Manchester United legend

Chapter 94 Bruce's departure
On July 1996, 7, a newcomer arrived at Manchester United's Old Trafford.

When Ferguson brought him to Old Trafford, everyone looked at him with strange or even questioning eyes.

Manchester United fans are full of doubts about this thin, white Norwegian.They knew next to nothing about this newcomer.

In fact, it wasn't just them, even Ferguson had just met him, and he still hadn't understood the exact pronunciation of his name.

At that time, Ferguson was still going all out to win Shearer.However, a week later, Shearer was poached by Newcastle with an irresistible huge transfer fee, and Keegan took revenge in the transfer market.At that time, the transfer fee of the European Cup Golden Boot was 10 times that of Solskjaer, 1500 million pounds.After losing Shearer, Ferguson began to change his tone, "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is our forward target, he will not be worse than Shearer!" The old man answered the reporter and encouraged himself.

"Shiller Alternative"?The 23-year-old Norwegian striker has a baby-like face and a thin body that is simply too weak in the Premier League.

He has only 6 international games and experience in third-rate leagues, so he is not convincing.

In an interview with reporters, Solskjaer said, "After joining Manchester United, I have always been compared to Shearer, which makes me feel terrified. I am not Shearer, and I have no intention of being someone's replacement. I will try my best to prepare and meet new challenges. My football career has opened a new page in a great club like Manchester United, which makes me very excited. I am willing to give everything for this club."

"Can you predict how many goals you will score for Manchester United this season? Do you think you will have a main position?"

Solskjaer modestly stated that his top priority is to get familiar with the team and gain a firm foothold in the reserve team. If he can play before Christmas, it will definitely be an extra reward.

No one imagined that Solskjaer would have a stunning debut season.

The 23-year-old Norwegian has the baby face of a 16-year-old, says little, is thin and even shy.He was not at all like those Nordic people, at least not like those Nordic people he imagined.Even the most die-hard Red Devils fans don't know his details, and he has actually not appeared in the Premier League as he has been dubbed by the media as "the alternative to Shearer".

The Manchester United press officer introduced him like this, "He has great potential as a first-class striker and has performed well in the Norwegian league." As for more content?Then I can only be sorry.

Ferguson said during his introduction, "He is very good in Norway, he is a good striker."

The information booklet shows this: Manchester United's newly bought striker plays for Molde, a mid-range team in the Norwegian League.According to statistics, he played 6 international games, played for Molde for a full season, played 42 times and scored 31 goals.

Even the boldest prognosticators would not guarantee his success at United, but Ferguson believes he has discovered a gem.

While United fans are still working on their pronunciation to avoid misspelling his name and trying to find out where Molde is on a map, the official United website states: "Ferguson considers him one of the best players in the world."

When Manchester United comes, someone leaves. This summer, Manchester United bid farewell to their captain, Bruce.

The meritorious captain accepted the fact that he was leaving Manchester United-the team had no place for him, and a transfer was on the agenda.

Manchester United negotiated a considerable transfer fee for him, and Bruce moved from Manchester United to the Birmingham club.

In 1996, Bruce was over 35 years old.In the Premier League at that time, this age often meant the end of your career, unless you were a goalkeeper.

Of course, so does Bruce.The data can already explain many problems. In the 1994-95 season, Bruce only played 35 games for Manchester United in various competitions. In the 1995-96 season, it was reduced to 30 games-this is not a qualified data for a core central defender.

Not only that, even if Bruce played as a starter, his physical function has declined sharply due to his age, and his starting speed, acceleration ability, confrontation ability, bouncing header ability and blocking ability are no longer what they used to be.

Watching him struggle to keep up with those strikers at times in games and still get left badly; or watching him tackle the ball so hard and then limping back into the game, I think any Red Devils fan might be upset.

Last season, Bruce missed the most critical games at the end of the season due to injuries. This season, because Ferguson believed that his state and ability were not suitable for playing, he missed the most critical games of the league championship and the FA Cup final.

