Football Focus

[SimonM]

You should never underestimate the Brian Clough magic in cup ties.....even from the grave!

[Annasfield]

I thought that Nani and Anderson were also first team regulars?

Imagine United will turn them over at OT though.

[Sandperson]

I was thinking more starters Anna. Anyway, they should all be good enough to beat Derby, so a poor show.

SimonM Wrote:

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> You should never underestimate the Brian Clough

> magic in cup ties.....even from the grave!

I just started reading "The Damned United" last night and couldn't put it down. What a great book!

[david_carnell]

As a Leeds fan, even I loved The Damned United and can't wait for the film version starring Michael Sheen as Clough (he of David Frost impersonation in the new Frost/Nixon film). I even tried to audition for a part in it (they wanted extras for the football scenes) but apparently at 25 I looked too young to be a 70s footballer! Heehee.

Despite being a cnut at Leeds I still have a soft spot for Clough. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Here's some classic Cloughie

"They all understand f@~k off"

Legend.

[Sandperson]

I'm working with the Archive Researcher who worked on the film and he (obviously) says it's brilliant. I'm looking forward to it too.

[SimonM]

>>Despite being a cnut at Leeds I still have a soft spot for Clough.<<

Interesting take. It always looked to me that Clough's quitting Leeds - an early example of "player power"? - was Leeds' loss not Clough's.

[david_carnell]

I don't think telling the players on your first day to put all their medals in the bin because they only won them by cheating was the most sensible start. Nor is setting fire to your predecessors desk in the stadium car park.

Tbh it was a stupid appointment by the board. Johnny Giles wanted the job, the other senior players wanted him to have it, Revie wanted him to have it and yet they gave the role to a man who had spent years slagging off Leeds as dirty cheaters to anyone who would listen. Not clever.

As for it being Leeds's loss - his replacement, Jimmy Armfield, took an ageing team to the final of the European Cup where they were, to everyone except the referee that night, robbed of a rightful glory. That would have been an appropriate swansong for one of the great teams in English football history but 'twas not to be.

The subsequent decline lay more in the once-in-a-generation quality of senior players who were all coming to the ends of their careers. Although Clough went on to build European Cup winning teams at Notts Forest I'm not sure he would have been capable of such a task at Leeds.

[matthew123]

Leeds United were the reigning League Champions when Clough took over and he showed a team packed with powerful personalities and amongst the biggest names in football a total lack of respect. A latter day repeat would probably be Mourinho walking into Old Trafford tomorrow as manager and telling Rooney, Ronaldo and Rio to bin all their medals as they'd only been won by cheating.

Leeds reached the European Cup final that season with Jimmy Armfield (often heard commentating on radio 5 live) once Clough was kicked out of the door. Whether Clough would have repeated his success at Leeds is doubtful in my opinion as his track record was picking up small clubs from the rot to the top. He could have created a dynasty at Forest after 3 magical years of a league title and 2 European Cups but he was not able to sustain it (even with big money signings).

Clough had one chance at a big job and he blew it although based on what we know about Cloughie he was motivated by money more than most managers if Alan Sugar's testimony of Cloughie 'likes a bung' is to be believed.

The Leeds United debacle was probably a crucial factor in Clough being overlooked for the England job on more than one occasion - so I'd say Clough had more to regret than Leeds United who were always going to struggle after the Don Revie years.

[Keef]

A latter day repeat would probably be Mourinho walking into Old Trafford tomorrow as manager and telling Rooney, Ronaldo and Rio to bin all their medals as they'd only been won by cheating.

Well with Ronaldo he might have a pint >:D<

Sorry SP, couldn't resist!

[Sandperson]

I'll let you have that one Keef....just this once. ;-)

[Jah Lush]

Keef Wrote:

>

> Well with Ronaldo he might have a pint.

Probably true as Cloughie liked a drink or two.

[Keef]

Touche!

[????]

Fresh enquiry into Tevez affair being launched by the FA...apparently on West Ham's actions after the first one....oh well that's us in The Championship next season methinks.........

