This film on the life and times of the great football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whilst engrossing and entertaining had very much an "authorised biography" feel about it. Co-produced and directed by his son Jason Ferguson, it features numerous contributors by Ferguson's wife and other two children as well as pretty much a running commentary from the man itself.
The film pivots on the date that Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 interspersing his life story with interjections on this near-death experience and gradual recovery culminating in a return visit to Old Trafford on a match day, there to receive the adulation of his adoring fans.
For me, the most interesting parts of the film were those relating to his childhood and initial breakthrough as a first-team player with his local team, Glasgow Rangers, the team he'd supported as a child. The story is told of how, after a painful Scottish Cup final defeat to city arch-rivals Celtic, where Ferguson was blamed for the opening goal conceded in a 4-0 loss, he was sacked from the club for the underlying reason of his marrying a devout Roman Catholic.
Later, when he became manager of Aberdeen this rancorous memory fuelled his determination to end the domination in Scottish football of Celtic and in particular Rangers, which he did spectacularly, winning the league three times and also the European Cup Winners Cup against the mighty Real Madrid along the way.
It's well known that he didn't succeed initially at Old Trafford taking three years to win a first trophy there before commencing an unparalleled run of success which only stopped when he retired in 2014, fittingly as English champions again, for the 13th time under his charge.
There was only limited input from a small number, presumably hand-picked, of his past players, Gordon Strachan representing the Aberdeen years and the now disgraced Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona the United years. They all tell anecdotes about the manager's sometimes bullying ways and never-say-die outlook, which all came to a head when United famously won the Champions League with two goals in injury time which saw them complete a magnificent treble of trophies that year.
Ferguson's ruthless approach to management is exemplified in the story of how he dropped his first choice but out-of-form goalkeeper Jim Leighton for an FA Cup Final replay which cost him the player's respect and friendship even if it seemed vindicated by the team winning on the day.
I'd have preferred a bit more shading introduced to the story with some insight into how he fell out with star players like David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelroy and especially the team's great captain Roy Keane, his rivalries with managers like Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho as well as his regular run-ins with the governing authorities.
Nevertheless, while undoubtedly a less than unbiased production, Ferguson's feats at both Aberdeen and Man United are certainly remarkable and will likely remain unsurpassed. A lifelong socialist (there's remarkable footage of an 18 year old Ferguson leading a strike march by Glasgow apprentices ship-workers in 1960) and with a work ethic inherited from his parents, the picture is painted of a sometimes despotic workaholic who nevertheless built his success at United by bringing on talented young players, particularly the celebrated "Class of 92" comprising the Neville Brothers, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Butt, who all became full internationals and household names.
With a bit more objectivity and balance and a less rushed feel towards the end, this could have been a great sporting biography. Nevertheless, it was still an illuminating portrait of a fascinating man who while he may have proved difficult to like as a person, was certainly impossible to disregard in terms of his achievements in the game.
The film pivots on the date that Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 interspersing his life story with interjections on this near-death experience and gradual recovery culminating in a return visit to Old Trafford on a match day, there to receive the adulation of his adoring fans.
For me, the most interesting parts of the film were those relating to his childhood and initial breakthrough as a first-team player with his local team, Glasgow Rangers, the team he'd supported as a child. The story is told of how, after a painful Scottish Cup final defeat to city arch-rivals Celtic, where Ferguson was blamed for the opening goal conceded in a 4-0 loss, he was sacked from the club for the underlying reason of his marrying a devout Roman Catholic.
Later, when he became manager of Aberdeen this rancorous memory fuelled his determination to end the domination in Scottish football of Celtic and in particular Rangers, which he did spectacularly, winning the league three times and also the European Cup Winners Cup against the mighty Real Madrid along the way.
It's well known that he didn't succeed initially at Old Trafford taking three years to win a first trophy there before commencing an unparalleled run of success which only stopped when he retired in 2014, fittingly as English champions again, for the 13th time under his charge.
There was only limited input from a small number, presumably hand-picked, of his past players, Gordon Strachan representing the Aberdeen years and the now disgraced Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona the United years. They all tell anecdotes about the manager's sometimes bullying ways and never-say-die outlook, which all came to a head when United famously won the Champions League with two goals in injury time which saw them complete a magnificent treble of trophies that year.
Ferguson's ruthless approach to management is exemplified in the story of how he dropped his first choice but out-of-form goalkeeper Jim Leighton for an FA Cup Final replay which cost him the player's respect and friendship even if it seemed vindicated by the team winning on the day.
I'd have preferred a bit more shading introduced to the story with some insight into how he fell out with star players like David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelroy and especially the team's great captain Roy Keane, his rivalries with managers like Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho as well as his regular run-ins with the governing authorities.
Nevertheless, while undoubtedly a less than unbiased production, Ferguson's feats at both Aberdeen and Man United are certainly remarkable and will likely remain unsurpassed. A lifelong socialist (there's remarkable footage of an 18 year old Ferguson leading a strike march by Glasgow apprentices ship-workers in 1960) and with a work ethic inherited from his parents, the picture is painted of a sometimes despotic workaholic who nevertheless built his success at United by bringing on talented young players, particularly the celebrated "Class of 92" comprising the Neville Brothers, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Butt, who all became full internationals and household names.
With a bit more objectivity and balance and a less rushed feel towards the end, this could have been a great sporting biography. Nevertheless, it was still an illuminating portrait of a fascinating man who while he may have proved difficult to like as a person, was certainly impossible to disregard in terms of his achievements in the game.