Tactical Lessons From Alex Ferguson: The Tactical "Magpie".

[SFraser]

Before half the website stampedes in excitement at the chance to expose my ignorance at the same time as having a contest over who can love/mock Manchester United the most, please understand that the point of this thread is principle and not detail, that it is meant to show a method of playing the game that many or perhaps even most people might not be aware of. That it is a thread not about tactical genius, but about the application of sound tactical knowledge.

This thread comes from a conversation I had a while back. I was discussing Football Manager with a very knowledgeable, intelligent and dedicated member I met on this website, who happened to be a Liverpool fan. In my experience whenever football is discussed between Liverpool and Manchester United fans, the conversation will inevitably turn to managers, and so did this one. As we discussed the tactical nous of Alex Ferguson, this Liverpool fan called him a "Tactical Magpie". In a shot I realised he was spot on.

Alex Ferguson will never be remembered for his invention of paradigm changing formations, or the invention of some profound new tactical system. However when he does leave the hotseat at Manchester United he will do so as one of the most successful and heavilly decorated managers ever to have been in the game of football. It will be hard to argue with Manchester United fans when they claim that Alex Ferguson is the greatest football manager there has been in football. Not hard to disbelieve, or hard to think otherwise, but hard to argue. There will be points here and there as to his weaknesses, his failures etc. but there will always be his title winning record, his achievements, and his dominance.

Everyone has heard about Alex Fergusons man management abilities, his attention to detail, his commitment to winning. But without a top tactical mind it is hard to imagine that the success he has had would be possible. And yet tactics are widely claimed to be his weak spot, and indeed it will never be possible to credit Alex Ferguson with the invention of any specific world shattering new formation or tactical development.

My friend got it spot on when he called Alex Ferguson a "Tactical Magpie". Someone that sees shiny objects and steals them. Ferguson is not an inventor, he is a winner. Ferguson is reknowned for his attention to detail in football and for his intimate knowledge of the game. Ferguson does not invent tactics, he watches them, he understands them, he knows his players in detail, and he uses every inch of that knowledge against you.

Ferguson the Tactical Magpie

This season we are regularly informed that "United are doing wonders with a mediocre squad". Alan Hansen never passes up an opportunity to inform us that "it is a testament to Ferguson that his side are still challenging for the title". This is a far cry from the middle to late 90's when "United should be in far more European Cup Finals with that squad". The differences between the European Cup win of 1998-1999 season and the European Cup win of 2008-2009 season are vast. The former is packed full of blood and guts comebacks, goals galore and heroic displays. The latter is packed full of relentless defending, tactical dominance, counter-attacking football and tactical sleight of hand.

In between these two seasons is the pivotal arrival of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. The Flamboyant Continental Tactician arriving at the billionaires club that happens to play in England. This turned Fergusons continental tactical naivety that could be forgiven into domestic tactical naivety that could not. Fergusons answer was not to invent a radical new single tactical system that blew all competition out of the water, but to employ every tactical trick in the book against every opponent.

Be under no illusion that the arrival of Mourinho in England sparked a revolution in the Premier League. Since his arrival the teams trying to compete with Chelsea have dominated the Champions League, something that has never been since the English ban from European Football. Since Mourinho left the past two Champions of the Premier League have contested the European Cup Final, including an all English Final in 2009. First and Second played for the European Cup. Perennial Quarter/Semi Finalists Liverpool have regularly secured their top four finish and even challenged for the title. In the season they struggle to secure fourth spot they are knocked out of the group stage. Arsenal are dominant early in the season, suffer a slump and then produce a comeback to put them only a couple of points off the top spot in the League, and do exactly the same in Europe.

European Football has become the struggle to beat English sides, and this is coming from a Scotsman.

Ferguson in Europe is the same as Ferguson in the Premier League, barring the concern of the away goal. His formations and starting eleven are unpredictable, his key men guarenteed a starting slot are his Goalkeeper, Evra, Centrebacks, Fletcher and Wayne Rooney. Everything and everyone else is a tactical issue. Tactical issues he did not invent, but tactical issues he changes on a game by game basis.

That last point might not be the key to beautiful, attacking, "sexy" football, but it is the key to successful football. With a large squad of various capabilities comes the ability to adapt, with 60+ games a season against the best of world football and multiple tactical theories using a huge variety of players and playing styles comes the necessity to adapt. Even Barcelona with their potent, genius, peerless attacking players must adapt. Adaption is the key to modern football, adaption is what Ferguson does best.

The best examples of Fergusons "Magpie" like take on tactics, and his ability to adapt and his knowledge of the game are the games against AC Milan. The excellent Zonal Marking website has been paying attention to tactics and detailing tactics, and has this to show about Fergusons United.

The first game against Milan at the San Siro.

The second game against Milan at the San Siro.

These two images are a feast for the football brain showing competition at the highest level, which is not merely European Football but Managerial decisions. Management in European Football is in my opinion the highest level of the game, the game at the highest level which is management, and teams at the highest level which is European Football. I may be biased here, so forgive me.

