Forest vs Derby: Classic quotes from Brian Clough, a hero at both clubs
Wednesday 11 November 2015 13:34, UK
Nottingham Forest and Derby go head-to-head live on Sky Sports on Friday night in a fixture which always evokes memories of the legendary Brian Clough.
Clough took both teams from the Second Division to their maiden First Division titles, before leading Forest to back-to-back European Cup successes.
But he was loved as much for his charismatic quotes off the field as he was for his managerial heroics on it.
Here is a selection of classic comments from one of the most colourful football characters of them all…
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Classic Cloughie
“The River Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years” – on being the best.
"I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd because that's exactly what I would have done” – on never becoming England manager.
"I'm loath to confess they could be as good as us. They are brilliant. It sticks in the craw a little bit because nobody likes Arsenal! Of course there's a Frenchman in charge, Wenger, and not many English people like Frenchmen. He is a top, top manager” – on Arsenal breaking Nottingham Forest’s record for 42 games unbeaten.
"Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes” – on his football tactics.
"Rome wasn't built in a day. But I wasn't on that particular job." - on his approach to management
"Resignations are for prime ministers and those caught with their trousers down, not for me" – on staying the course.
"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one" – on his standing.
"Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius" - on his ex-player Martin O'Neil’s success.
"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there" - on long-ball football.
“I’m a little bit of an idealist, I do believe in fairies, and that is my outlook” – on his playing style.
“We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right” – on listening to players' opinions.
"I'm not equipped to manage successfully without Peter Taylor. I am the shop window and he is the goods in the back." - on his right-hand man, pictured above.
"I only ever hit Roy the once. He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard" – on looking after Roy Keane at Forest.
'That Seaman is a handsome young man but he spends too much time looking in his mirror, rather than at the ball. You can't keep goal with hair like that” – on facial hair…and ponytales.
“The players haven't got enough heart to fill a thimble” – on his Brighton side’s 8-2 defeat to Bristol Rovers.
“Good managers make good sides. There’s no such thing as a side making a manager” – on lucky players.
"I can't even spell spaghetti never mind talk Italian. How could I tell an Italian to get the ball? He might grab mine" - on the increase of foreign players in England
“Don’s slightly different and his record proves over results that he perhaps is right. But having said that, I want to be like me” – on definitely not being ex-Leeds boss Don Revie.
"For all his horses, knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two of what I've got. And I don't mean balls! - on the absence of successive European Cup triumphs for the great Sir Alex Ferguson
Watch Nottingham Forest v Derby live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Friday