In the middle of the season, Bruce had already given up the team captain's epaulettes to Cantona.

When Manchester United finally won the FA Cup at the end of the season, when Cantona invited Bruce to lead the team to receive the medal and hold the championship trophy, Bruce humbly refused.

The fate is over, there is no conflict in the club, and Bruce announced that he will leave Manchester United in the summer.So in the summer, he ended up going to the Birmingham club.

Goodbye, Captain!Goodbye, Bruce!

From the end of 1987 until his departure in 1996, Bruce completed his great achievements between the two great No. 7 captains-Robson and Cantona-and also completely inherited the tradition of Manchester United.

From stepping into Carrington to leaving, Bruce played for Manchester United for almost 10 years.

He played 417 times for the Red Devils and scored 51 goals. He served as the captain of Manchester United from 1994 to 1996 and won 3 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cup titles, a League Cup title, a European Cup Winners' Cup title and a Super Cup title for Manchester United.

Bruce was full of sentimentality, reluctance and nostalgia when he said goodbye, and of course his gratitude to Ferguson, "Looking back on my previous football career, the road from Gillingham to becoming the captain of such a great team Manchester United was not smooth.

I still remember almost retiring at Gillingham when I was 17. "People usually remember my success later in my career, but I had great difficulty," Bruce said.My development was late, at 17 I wasn't tall enough for a shower to break into the first team for a third tier team like Gillingham.Many people think that I am not good enough to play football. I have to beg the club to give me a chance. "

Recalling his career, Bruce felt that everything was full of magic, "I remember that Peter Beardsley was with me at the time. That's right, we were two short and ugly Northeasterners.

Peter was turned down straight away, and later he was turned down for a trial at Cambridge United, which is only a fourth tier team!

I remember coming home from a weekend of training with the team and feeling so hopeless that if my parents told me not to go back, there was a good chance I would never play football again.

Fortunately, my parents only encouraged me to persevere, and I still like playing football, so I went back.You won't believe it, I played over 280 games at the lower level. Bruce always remembers getting a letter from Ferguson when he was 27. "It was a scouting report."It was written when he observed me at Gillingham. "

Bruce said, "I was so excited to jump three feet high, I finally know what I really am! And I have a great coach to give me affirmation!
I framed it and hung it on the wall.That letter was the most precious gift of my career and my experience at Manchester United showed that even though I was successful here, I was still not appreciated by the national team, so it was not easy. "

Many Manchester United players were reluctant to say goodbye to Bruce.Robson, who has retired, rushed back to see Bruce off. He said, "I think Steve is a real Red Devil. He is calm, brave, full of blood output, and devoted himself to it. When I was still at Manchester United, if there was no starter, who would the players trust and rely on the most? There is no doubt that it will be Bruce. In terms of coordinating and directing the game, he is a better one than me."

Cantona, the new captain of Manchester United, said, "Bruce is really different from me. His silent and fierce fighting is not my temperament, let alone my type-I like to yell and do it, but he directly touches the guy silently. Does a silent dog kill someone?! But, you know what I mean, a team like Manchester United still needs a captain like Bruce."

The 92 Manchester United golden generation, who received the most care and help from Bruce, have deep feelings for Bruce.

Giggs said, "The first time I trained with Anderson, I kept going past him recklessly, and when I was held down and beaten by him, Bruce came to rescue me."

Scholes said, "Bruce is the most gentle. He cares about our lives very much and gives us a lot of useful guidance in training, especially from a defensive point of view, telling us how to find gaps and attack effectively."

When he left his hometown and came to Manchester, Beckham, who was not outstanding at the time, said, "When I was lonely and helpless, Bruce told me about his own struggles in the past, and told me the story of how he was still persevering when he barely played the ball. This greatly encouraged me and gave me confidence. He was right. If the conditions like him can succeed, why can't I?"