The issue I wish to bring up is not the details, even though the details in these two images are inspiring. The issue I wish to bring up is radical differences in formation.

In the first image Ferguson is playing a diamond midfield with an assymetric winger. A cross between the Ancelotti diamond and the Old English 4-4-2 that was 4-3-2 + Winger on the weak side. In the second image Ferguson is playing a relatively straight forward flat back four and a relatively straight forward attacking line of two pacey and direct wingers and a quality Centreforward. A pretty basic 4-3-3 barring the midfield. The 3 man midfield in this instance is a DM and AM with an additional player harrassing the flank of greatest threat while the flank of weakest threat is left untouched. Scholes is in acres of space to ping passes, Park is advanced to harrass the backline and help destroy any time on the ball the defenders have while contributing his high tempo mental and physical ability to the attack.

These two formations are not the same even though they are similar, yet they are played against the same team in the space of just over a week. There are radical differences between the two setups, yet nothing in either of those setups is original.

This is where Ferguson has made his name in the last few years. Without inventing any new tactical "theories" and without looking like he radically changes his team sheet, he brings to every game something the opponent spends many sleepless nights trying to antipicate, using every tactical detail he knows and can think of to try to beat your side.

Alex Ferguson didn't invent Total Football or Cattenacio. Alex Ferguson invented no specific formation of supremacy, no specific theory of dominance.

Alex Ferguson mastered the art of applying everything you know about football to the game in hand, and because of this he is still at the top of the game. Alex Ferguson will not be remembered for inventing an awesome new formation, he will remembered for his ability to employ whatever tactics were best for the game at hand, whatever was necessary to beat you. Barring the odd disaster, ofcourse.

[Xennaz]

Very nicely done. Great read.

Love your interpretations of the United tactics on both occasions. Came to similar conclusions myself, but couldn't word it nearly as well.

[Corkey]

Wow, I didn't think I could read it, but after getting through the first paragraph I felt I had too Great read and very clearly explained

Though, do you think that we can employ his 'magpie' approach on FM as well as he does?

[lam]

Have you never heard the saying that LAM is a tactical magpie?

Its a well known fact that I steal most of your ideas

I always enjoying reading your threads Mr SFraser.

Long may they continue.

LAM

[spartans5]

The OP was a great read and I always enjoy reading SFraser's threads, although since I don't frequent this particular portion of the forum, his threads tend to be too long for me to fully read through. But I am keen to follow this one because it could very well change the way that I tactically play this game.

[lutontown1991]

Good read.

[Dutch Delight]

Very enjoyable and insightful read, I really rate your threads and salute you for your fantastic contribution to this community. As lam said, long it may continue.

[googoo56]

Interesting thread.

I'll be very curious as to what will Fergie field against Bayern in the return leg. The problem is, however, that his hands are tied. Rooney being injured is one thing, but he's got even bigger problems in midfield. Carrick has completely let him down, and sadly, not for the first time. At least, he's had enough now.

I mean, the guy was rested against Bolton, came off at around 60 minutes into the Bayern game (this had never happened to Carrick before, to be subbed off like this, as a tactical move, because he was so .....) and didn't play in the Chelsea game at all.

Fergie has more trust in an exhausted 35 years old, astmathic man, and I can't really blame him for it.

If Bayern really want to go through, they'll need to press us, just like they did in the first leg. Fergie will need to be at his absolute best to pick a lineup and formation to deal with that.

What are your thoughts on this SFraser? I think, Fergie may well need to do something he normally wouldn't and hadn't done in Europe for a long time. To go for a really open, attacking game, to try to exploit Bayern's poor central defence as much as possible.

[redmark]

Nice OP; as one of those in the stampede on a previous occasion, I think this is much more readable as it doesn't seek to rewrite the history of football while overstating the case on Ferguson's tactical evolution .

That being said, I think 'magpie' understates Ferguson's development as a tactical manager somewhat, though it's probably semantics; I agree with the point that he has become a very adaptive tactician. I'd probably go for the term 'sponge', as he seems to have reinvented himself in recent years by soaking up greater tactical knowledge; from successive assistants and coaches, as well as continental and domestic rivals. The term 'magpie' probably better fits his transfer market activity ("I want a Rooney!", "I want a Berbatov!", etc back through Veron et al); picking up shiny trinkets without necessarily always envisaging where, or if, they fit.

Much as it pains a Liverpool fan to say it, I think Ferguson has grown as a manager over the years. He's learned how - and most importantly, when - to adapt his system. He appreciates that the 'impose your own game' strategy works well 90%+ of the time, but may need to be countered with pragmatism in the biggest of games. He's learning (Berbatov suggests this isn't yet quite complete) how to temper his fascination for 'trinkets' with the need to fit them into a system. He's developed from an instinctive manager into one who can appreciate and adapt the grand tactical theories of others.

