In retirement, Alex Ferguson has left the socialist values he forged as a youth behind him, and has become a man of corporate significance. He has released a book entitled 'Leading', written along with Michael Moritz, described on Wikipedia as a Welsh-born venture capitalist. It attempts to draw on Ferguson's experience of ruling Old Trafford to relay advice for succeeding in the corporate world. It swells to 416 pages, ludicrous considering it is pretty much based solely around Ferguson's revolutionary 'get rid of the cunts' rule.
Ferguson is also a man of Uefa, and headed up their team of technical experts who analyse Uefa competitions to publish a report on the tactical trends that they've spotted.
The report on Euro 2016 was published earlier today, and the key findings from an Irish point of view can be read here.
The governing body have also published a report on the Europa League, with Ferguson quoted in various sections running the rule of the competition's main players. The most interesting of these contributions concerns Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Klopp's famed method of gegenpressing, in which he essentially asks his team to outrun the opposition, is what ultimately cost Liverpool dear in the second-half of their Europa League final against Sevilla.
In the second half Liverpool had no energy, they could not get to the ball.
The space in midfield became bigger. I never had a team who could press a ball all season.
The report interrogated the question of when and for how long a team should press. The report found that Liverpool's level of pressing proved unsustainable, but also admitted that there was no perfect answer to that question. It did point to the pressing methods of Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid as perhaps being the closest to ideal as they attempt to "put pressure on for 15, 20 minutes and then go back to playing on the counterattack".
The report also pointed out how Thomas Tuchel has evolved Dortmund's approach post-Klopp, finding them to be "more economical in their choice of runs and built their attacks more slowly".
Ferguson does have some kind words for Klopp later in the report, however, saying that Klopp and Liverpool are a good fit:
He’s bought into the fans. And the support have taken to him because he’s shown that enthusiasm on the touchline, with his energy and his personality when he’s jumping out there.
I think the combination of both suit each other. I’ve always thought that playing at Anfield was very difficult.
Because the crowd create an amazing atmosphere that puts a lot of teams, opponents and the referees under pressure a lot.
We saw evidence of that when 3-1 down against Dortmund they got that second goal and the crowd lifted them and I think it inspires this team.
They are that kind of football club, Liverpool, that get inspired by their support.
Ferguson also drew comparisons between himself and Klopp's job at Liverpool:
You can’t allow the past to interrupt the future.
That’s what I always felt. When I went to United at first, I thought about the history but that history wouldn’t do me any good – it was only the future that was going to help me.
To rebuild that future took time. I did it with young players, I built a foundation that lasted a long time and anyone going to a club with history has to think about it, but never allow it to impede your ability to look to the future.
Read the full report here.