[mockney piers]

From WHTID

UPDATE: I understand this all relates to verbal promises allegedly made by Scott Duxbury to Kia Joorabchian. I?m very depressed on a number of fronts. Firstly that the question of points being docked raises its ugly head again. Secondly, while the very fact that the inquiry is being launched will make our star players have second thoughts about staying. And thirdly we may now be getting rid of a couple of players who we may well need if the worst happens.

Fun being a Hammers fan, innit?

UPDATE 3.40pm: The Club has issued the following statement?

In response to today?s announcement from The FA and the Premier League, West

Ham United in a statement said: ?West Ham United will co-operate fully with

the joint inquiry convened by The FA and Premier League. ?We have acted in

good faith throughout the various inquiries and investigations into this

matter and fulfilled the undertakings given to the Premier League following

the initial penalty. ?We have nothing to hide and will ensure that this is

once again reflected in our evidence to The FA and Premier League.?

[Keef]

You beat me to it Piers,

Shear said that chief executive Scott Duxbury had provided verbal assurances that the third-party agreement still existed - despite the Hammers chief having informed the Premier League that the deal had been terminated.

So they are having an enquiery in to what some one said that someone else said to him 2 years ago... Hmmm, is there such a thing as verbal DNA? What a complete and utter waste of time! I'm not a hammer, but this stinks of a witch hunt!

[????]

mmmmm....nothing Duxbury does fills me with any confidence it would appear he's (at best)just plain incompetent but maybe a bit dodgy too...the two combined are fatal....I suspect Kia Joorab. will run rings round him. If we are proven to have lied or deliberately misled the original enquiry in terms of reregistering or not acting on what we were told to do and then tried to cover it up, then I really don't think we can complain if we get the book thrown at us.

[ratty]

Let's hope that's the third relegation spot taken up by the hammers then - saving Pompey for this year!

[matthew123]

Ronaldo and Edwin Van Der Sar could BOTH be in trouble with Police after Ronaldo crashed his Ferrari this morning. It seems Van Der Sar was the car immediately behind Ronaldo and it makes me wonder whether they were racing each other to training. It does seem to me from the mangled wreckage that Police need to examine any tunnel CCTV footage for reckless driving by both players.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1109263/United-star-Ronaldo-writes-Ferrari-walks-away-smash.html

If it does go to court will we see Ferguson demanding that United have their own respresentatives on the jury to make sure United are not stitched up by the authorities.

[Sandperson]

I expect so. Doesn't an offence like this carry the death sentence according to your favourite read the Daily Mail? Hang them both I say! Guilty until proven innocent!

Let's look back on some of your virtuous and squeaky clean Liverpool players:

Daily Mail

Daily Mail

Daily Mail

Just a small selection.

[Annasfield]

Witnesses at the scene of Ronaldo's crash say he was only lightly tapped from behind, when all of a sudden the car flipped and rolled over 10 times.

The first of many I'm sure. He made a hell of a mess of his car though - was lucky to walk away.

[Sandperson]

lol, very good. I liked the way that the BBC website went from "Ronaldo uninjured in crash" to "Ronaldo survives Ferrari smash!" (ok, I added the exclaimation mark).

[matthew123]

LOL - and there is me thinking you'd come out and defend the two United players.. but instead you point the finger at Liverpool!

I dare say it'll all come out in court as former KGB agents working alongside a pot bellied, shaven headed racist carrying a pitchfolk who were seen tampering with the Ferrari during its recent transit from Portugal to scupper United's chances against Chelski on Sunday.

[Mick Mac]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Witnesses at the scene of Ronaldo's crash say he

> was only lightly tapped from behind, when all of a

> sudden the car flipped and rolled over 10 times.

>

> The first of many I'm sure. He made a hell of a

> mess of his car though - was lucky to walk away.

Very good Annasfield - a girls name, a football fan, and a sense of humour - a rare breed indeed.

[Annasfield]

And you're not at all patronising. >:D

[Mick Mac]

Ouch.