Clough turned average players into great ones

Published on Tuesday 21 September 2004 01:12

AT THE age of 33 and with two broken legs behind him, Dave Mackay thought his playing days were over in 1968. However, the intervention of Brian Clough allowed him to enjoy a glorious Indian summer at Derby County.

It was here that Clough established himself as a manager, transforming Derby from second division makeweights into champions of England. Mackay remembers Clough as a volatile maverick with the priceless knack of prising extraordinary deeds from ordinary players.

"At the end of my Tottenham days, I was all set to go back to Hearts, my favourite club, but Brian somehow got wind of this and phoned me to ask me to come to Derby.

"They had finished fifth from bottom of the second division but he convinced me they were going to be a really good team. After a few weeks playing there we were struggling and I wondered what I had done. The players didn’t seem anything special but we ended up walking the second division title and then finished third in the first division the season after that."

Mackay was Clough’s captain and his impact at Derby was such that he was named Footballer of the Year in 1969. The Scot credits Clough for extending his career and forging a side in his own image.

"He was full of confidence and he passed that on to his players," Mackay said yesterday. "They weren’t great players but he made them great.

"He was a one-off, but he had a fantastic partnership with his assistant, Peter Taylor. They were a perfect match, a perfect couple. It was a very sad day when they fell out because up until then they had been about the most fantastic pairing in management."

Sadly, no reconciliation took place, and one of Clough’s chief regrets was that he never patched up the differences before Taylor’s death in 1991.

"Clough was very volatile and could change just like that," added Mackay. "He could be the perfect gentleman one minute and then snap. But he was always very good to me."

"I’ve never met anyone like him because anything he wanted he got. As a manager he would never give up. I remember when he signed Roy McFarland, Brian ended up staying the night at his house because he was so determined to get him."

Despite his achievements with both Derby and Nottingham Forest, Clough was overlooked for the England manager’s job, something Mackay believes was a grave mistake. "He should have got the England manager’s post. He would have done a good job, but I think the FA committee were a bit frightened of him."

It is a measure of the respect Mackay has for Clough that one of the former’s favourite memories is the moment Derby were presented with the second division championship trophy. "An oil painting that captures the moment beautifully hangs in my bedroom at home: Brian Clough is shaking my hand as my other hand clasps the trophy; Peter Taylor, Brian’s assistant, is patting my back. The three of us are locked in a meeting of eyes that shine with mutual admiration. I love that painting and I loved that moment. Of all my special days as a footballer, this day ranked as one of the most special."