Mark Hughes, who has left Manchester United, also said, "Bruce won all my respect. When I was still at Manchester United, the team was not always dominant. But as long as he was on the field and he stood behind us, we were always at ease. That is the confidence that we will not fail."

Although many people accepted the fact that Bruce was about to leave, his departure still made Jost depressed and difficult to accept.

Jost said in an interview: "Rose has always been an excellent player for Manchester United - a great professional player. He must play every game (which is not the case) and has a considerable positive impact on the dressing room.

Behind a good-natured, sometimes self-deprecating and self-deprecating humor, he does his job perfectly as a captain, and that hidden will is what drives him.He was alert and silent.

Although he doesn't talk much, he pays close attention to the things around him: how are his teammates doing?Who is not happy?Who is having trouble with whom?Is everyone having a good drink at a dinner party?Did they stand up to those well-intentioned taunts?etc.

His care and actions have benefited every Manchester United person. It can be said that he is a considerate butler.Everyone at Old Trafford, especially the manager himself, is particularly saddened by his passing.If you want to choose a perfect team captain, in addition to Brian Robson, Steve Bruce must be better.The FA Cup final manager Ferguson didn't let him play, and the tabloids immediately exploded. The "Manchester Evening News" published a striking headline: "Fergie: Treatment disputes are not my wish, I will go!" "Reported that unless the Manchester United board of directors agree to the conditions proposed by Bruce, or he will bid farewell to Manchester United.I don't believe it at all.I am amazed at the audacity of reporters to fabricate news.But the more daring thing is what the Mirror and the Daily Telegraph said. Ferguson broke with Bruce, saying that the old favors were cut off with a clean knife, and the friendship was cut off... Damn, everyone is like a gangster? ! "

Jost hoped that Manchester United would be more humane, so he took the initiative to renew Bruce's contract, and even offered to raise Bruce's salary.
Jost told Scholes in private, "I'm really angry with Bruce when I think about it. A person who has given himself to Manchester United for the past [-] years and left all issues such as his salary and salary to the board of directors, but he can't get what he deserves.

And he was forced to make his contract dispute public. Is this his reward?His annual income is only [-] pounds, and the TV revenue brought by a game is far more than this amount.

Therefore, he proposed to double his annual income, and he must have the requirement of bonus dividends when he wins the game.However, it is difficult for me to understand that the board of directors did not agree. "

As a player, it is normal for Jost to have some opinions on the club, which is in line with his nature.No matter how much Jost babbled, Manchester United finally failed to retain Bruce that summer.

From Ferguson's point of view, when it comes to personal feelings, he is definitely reluctant. Bruce is the kind of person who is always trustworthy and trustworthy.

But judging from Manchester United's needs, Bruce's own state and ability, he is indeed not suitable for Manchester United's needs. After all, his position is too important!
The renewal of the team is also necessary.And Bruce's going to Birmingham is indeed far more than his income.So the story of Bruce and Manchester United came to an end.

When leaving, Bruce expressed his sadness and reluctance, "A bit regretful? Of course I regret not being able to stay at Manchester United and win more championships. It is a great collective. But life is like this, and professional players are like this. When you are no longer at your best, there is no need to force you to stay there. When I went to Birmingham, BOSS did not keep me. He was the one who made the decision. Anyway, I am very grateful to BOSS. He brought me to Manchester United and made me achieve the pinnacle of my football career. Those titles are not for anyone. I am forever grateful for everything Manchester United have given me!"

Bruce said, "I have achieved great success at Manchester United. Playing for Manchester United for 10 years is the pride of my life. Being the captain of Manchester United has changed my life. The experience at Manchester United will bring more wealth to my future life."

Indeed, Bruce has achieved great success at Manchester United. He is a member of the best team selected by League One and the Premier League for many years, and has received unanimous praise from almost the entire English football world, except for the coaches of the national team.

Manchester United's hero is sometimes a bear in the eyes of others.Ultimately this just reflects that guy being the real "SB".Bruce has always been known as the only Manchester United captain who was not selected for the national team-that is Bruce's regret.

