How Sir Alex Ferguson built his last great Manchester United team

June 2004. And Ferdinand is in another United dressing room listening to a speech demonstrating another of Ferguson’s quintessential character traits.

However, this time there are no tears.

Instead of losing his head and giving it a hairdryer, this time Ferguson was showing his bullish side.

An unwavering belief that he can and will rebuild the Reds – even in the face of a self-titled Special One.

“When José Mourinho came to Chelsea in the summer of 2004 there were rumors that I and many other players could leave,” recalls Ferdinand.

“But he was like, ‘Listen, we’re going to build this team and you’ll be one of the main parts of it.’

“He was like, ‘Just stick with me’. And he was probably the only manager in the world at that time that I would have heard like that.

“He said, ‘Just trust me. I don’t get things wrong very often when it comes to football. Stick with me and we’ll make it right.’

“I was just like, ‘I’m there. I’m behind you, I believe in you.'”

Also on board in June of that summer were two men who had a major impact on the 2008 Champions League victory.

The first one is the title name.

A once-in-a-generation English talent emerged following Euro 2004 success.

A young forward named Wayne Rooney whose transfer attracted a lot of headlines and newspaper columns.

The second was an unexpected second coming. Carlos Queiroz returns to the United team as Ferguson’s assistant manager after an unsuccessful spell at Real Madrid.

Despite the Portuguese’s “Special One” declarations, Mourinho’s arrival in the Premier League was not about him.

This was part of and the beginning of the wider internationalization of the Premier League.

This was, in part, defined by the influx of money brought in by people such as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the resulting increase in transfer fees and wages. But it also showed the Premier League – and its managers – need to adapt to the global game.

Rooney was a precocious English talent from Croxteth at Liverpool who made his point on the pitch. His impact was immediate after recovering from his broken leg at the Euros.

In your face, in goals and in the headlines.

Queiroz was the Portuguese assistant manager who spoke a handful of languages ​​and, over time, proved to be a vital bridge between Ferguson’s east-end Glasgow roots and an increasingly metropolitan squad.

“At the time I came to the club, the Premier League and Man United were not that international,” former Serbia defender Nemanja Vidic said in the new BBC Sport documentary ‘Sir Alex’.

“Carlos was very smart,” said former England midfielder Michael Carrick, who was another teammate of Fergie’s during the pre-Moscow reconstruction in 2006.

“He really coached almost every day, and led the week and probably a little bit more on the tactical side. He was quite dry at times, but he was focused and good at what he did. And he was particularly Used to balance the boss with the well.”

Prioritizing pace – especially in attack – was important for Ferguson as, step by step, the rebuild on the road to Moscow began to take shape.

“Wayne and Cristiano definitely had a massive impact,” says Queiroz. “It was part of that change that we had to bring more speed to reduce the reaction time of our opponents. No doubt, those two kids completely changed the atmosphere of that club.

“Sir Alex and I always thought we would be the first ones in training. But, when those kids Cristiano and Wayne arrived at the club, they were there before us.”

Rooney and Ronaldo were part of Ferguson’s gift for a rebuild that also included recruitment with a specific brief: bridging the gap between the Premier League and European football.

“Sir Alex said to me, “I’m looking for someone who can give me more knowledge about European football,” Queiroz said.

“Someone who can communicate in different languages ​​because in those days Manchester United started having Spanish players, French players etc.

“My skills in communicating in those languages ​​were good and then we also had the change from Sunday to Tuesday.

“English football and culture on Sunday – I attack, you attack. Then in European football on Tuesday it’s sometimes, wait and see. The key is to set traps, wait, and catch opponents in their weaknesses. .

“In England it was ‘I do my best, you do your best, and we’ll see’. But when you play with the Italians, when you play with the Spanish teams, it wasn’t the same approach.

“When Sir Alex and I were having these discussions it was a case of maintaining a balance inside the changing room of playing the English style at the weekend and then changing our approach in Europe three days later.

“When Sir Alex brought me to Manchester United, one of our first conversations was… I still remember his words. He told me: ‘Carlos, you have to understand, you’re here to help me win another Champions League. Have come to help.” ,