For a good part of the 1990s, I think Ferguson played to his own strengths (I'm tempted to say rode his luck), allied to some great key signings and unearthing a great crop of youngsters. This latest phase of his managerial career is possibly more impressive - because I don't think, man for man, United have the best squad in the PL; certainly not to the extent they did in the 90s. He's adapted; he's soaked up bits and pieces from abroad, from Queiroz; from Mourinho and even Benitez. Looking over the weekend at how Ferguson has managed his squad (for comparitive purposes, on the 'strength' of the Liverpool squad), there is a distinct trend over the last 4 years (the number of players making up 90% of all starts has increased year on year) towards greater rotation and 'horses for courses'. This may be partly due to the age of key players and injuries, but also seems to be a deliberate reaction to the trend of continental managers rotating squads and finishing the season more strongly.

I have to admit to a degree of jealousy in this. I've discussed on Liverpool forums (a thread that has actually been linked to in T&T once or twice) about the difference between Rafa and previous Liverpool managers such as Shankly and Paisley; that Rafa's approach is systemic and technical/tactical, whereas theirs was organic and instinctive. It seems to me that Ferguson began as an instinctive manager and has learned the systematic and tactical. I fear Rafa may never learn to be instinctive enough.

Anyway, nice OP.

[Cleon]

Another quality post

[Invader Canuck]

United will be hard pressed to get past Bayern if they play the way they did last tuesday.

The score line did not flatter Bayern at all, however the score line could have been 4-1 United, 4-1 Bayern, 4-4 or 4-3 for either side when you take into account the number of scuffed clear cut chances. Hopefully Rooney is fit tomorrow this season which was shaping up quite nicely is going to be shot.

[PnyX]

Spot on OP and unconciously I have built a squad (mostly my midfielders) equipped for all occasions. Ex. I have an AMC who almost exclusively plays when I face a top team (or comes on when the smaller teams suddenly get attacking), reason being I noticed there was always space to be exploited behind their MCs as the such teams are too busy trying to kill you literally. He scored 15 goals from that position last season! And Fergie's use of Park has also made me look for midfielders I can assign to specific tasks.

Props to the old man

[ham_aka_stam]

Well put SFraser. Possibly a bit wordy in places but the message got across. Those images are very nice as well, much better than the "average position" images which some people use to claim some strange things. Will be looking at that website for a while I think.

Will you be updating this with the details of the Bayern game? Because, extenuating circumstances aside, that was a very similar story.

[PnyX]

Playing Gibson in that advanced CM roll was a master stroke by SAF. The Germans clearly didnt what kind of threat he presented. If not for Rafael's youthful exuberence Man U would have gone through.

That game had me thinking about translating that in FM. Can I bring a relatively unknown reserve player on a CL game and mystify the opposition, or do the see all my player attributes and act accordingly as i do with them? Because what i do in game is faced with a team i dont "know" i wait for the match day line up then go check out what each can do (strikers and midfielders) then rearrange my player instructions accordingly.

[SFraser]

I was reading this and then this thread on Catenaccio and it struck me how similar Fergusons lopsided, assymetric teams are in principle to Catenaccio. Or atleast the Zona-Mista picture on wikipedia.

Obviously Fergusons United is not a carbon copy of the above formation, but the similarities are there, especially when Park is playing. The heavy bias towards a right sided midfield attack that has a hardworking winger, and an attacking left wingback moving up the pitch into space left by the lack of a pure left winger, are very Catenaccio like qualities.

I may be imagining things, but it is worth bringing up.

[Falahk]

indeed an intresting obeservation SFraser, the first milan game line up, in particular, do look strikingly similar

will keep updating on my progress with the Zona Mista in the Catenaccio thread, some ideas and input would be much appreciated

[redmark]

Obviously Fergusons United is not a carbon copy of the above formation, but the similarities are there, especially when Park is playing. The heavy bias towards a right sided midfield attack that has a hardworking winger, and an attacking left wingback moving up the pitch into space left by the lack of a pure left winger, are very Catenaccio like qualities.

I may be imagining things, but it is worth bringing up.

Left footed players are always at a premium; virtually every left footed kid (at least those who aren't obviously destined to be centre backs) will be tried on the left wing at some point, so those that end up as left backs often seem to be more attack minded than many right backs. As there are then fewer natural left footed wingers - and a modern tendency for many of those to spend at least some time on the right, cutting inside - I think the shape you're describing is quite common, at least for spells during games. Back to the nature of left backs - they're often weaker defensively than their right back partner, which again encourages sides to attack down the right, which is after all more natural for most players anyway. An interesting feature (and there haven't been too many) of several Liverpool games recently is that both sides have 'targeted' the left back quite frequently: the opposition targetting Insua's inexperience and weaknesses (in FM terms I'd say poor acceleration, average concentration and positioning), while in attack Liverpool are doing the same, with Johnson, Maxi, Kuyt and Gerrard 'overloading' the left back and the channel between him and the centre back.