But this more reflects the mental retardation and low energy of some people.Throughout Bruce's career, including the period when he was in the league's best team at the peak of his state, he never had the opportunity to represent England in an official game.

No one knows why, such an excellent Bruce just didn't fall into the eyes of the then Three Lions coach Graham Taylor, and even Taylor would rather choose his partner Pallister than Bruce, who has stronger defensive ability and command and coordination ability.

"Having Bryan Robson, Gary Pallister, Bruce, Mark Hughes and Cantona, tsk tsk, you know what a pride it is," Ferguson said.

These are warriors.They are all able to take care of themselves.If the opponent wants to play football, they will play football. If the opponent wants to fight, then they will stay with them to the end.They will watch over and help each other. "

Ferguson said, "I remember when they went to the Chester Race Meeting together, some fans from other clubs challenged them in various ways, abused them and things like that, and they beat those people like a gangster.

Yes, Bruce is such a Red Devil.Of course, just like Bruce's refusal to take the lead when Manchester United won the double last season, Bruce is very humble, which has earned him the nickname "The Silent Giant".

Few reporters would pry his mouth open, but at one press conference, he couldn’t resist the entanglement of reporters before saying, “Boss gave us the greatest trust and deployed the defensive system better than other coaches. You never know the coach’s real hard work. This is the key to our winning the game.”

Speaking of the team's defense, Bruce said, "We would like to thank all our teammates. It was their desperate pursuit and defense that made my tackling and attacking not a disaster. In addition, the boss is as careful as he is, he will discover and grasp every mistake we make. Of course, we don't want to recall and analyze his handling methods. Well, in addition to scolding on the spot, you will feel that life is worse than death in the locker room. Let me talk about some key points during the game in detail. I think these are very important. I saw his encouraging and affirming eyes many times after the game, and I was immediately excited and full of energy. I can’t wait to play for him again.”

Even after leaving Old Trafford, in the years that followed, Bruce still had inextricable relationships with Manchester United and Ferguson.Red Devils fans still remember his contribution and great journey, and are still grateful and respectful to him.

In that summer, countless fans reluctantly said goodbye to this low-key but powerful Red Devils. A slogan hanging at the Carrington base explained the fans' thoughts-"Goodbye, Manchester United's best central defender ever! Farewell, the legendary captain of Manchester United, the iron-blooded hero of the Red Devils!"

Although Bruce has left the team, Johnson's joining is good news for Manchester United who have lost Bruce. Although this central defender from Norway cannot be regarded as a world-class player, he is physically strong and calm in response.

For Gary Neville, Johnson is even his other savior.Because of Johnson's joining, he can finally be liberated in the central defender position. Last season, Gary Neville often appeared in the central defender position.

But he was a disaster at centre-back, and now he can return to his favorite right-back position.

This summer, in addition to the transfer of Bruce to Manchester United, the former main right back Paul Parker also left the team.

李-夏普则以450万镑的价格转会去了利兹联队。曼联阵中最受女球迷欢迎的球星就这样离开了老特拉福德，留下了8年红魔生涯的1次优胜者杯冠军、3次联赛冠军、3次足总杯冠军、1次联赛杯冠军的纪录。李-夏普一共为曼联出场265场射入36球，是弗格森麾下一个关键的球员，也是红魔球迷心目中的大明星。

Paul Parker is also a member of Manchester United's championship level. He represented Manchester United in 146 games. He is also one of the few Red Devils stars who has won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.Among the players who left was an unknown substitute goalkeeper Tony Couton.He stayed at Manchester United for only half a year before leaving the team and moving to Sunderland.

The great success of last season did not make Ferguson feel proud, nor will he be satisfied with the team lineup, especially the departure of Bruce and Lee Sharp, and the fact that the team still lacks attackers, makes Ferguson still very vigilant.

(End of this chapter)