"When Ferguson moved into management in 1974, part-time at East Stirlingshire for £40 a week, the game was much less lucrative, broadcasters usually only supplied football punditry for special events (FA Cup finals, internationals, World Cups and so forth) and the principal career options for retiring footballers were: opening a sports shop, running a pub and becoming a manager"

In Episode Thirty Four we revisit ‘Echoes in Eternity’ by Paul Simpson from Issue Sixteen, which attempts to answer the question of which manager has had the greatest influence on future generations. Ferguson’s ‘enfants’ span Europe (Blanc at PSG, Solksjaer at Molde, Berg at Legia Warsaw), and closer to home his players have managed, assisted or trained at just over 50 clubs.

Is he the most influential manager of all time, however? What about Revie, Clough, Shankly or Paisley? From overseas, where do Bielsa, Sacchi and Cruyff fit in? And why does ‘the Professor’ Wenger have such a comparatively low hit-rate?

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Issue Sixteen, like all issues of The Blizzard, is available on a pay-what-you-like basis from www.theblizzard.co.uk. Digital downloads cost as little as 1p each (RRP £3), while print versions are available from £6 + postage (RRP £12). You can also find us on the Kindle and Google Play stores.