Next Friday sees the release of the highly anticipated film ‘The Damned United’ which documents Brian Clough’s 44 day spell as manager of Leeds United.
The fact behind the fiction tells of the highly-rated Clough’s abrasive arrival at the Elland Road outfit in 1974, inheriting a team of thin-skinned superstars who had just won the league.
Big ‘ead himself, as he was famously known, struggled to find faults with his own ability but after an awful run of results, he was sacked by the Leeds board after a turbulent 6 weeks at the helm, clashing with the world-class players he had forever criticised.
Previews have hailed the production as the best football film ever made (not that it’s difficult to eclipse Escape to Victory), with its quality cast and thorough depiction of the physical football of the 70s.
Unfortunately ‘The Damned United’, hasn’t received entirely good press; the family of the yorkshireman, including his son Nigel Clough (now manager at Derby County) have made it clear they won’t be watching the film after reports that it portrays him as a ‘flawed genius’.
Whatever the reviews, there is without doubt a moral to take away regarding the double-edged sword that is arrogance in football management.
As we see today with such colossal personalities as José Mourinho, arrogance can translate into confidence in one’s self, can breed confidence in one’s players, and can give one the psychological edge over one’s foes. However, it may do the Special One a favour to have a watch of just what can go wrong when a manager believes his is bigger than his football club.
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