REMEMBER I TOLD YOU NOT TO ALWAYS PASS TO DUNCAN? FORGET THAT ...GIVE HIM THE F ****** BALL WHENEVER YOU CAN!

WITH the growing legend of Duncan Edwards, Jimmy Murphy relayed a new message to his players before the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

“He said to us all, whilst Duncan was sitting there, that we were not to have a ‘Duncan Edwards complex’,” recalls Wilf McGuinness.

“Duncan had just played for England and was a first-team regular. Jimmy told us that was there for us to accomplish too. That we were good enough too.

“So we should not always look for him to get us out of trouble, we should rely on ourselves to make it happen.

“He said, ‘Go and tear them apart, like I know you can do’.”

Bobby Charlton also remembered it vividly. “Murphy told us, ‘Try to put more pressure on your own ability. There may be days when Dunc isn’t around. Sometimes you have to solve your own problems’.”

If those United kids had played as Murphy believed they could, then his team talk may well have gone down in history. But Chelsea were a good team. Taking heed of what was happening in Manchester, they were hoovering up the local talent.

They gave a polished display in the first half and took a lead in at the break.

United looked disjointed. Kenny Morgans was struggling at outside-right, and Shay Brennan looked uncomfortable at centreforward. Edwards and Charlton had been on the periphery of the game as inside-forward and outside-left. Murphy needed his two stars to exert their own influence.

“At half time Jimmy was a bit quiet, and we were all thinking he was going to blow,” McGuinness said. “And just before we went back out, he said, ‘Remember I told you not to always pass to Duncan? Forget that. Give him the f ****** ball whenever you can’.” Edwards was moved to centre-forward, and Charlton to inside-forward, with Murphy hoping it would do the trick. Within 10 minutes, his team were ahead.

It took less than 60 seconds of the restart for Edwards to restore parity, shrugging off two challenges to fire home from the edge of the box.

Then, in the 55th minute, Duncan struck one of his trademark goals. Receiving the ball in the Chelsea half, two home defenders launched into tackles but literally bounced off him, such was Edwards’ upper body power.

From 25 yards he unleashed a right-footed drive which flew past Brian Pickett. DUNCAN EDWARDS: Eternal by Wayne Barton will be released on February 16, 2023, in hardback. RRP £18.99. It can be pre-ordered with a 25 percent discount at https://reachsportshop.com/book/duncanedwards-eternal/