| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, 16:07 - Feb 28 with 1210 views | patrickswell |
I find myself looking in wonder at the league table for the 1973-74 season, Town's 2nd consecutive Top 4 finish and how Bobby Robson managed to gatecrash into that top echelon of management. Unlike Revie and Shankly, he hadn't had a decade to build up and challenge for honours; unlike Clough, he had no Peter Taylor to come up with solutions over who they needed or a Dave Mackay figure to get it started on the park.
He outlasted Tommy Docherty, Bill McGarry - all those managers of the various Midlands clubs that weren't Brian Clough (at least until Ron Saunders turned up). Who even remembers any of Chelsea's post-Dave Sexton managers? He never achieved what Bertie Mee or Bill Nicholson did, but wasn't beaten down by the game the way they were. Lacked the style of a Malcolm Allison, but had the substance. John Bond? Well, they both left East Anglia for higher profile jobs, but by the time Robson left the England job for European football, Bond's career was done. Was it the environment that helped him, I don't know. But when I look at those names, and I read that book and think of the giants he mixed it with, the scale of his achievements comes crashing into focus. |  | | |  |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:13 - Feb 28 with 1174 views | Lord_Lucan |
It's a fantastic book. That year is the only year in history when the champions would have changed under a 3 points for a win situation. We would have won it. |  |
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| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:22 - Feb 28 with 1138 views | patrickswell |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:13 - Feb 28 by Lord_Lucan |
It's a fantastic book. That year is the only year in history when the champions would have changed under a 3 points for a win situation. We would have won it. |
Indeed. Incredible to think that 30 years later, Bobby was still managing in the top flight, albeit in a situation at Newcastle, where he went through his own Damned United experience. Let down by players and board. | | | |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:29 - Feb 28 with 1115 views | ITFC_Forever |
And to maintain it for a decade - we weren't a one-season wonder that whose tactics were rumbled and who then fell away again. |  |
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| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:44 - Feb 28 with 1086 views | patrickswell |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 16:29 - Feb 28 by ITFC_Forever |
And to maintain it for a decade - we weren't a one-season wonder that whose tactics were rumbled and who then fell away again. |
This is exactly it. He had 3 seasons working away, 2 of which were cast iron relegation fights - in the book (as in real life), Clough's Derby side pick up their first pair of wins in the First Division against us - it's quiet progress for three years, and then on the opening day of the 72-73 season, we beat Man Utd at Old Trafford, and don't look back for a decade. Hell, both Derby and Leeds made enquiries about Bobby after the brown stuff hit the fan after Clough between 73 & 74. But Bobby, mindful of the support that the Cobbolds had shown him when we were struggling, stayed put. No wonder, Clough said that he had the best job in English football. | | | |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 01:29 - Mar 1 with 785 views | Bad_Boy_Mark |
I really need to read this book - TWTD! |  | | |
| Have started reading The Damned United and while it's not central to the book, on 08:36 - Mar 1 with 669 views | No9 |
I haven't read it and understand the Clough family objected to some parts of the book.
I have seen the film, which I found entertaining.
ONe of the interesting things at the time was that Leeds, as well as being dirty were involved in all sorts of 'interesting' alleged chicanery which they got away with allegedly (again) because the FA wouldn't take them on as their president was related to HMQ |  | | |
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