The older Ferguson grew, the more he believed there was such a thing as "fate" in this world.
Not feudal superstition, but a law.
Just like how, the older a person becomes, the weaker their ability to learn and adapt.
As a company expands, its internal problems multiply, until eventually, those very problems become its downfall.
The same is true for a club, or for a team.
Ferguson had been young once too.
When he was young, he thought he could do anything. Looking at his aging predecessors, he was full of energy and determination, and swore, "If I ever reach your age, I would rather die than end up like you."
But when he finally reached that age, and looked back, he realized how naive and ridiculous those thoughts were.
It was like someone born in the 1980s, looking back at his old social media posts in 2021. He would cringe with embarrassment and ask himself: "Why was I so childish back then?"
This is fate.
No one can escape it.
The same applies to Barcelona.
…
As an old rival of Barcelona, Ferguson both respected and feared them.
On one hand, he had learned a lot from them. On the other, he had been repeatedly beaten by them.
But this season, Barcelona left him puzzled.
He never expected their overall strength to drop so drastically in such a short time.
Under Guardiola, no matter how poorly they played, Barcelona would never have lost 0-3 to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. And this was a Real Madrid side that had rotated nine players.
That was very un-Barcelona.
Yet it happened.
The Catalan media gave excuses. The absence of head coach Vilanova. A congested schedule. Even blaming the referee for controversial decisions.
But they never admitted that Barcelona had been doing just fine in the league despite Vilanova's absence.
When it came to bullying weaker sides, Barcelona were ruthless.
That was why, even after losing at the Bernabéu, they still sat top of La Liga.
So what was this?
When they won, it was thanks to Vilanova's motivation. But when they lost, it was because he wasn't there?
As for the "congested schedule."
Against Real Madrid, what right did Barcelona have to complain?
Real Madrid also played those matches. And how did they perform?
How did Barcelona perform?
If you lose, you lose. There are no excuses.
…
"Before, Barcelona dared to hold the ball, dared to pass, dared to counter-press. The players stayed focused. But now…"
Ferguson shook his head with a sigh.
"The biggest meaning of this game is that we witnessed the end of a La Liga champion."
"This Barcelona team lacks the toughness to face strong opponents, especially the intricate passing triangles in the final third. That was their deadliest weapon under Guardiola."
"Why has it disappeared?" Mike Phelan asked, baffled.
On paper, there was no reason for them to lose this ability.
"Mindset."
Neither assistant quite understood.
"Many people say Barcelona keep possession for the sake of possession. That's true, but it misses the point. Another reason is fear of mistakes. If they make an error, they must counter-press. If they don't, the opponent launches a dangerous counter. And with Barcelona's fragile defense, they can't cope."
"I see." Phelan nodded. "You mean they're unwilling to invest in counter-pressing."
Ferguson gave him a look that said, "Finally, you get it."
"Counter-pressing demands energy, especially running. Barcelona players don't want to run anymore. That's the vicious cycle."
"The less they run, the fewer passing options they create. Their passing becomes predictable. The threatening combinations in the final third vanish. With fewer penetrating passes, all they can do is circulate the ball harmlessly outside."
"That's why Barcelona appear dominant in possession, but can't create danger. Like at the Bernabéu, 78 percent possession, yet only four shots."
"All of this stems from mentality."
"They don't want to run. They don't want to fight the way they used to. They want to win in comfort. That mentality destroys their edge, the grit to push through difficulties."
"Especially when fatigue sets in, the problem is magnified."
"Without that tenacity, once stamina dips, they lose concentration. That leads to sloppy errors, especially in 50-50s."
"More mistakes lead to more conservatism. They take fewer risks, prefer to recycle the ball safely in midfield and defense."
Ferguson outlined the vicious cycle Barcelona were trapped in.
Then suddenly, a thought struck him, almost like enlightenment.
"Guardiola saw this coming last season."
"What?" Phelan was stunned. "Impossible!"
Could Guardiola predict the future?
"Why not?" Ferguson looked at his assistant.
He had never been satisfied with Phelan, but after Queiroz left, there was no suitable replacement available.
"Guardiola built Dream Team III. These players became stars under him. Who knows them better than him?"
It wasn't prophecy. It was deduction.
Ferguson himself had done the same, like when he sold Jaap Stam, though that had been a poor call.
"I even suspect Gao Shen saw this long ago. He knows Barcelona too well."
Ferguson's words stunned Phelan and Meulensteen.
So this was the vision of elite managers.
"If we faced this Barcelona now, we could beat them," Ferguson said with some envy.
Unfortunately, Manchester United hadn't drawn Barcelona. They had drawn Real Madrid.
The team coached by that brat was far tougher to handle than Barcelona without Guardiola.
What's worse, Real Madrid had just rotated nine players against Barcelona, still won convincingly, and their morale was sky-high. That only made them more dangerous at Old Trafford.
Ferguson felt a headache coming on.
He was increasingly struggling to keep up with this new generation.
…
Before the Champions League tie, Manchester United had beaten newly-promoted Norwich 4-0 at home in Round 28 of the Premier League.
Ferguson hadn't gone all out, saving energy for Real Madrid in midweek.
Now, after 28 rounds, United still topped the table, but Manchester City trailed by just one point and were determined to defend their title.
That left United under pressure.
But Ferguson also knew the home game against Real Madrid would be no easy task.
Since Gao Shen dared to rotate nine players in El Clásico, he would certainly go full force at Old Trafford.
To contain Real Madrid, they had to contain Ronaldo.
Ferguson had learned plenty from the first leg at the Bernabéu.
For example, when Giggs came on, combining with Rafael, they effectively contained Ronaldo and stabilized United's rhythm.
So in this leg, Ferguson planned to use Giggs.
Sneijder, however, had been exposed badly in the first leg, especially defensively.
Now Ferguson was torn. Should he play Sneijder or not?
The Dutchman's strength lay in passing and creativity, but his presence disrupted United's midfield balance.
"Schedule a training session. We'll focus on the 4-4-2 with a double pivot," Ferguson instructed with a sigh.
Having lost 0-1 at the Bernabéu, United needed to score at Old Trafford. That meant taking the initiative.
But after watching Real Madrid at the weekend, Ferguson had his doubts.
Gao Shen had shown he was willing to drop deep, play conservatively, and counter.
What if he did the same at Old Trafford?
United already had attacking issues. Against a Real Madrid side sitting back with Ronaldo and Di María ready to counter, plus Kroos, Xabi Alonso, and others capable of launching precise long passes, United would be in trouble.
And then there was Ramos.
Here, Ferguson had to admire Gao Shen.
Who could have imagined Varane would develop so fast? Gao Shen had even suspended Ramos for three games, yet Real Madrid's defense held firm.
Ferguson had no choice but to respect that.
Just like Leeds United, who now sat sixth in the Premier League, above Everton and Liverpool.
Moyes, Ferguson's chosen successor, was in charge there. And Ferguson knew how capable he was.
For a newly-promoted side to rank ahead of Everton was impressive.
Ferguson knew Gao Shen's hand was behind that too. He never doubted Gao Shen's ability to develop players.
So, would Ramos return at Old Trafford?
And what tactics would Real Madrid use?
(To be continued.)