Brian Clough - The Greatest Manager England Never Had?

The Damned United is an enjoyable film. It encapsulates the earthy, unglamorous working mans club essence of 1970’s football clubs. Like many dramatisations, if you remember it’s not the entire absolute truth, it can still be engaging as long as the 'mood' is captured. And actors of the stature of Timothy Spall and Michael Sheen certainly contribute to capturing it. Notably, it's significant for dragging out of the tiresome cliche at the end, ‘Brian Clough is the greatest manager England never had’. It gets stated almost as fact, yet nobody can know for sure whether he’d have been successful or not.

There's no question international management is a very different job to club management. Bobby Robson explained how it took him two years to fully understand the scale of the task. At club level a percentage of people in the city/town in question want to win the game. At international level, everyone in the country is relying on the manager to make the right decision.... including those who only have a passing interest in the game. There's also the huge issue of access to players. You can go from being with the players every day, and imposing on them what's required, to being something of an afterthought in their lives.

Clough's managerial success was staggering. When he took over Derby in 1967 they were an average second division team. Yet, with Clough, and his long term assistant Peter Taylor, became First Division champions five years later. Even greater achievements were to follow. At Nottingham Forest, he transformed a poor second division side into league champions then onto European champions in 1979. To prove it wasn't a fluke they retained the European crown the following season.

A point which has to be made is he applied for the England job in 1977. Had he been appointed he wouldn't have won the trophies he did at Forest. In one of his autobiographies he states he did a good interview and left the room feeling he had a good chance of getting the top job and told Peter Taylor so. However, Ron Greenwood (who'd been doing the job on an interim basis) was given the role. There was a general perception Greenwood was more of an establishment figure and a safer pair of hands. After the confused, many felt traitorous, nature of Revie's departure, stability was required.

Throughout a career of thrilling impact, Brian Clough wasn't afraid of surprising everybody. One of the most confusing decisions in football was Leeds offering him the chance to succeed Don Revie in 1974. Even more astounding was Clough accepting the offer. There was an obvious appeal.... he was after all taking charge of the League Champions.... with an immediate attempt at the European Cup involved in any persuasive tactics. He'd spent the years prior going into the media to brutally criticise Revie's team. Leeds could play dazzling football but were more widely known for being, shall we say, over physical. Clough once had an article in a national newpaper calling for the FA to relegate Leeds United. Revie had created a family feel around Elland Road and his players idolised him. The last person they wanted to take instruction from was Clough.... the man who'd spent years pedalling his derision for them and his predecessor. He also went to Elland Road without his trusty companion Peter Taylor.

The infamous spat between Clough and Revie

Given the circumstances, Clough had to build bridges and get on with the stars he was working with. How would he address the tension? Well, at the start of his first training session he instructed his new players to throw their medals in the bin because it was time to do things properly. At Hartlepool or Derby that eccentricity might have amused the players or stimulated them. At Leeds, dealing with top level players who’d been around the block… and had the medals to prove it… it was unnecessarily provocative. This was the biggest job he'd ever held and and would ever hold, and he'd made no effort to address the situation.

 

Legendarily, Clough lasted 44 days at Leeds. Maybe if Peter Taylor had gone to Leeds with him he could've won the players over but we'll never know for sure. As grim as it was, he said it was the best outcome personally. The pay off he received led to financial security for the first time in his life.

Much of Brian Clough's finest work came with players lesser known. The Clough-Taylor mantra was to 'observe and replace'. At Derby he bought in colossus and veteran Dave Mackay to accompany support and lead the young players. It was one of many master-strokes. Perhaps his greatest achievement was the work he did with John Robertson. On arrival at Forest, Taylor couldn't understand why Clough persevered with him. With expert tutelage and blunt cajoling, Robertson grew into one of the true standout players of the era.

There are countless stories about Brian Clough. His methods were as quirky as they were unique. For all his success, whether his methods would've proved fruitful at international level is questionable. Every player would've been an accomplished professional. The only time in his career he joined a dressing room with such calibre was at Leeds and, to say the least, it didn't work out. Furthermore, a job the size of managing England required some ambassadorial qualities. That doesn't just mean being sycophantic to the FA blazers. It's a role with global influence and, at times, Clough could be tactless. His reign could've become a series of public controversies and disputes.

Another limitation facing England at the time would've hindered any manager. In short, despite some gifted players, England had been left behind. Other nations had evolved and grown yet England looked stale in comparison. When England's devastated defeated team trudged off the pitch in a sweltering Leon in 1970, it could've heralded a new beginning. A realisation of the challenges required to stay at the game's top table. Similarly, West Germany masterfully dismantling Ramsey's England at Wembley two years later was another pointer to English stagnation. The most sobering moment was failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. A draw in the final game at home to Poland wasn't enough. Clough made his mark on that bleak night by labelling Polish keeper Jan Tomaszewski a clown... which made for glorious television. Spiritually, for the England team, the 1960's came to an end that night against Poland. In simplistic terms, England weren't as good as we used to be and not as good as we thought we were.

Brian Clough, rightly, still looms large over English football. Not least because every week a new anecdote seems to arise on social media! His methods were as rare as they were successful. He led with charisma and identity. But, for all his success, he might not have proved as great an England manager as everyone imagines.

This piece was kindly written for @TFHBs by Joe Byatt - you can follow him on twitter @BrisbaneStokie

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