It was hard to gauge just how impressive this forty-year unbeaten European home record truly was. Before 1993, United had gone nearly three decades without a league title, which meant they rarely featured in the Champions League.
Their European appearances were mostly in the UEFA Cup or the Cup Winners' Cup, and they seldom faced the continent's true powerhouses. In that light, the record was somewhat misleading—especially since there were many seasons in which United weren't in Europe at all. Still, none of that softened the reality of their current slump.
The price of youth was now being paid in full.
Ferguson demanded that his young players see out the full ninety minutes in every league and Champions League match. The relentless schedule, coupled with fierce media criticism, was beginning to weigh heavily on them.
