After getting fed up with the 4-Pawns Attack and realizing that the miniscule advantage that various opening sources say white has is ridiculously difficult to exploit, I looked up this move almost as a joke before realizing that it is actually quite difficult to refute.

The main reply (from the perspective of someone who only wants to play the Alekheine) is 2...d5. Now 3. d5 and Black has a choice to make:

3...d4 4. exf6 dxc3 5. fxg7 cxd2+ 6. Qxd2! Qxd2+ 7. Bxd2 Bg7 8. O-O-O +/=

3...Nfd7 and now white has some choices. 4. d4 aims to transpose into a Steinitz French after 4...e6 5. f4 (though 4...c5 is of independent significance)  and though 4. f4 c5 5. Nf3 e6 6. g3 is given as +/= in MCO, I'm not so sure. Then there is also the pawn sac 4. e6 which Andrew Martin attributes to Hector and though this is the sharpest option, I think it may be best. I was also wondering if 4. d4 c5 and now 5. e6 is playable?

Lastly, 3...Ne4 4. Nce2! f6 (4...d4 5. Nf3!? looks good for white who will pressurize the d4-pawn as in Schmaltz, R -Gikas, B 2002) 5. d3 Ng5 6. Bxg5! fxg5 7. h4 also looks good for white.

Is there anything here that black can improve upon?

Also, to be fair, I should mention that black can also play 2...d6, e6, or e5 transposing to a Pirc, French, or Vienna, respectively. While I don't mind the first two, being forced to play the Vienna is not exactly something I would look forward to given my attachment to the Ruy Lopez. That is, of course, unless someone has a really good Vienna line against 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6? Since 3. f4 d5 is very solid for black, I think I might try out 3. Bc4.

I appreciate all comments and suggestions.