Brian Clough

[Rav67]

I heard another Liverpool fan say recently that he didn't like MON, the gist of his reasoning was that he wouldn't sell Barry to Liverpool and wasn't fair by asking for too much money  

[ExiledGael]

What did he want him to do with Barry? O'Neill is the only manager I'd like to see following Ferguson at United.
Was interesting last night when O'Neill was asked did he see Clough in himself managing nowadays and he replied 'sometimes I hope not'.

[Tony Baloney]

Not much is made of Cloughs career as a player, he had an unbelievable goal scoring record.

Aye seen something a while back and it said he did his cruciate in which back in those days was career ending.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

251 goals in 274 games is some record - admittedly it wasn't the top division he was playing in

[Canalman]

A man of extreme contrasts. Very generous at times but prone to nastiness also. Heard that he got 2 tealadies sacked at Derby FC after he heard them laughing after a home defeat. (not sure how true story is though).
From what I have read his drinking only became a problem professionally later on in his life (on a family basis it was a problem alot earlier) and was not deemed at the time to be excessive by the standards of the time.

A fascinating man.

[Rav67]

What did he want him to do with Barry?

To bow down to a 'bigger club' and allow Villa's main asset to go.  The fait waiter got very annoyed by MON's uppityness as well and made a few snide comments about him in the meedja and told porkies about a deal supposedly being agreed.

[Minder]

What did he want him to do with Barry? O'Neill is the only manager I'd like to see following Ferguson at United.
Was interesting last night when O'Neill was asked did he see Clough in himself managing nowadays and he replied 'sometimes I hope not'.

Would love to see O'Neill at United, preferably a ten year contract.

[Minder]

What did he want him to do with Barry?

To bow down to a 'bigger club' and allow Villa's main asset to go.  The fait waiter got very annoyed by MON's uppityness as well and made a few snide comments about him in the meedja and told porkies about a deal supposedly being agreed.

It worked out ok for Barry in the end at least he is getting regular football, he wouldnt have seen too much of it this year at Liverpool considering the form Alonso is in.

[ONeill]

Clough was a some man. He said things many were afraid to and was rarely incorrect. He was probably a PR nightmare and wouldn't last a crack in 2009. O'Neill's reasons for liking him seemed to be more about Clough not licking his hole. Clough knew O'Neill maybe craved recognition so didn't give it. Nigel more or less intimates that when he said his father rarely congratulated him.

As for Wenger being like him I can see the connection, but as is the need to survive in the modern era he's a much watered down version. Their footballing philosophy wasn't too dissimilar in their respective eras. I hope it ends there because after Clough's initial silverware period, titles and cups dried up a serious amount such was his unwillingness to buy success. Wenger lifted 3 titles and 2 doubles in his first seven years.....and since...

[Billys Boots]

Not much is made of Cloughs career as a player, he had an unbelievable goal scoring record.

Aye seen something a while back and it said he did his cruciate in which back in those days was career ending.

I think it's accepted that his early departure from the game was a large motivating factor for his success as a manager.  I don't think he's seen as a great innovator - he took his inspiration from the Central European 'systems' of play, and he gathered a squad of players around him that he knew could understand and play that system, come-what-may.  There was an antipathy to 'new' systems prevalent in Britain in the late 60s/early 70s, funnily enough coming after the 1966 WC win, which had seen the English team playing 4-2-4 for the first time ever (it didn't go down well with the purists, despite the win).  Clough's 4-4-2 was unusual at the time, but by the early 80s was standard in Division 1, and the English teams were dominant in Europe.

I loved 'The Damned United' as a book - Clough was an extraordinary personality and presence in the game, and (for me) the book was an attempt to get into his head, framed around the traumatic period at Leeds.  I get the impression that the movie takes a much lighter approach to the subject and aims for the funny side of Clough.  There are a few 'approaches' that the book takes that strike me (as a complete outside with only a cursory knowledge of the facts) as unlikely: (1) Clough's supposed obsession with money, to the extent that it caused his falling out with Taylor, (2) that Giles was 'engineering' Clough's sacking out of jealousy (Giles turned down the job before Clough got it), and (3) Bremner's 'refusal' to exchange one word with Clough during his 44 day tenure.

I have a feeling that I won't enjoy the movie like I did the book - like that's not happened before.

[corn02]

While were on the subject and since he was mentioned - i don't like Martin ONeill either.

Did he not pay for the coffee the last time you met him?

I take it this is a stupid reference to the CJ thread. Of course, as someone rightly pointed out on that thread, Clough was in the limelight enough to make character assertions while CJ has not been.

So a stupid comment from you.

[corn02]

I heard another Liverpool fan say recently that he didn't like MON, the gist of his reasoning was that he wouldn't sell Barry to Liverpool and wasn't fair by asking for too much money  

Well not my reasoning.

The 06 World Cup when he did commentary he came a cross as a bit of a prat.

There is also a smugness about him I dislike -  a bit like Clough.

[Canalman]

I think Clough dropped O'Neill for one of the European Cup Finals......... was a controversial move at the time but validated with victory for NF.

[Doogie Browser]

While were on the subject and since he was mentioned - i don't like Martin ONeill either.

Did he not pay for the coffee the last time you met him?

I take it this is a stupid reference to the CJ thread. Of course, as someone rightly pointed out on that thread, Clough was in the limelight enough to make character assertions while CJ has not been.

So a stupid comment from you.

Stupid how? So an inter-county GAA player deserves to be protected from any adverse comments and because you seen Clough on telly a few times you can say what you want about him?  As Johnny Giles said, you can't libel the dead    

[corn02]

While were on the subject and since he was mentioned - i don't like Martin ONeill either.

Did he not pay for the coffee the last time you met him?

I take it this is a stupid reference to the CJ thread. Of course, as someone rightly pointed out on that thread, Clough was in the limelight enough to make character assertions while CJ has not been.

So a stupid comment from you.

Stupid how? So an inter-county GAA player deserves to be protected from any adverse comments and because you seen Clough on telly a few times you can say what you want about him?  As Johnny Giles said, you can't libel the dead    

Well for a start, show me where I have libelled him.

My point was, if you follow, you made the coffee reference because I said on the CJ thread that a lot of people were making character assumptions having never met him and perhaps never reading any of the two or three articles he has done.

Clough was in the media spotlight for decades. Countless footage, books, and now films about the man. I think it is fair to say that he was on the telly more than a few times.

It's like comparing salt and pepper.