, I thought we were never going to do it,” he reflected of his obsession with the Champions League. “So when we won in Barcelona in 1999 it was the greatest feeling of all time and it took the monkey off my back a bit.” A bit.
The restlessness remained. As he looked forward to tonight’s game, ghosts continued to invade his thoughts. The year 2002 needed addressing.
“There was that semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen ... I don’t know how we didn’t get to that final.” Battling oblivion on the away-goals rule in the BayArena, United finished with an attack of Solskjaer, Diego Forlan, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Giggs. With the clock running down, and the life ebbing from another excursion in Europe, Forlan unleashed a shot that seemed destined for the back of the Germans’ net. Then Diego Placente headed off the line. Soon after came the whistle.
United were out. These are the moments that underpin Ferguson’s obsession. Only two of his seasons in the Champions League have brought glory and Ferguson knows this is the stage on which he will be judged by history.
His is a glorious obsession, frequently scarred. Other near-misses must filter through his mind, the David Trezeguet away goal for Monaco ending United’s European dream at the quarter-final stage in 1998.
Last year’s exit to Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena still exercises Ferguson. “It looked as if it was going to be an absolute slaughter job,” he said, “we were 3-0 up and it could have been four or five.
“They got a goal just before half-time and then we had Rafa [Rafael] sent off, a really harsh decision, I felt, and the game swung their way. We looked as if we were going to hang on until Arjen Robben hit that absolutely fantastic goal.”
Ferguson recounted the details with a clarity as if the match had only just concluded. The final whistle goes but the memory remains.
So it was little surprise when Ferguson slightly bridled at the suggestion that Chelsea had an “obsession” with the competition. “You can understand the obsession but it doesn’t make Chelsea any more desperate [to win tonight] than Manchester United, believe me,” he emphasised. “We will be desperate to win. It’s all or nothing for us as well by the way. Make no mistake. You are all running away with sympathy for Chelsea at the moment. We need to win, believe me!”
He needs to win to fight the memory of the bad times. Typically, when talk turned to the Premier League this season, it was the poor away displays at “Sunderland and Anfield” that drew a mention.
Even last season’s disappointments chipped away at him. “Look at the Blackburn game last season when we had lost Wayne Rooney a couple of weeks before. We knew if we could win that game we could win the League. But we didn’t do it. We had one chance.” One chance. He forgets neither the stats nor the pain. No wonder, Ferguson’s so fired up for the business end of the season. The past demands it.
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