Back in 1994, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest Manchester United teams were almost unbeatable. But there was one game that showed their mortality.
1994 was a great time to be a Manchester United fan. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team had won back-to-back titles, and were celebrating winning the club’s first ever League and FA Cup ‘Double‘.
More glory awaited with later iterations of the team, but many fans still believe the 1994 team was the greatest side that Sir Alex Ferguson managed.
It was a team packed with leaders all over the pitch, from a spine of Peter Schmeichel, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Eric Cantona, with the flair of Ryan Giggs and Andrei Kanchelskis on the wings.
There was one game where the Red Devils came up short, suffering a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Barcelona in the Nou Camp.
And two players who were part of the squad that day have revealed the star who bore the brunt of Sir Alex Ferguson’s anger.
Paul Ince angered Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United were beaten by a star-tested Barcelona team, who were led by two of the best players from the 1994 World Cup.
Romario and Hristo Stoichkov were part of an illustrious Barcelona team that also boasted Ronald Koeman and Pep Guardiola.
Sir Alex Ferguson was beginning to integrate the Class of ’92, with Nicky Butt among the starters and Paul Scholes a late substitute.
Speaking to The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the pair reflected on their experience and the Manchester United player who incurred Sir Alex Ferguson’s wrath, midfielder Paul Ince.
Asked about the dressing room reaction afterwards, Nicky Butt recalled: “He went mad at Incey.
“Incey was always having a go back, they were love-hate. I was only 18, and I see two big personalities going at each other, and I mean going at each other.”
Scholes explained how a pre-match comment at the Nou Camp stadium training session the night before lit the fuse.
“It was the night before at training, something happened. I remember Incey walked out, looked round the stadium and said ‘this is me, this is a bit of me’.
“And the manager brought that up after the game.”
Ince was a key cog in Manchester United’s midfield at the time after his 1989 move from West Ham, but the 1994/95 season turned out to be his last.
The midfielder was sold to Inter Milan the following summer, with Ferguson looking to evolve his team.
Nicky Butt reflects on Manchester United lesson
Barcelona wiped the floor with Manchester United in the Nou Camp, in a game that came after an electric 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
Hristo Stoichkov gave them an early lead in the second minute, before Romario doubled their lead just before half-time.
Bulgarian legend Stoichkov added a third after the interval, with Spanish international full-back Albert Ferrer completing the demolition in the 88th minute.
For Nicky Butt it was a daunting task, admitting that his young fearless nature received a major shock to the system.
Butt explained: “We got absolutely battered. He [Irwin] got done off Stoichkov and I was absolutely gobsmacked.
“When you’re younger you think ‘I’m ready’. I was not ready.”
Manchester United were compromised by European rule
There were some mitigating circumstances for Manchester United’s loss, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s great side held back by UEFA’s rules at the time.
Until 1996, UEFA competitions had a five-foreigner maximum rule, that compromised United’s team selection.
This also applied to Welsh and Irish players, and prevented Sir Alex Ferguson from selecting his best XI.
It meant that United took on Barcelona without Peter Schmeichel, with Gary Walsh selected as his replacement, while Eric Cantona also sat out this game.
Ferguson picked Denis Irwin, Andrei Kanchelskis, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Mark Hughes as his five foreign players, but it was not enough.
It did lead to Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes getting their chance, but it was one they readily admit came a little too soon.
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