It Takes Two to Tango : Part One
Imagine the phrase “Elementary, my dear Watson” without Watson in it, or Han Solo without his trusted sidekick Chewbacca. Unthinkable, isn’t it? Amidst the madness surrounding people’s on-pitch shenanigans, relationships off the pitch often remain unseen. In this article, we discuss how managers and their trusted assistants often share a tangible and unique bond that is also prone to the inevitable fallacies of human nature. These relationships are often like ship steered through troubled waters by the dint of sheer calibre and charisma, and then run aground by mere insolence and greed. Here, we will recount stories about people with sizeable egos mutually admiring as well as envying each other. Hop on for a roller coaster ride with Abhinav Maitra at Goalden Times!
They were like Fire and Ice
“Who is this McGovern?”[1] asked the great Günter Netzer — quite bemused after his FC Köln lost to Nottingham Forest in the 1979 European Cup semi-final. “I have never heard of him, yet he ran the game”. Such was the underdog nature of Forest during that time. Teams seldom knew what they were up against. Their entry into English football’s folklore saw them defeat many a famous side along the way, including a famous 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United in their own backyard. With unknown players and unpredictable tactics, that Forest team dazzled everyone in their wake. McGovern was Forest’s midfield general, a relatively unknown Scotsman who was key to the club’s successive European triumphs. Forest were a tenacious side, supremely confident and very easy on the eye — perfectly built in the image of their peerless managerial duo of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.
“I am the shop window and he is the goods in the back”[2] , Clough always said while talking about Taylor. The self-admiring person that he was, Brian Clough owed much of his success to Peter Taylor and never shied away from accepting it. Taylor and Clough’s relationship can actually be traced a long way back to their playing days at Middlesbrough under Jimmy Gordon. While Clough was this charismatic, stylish, attention-craving guy Taylor was the exact opposite. He was self-controlled, cool, and always the calmer of the two. Clough’s arrogance, however, didn’t arise out of thin air. Being a prolific goal-scorer does tend to make one pompous. Playing for his home town club Middlesbrough and then with Sunderland, Clough would score a career total of 267 goals, with a remarkable haul of 18 career hat-tricks and a ratio of 0.916 goals per game. For Clough, scoring goals often kept him sane[3].
However, some playing careers are never meant to be create history. Clough severed his cruciate ligament while playing against Bury on Boxing Day 1962, and he would never have his mojo back after that. In 1965, after almost two years on the sidelines, sacked as the Sunderland youth coach and driven to the brink of insanity and frustration, Hartlepools (a fourth-tier club) provided Clough with a new lease of life. Clough, then 29, wasn’t ready to take the plunge without old pal Taylor by his side. Peter Taylor, who was then 36, was already serving as the player manager for Burton Albion. He was not only aware of the nuances of management but probably knew more about the demands of the role than Clough. Clough was a practical man and the decision to select Taylor as his assistant was a very rational one. In Clough’s testimonial match for Sunderland, here’s what he had to say: “If you want to see some good stuff from Saturday onwards, get yourself down to a little place called Hartlepools. It won’t be a little place for very long.”[4]. Clough would go on to become the youngest manager in the league.
The Duo helped transform Hartlepools from one of the back benchers in the league to a formidable side. But it wasn’t an easy ride. As Clough would find out driving the team bus on occasions, the duo literally had to resort to picking players from schools as the club was always too cash-strapped for transfers. John Mcgovern was one such hand-picked player. Earnest Ord, the club Chairman, had an impressive talent for interfering in the duo’s management of the team. Ord would later go on to be resigned to the duo’s association with the club as Clough and Taylor refused to be bullied out of the Hartlepools. The staff and players also vehemently supported them. They led the club to an incredible eighth position in the league during their first full season. This was an amazing ten places better than the previous season, and a testament to Clough and Taylor’s calibre. Soon, bigger fish started noticing this eccentric man and his sidekick. The prospect of leading Derby County (who were languishing in the anonymity of Division 2 football) to Division 1 turned out to be the opportunity Clough and Taylor were looking for. Their time at Derby, however, proved to be both jubilant and turbulent. Clough often marvelled at Taylor’s eye for good players. “Peter was best finder of players in the business”[5] and Taylor was instrumental in making some very astute signings, e.g., central defender Roy McFarland (also referred as an “uncut diamond” from Tranmere Rovers), Sunderland’s forward John O’Hare, Nottingham Forest’s wide-midfielder Alan Hinton (bought for GBP 30,000), and the duo’s “go-to” man McGovern, who followed them to their new club from Hartlepool. Derby got promoted to Division 1 in 1969 after an incredible undefeated streak of 22 games. They went on to become the English champions in the 72-73 season for the first time in their 88-year history. However, the club was soon plagued by internal strife and a scandal of a semi-final clash in the European Cup against the ‘Old Lady of Italy’, Juventus. The Italians were labelled “cheating bastards”[6] by Clough and that statement made headlines for the all the wrong reasons. Clough’s fiery nature was proving to be a headache for the Derby hierarchy. A fallout with Derby chairman Sam Longson, getting into unnecessary fights, and showing disrespect to stalwarts like Sir Matt Busby and Don Revie ultimately proved to be fatal. Clough and his entire managerial team had to resign. It was an acrimonious end and the first real dent in the duo’s thus far excellent managerial careers. Clough was like a labyrinth of conflicting human emotions. You never quite knew what he was going to do or say next. A year with Brighton in the third division almost seemed like a sabbatical for him. With Taylor doing most of the work, Clough was either spending time with his family or doing media events. He even took keen interest in politics, calling himself a socialist! “For me Socialism comes from the heart”[7] he would say. According to Taylor, Clough never quite settled at Brighton. So, when Leeds came calling, Clough jumped at the opportunity even though he had had a bitter relationship with Leeds as well as with their former head coach Don Revie from his days at Derby. Ending a nine-year-old partnership with Taylor, who stayed back with Brighton, Clough went ahead to manage the Division One champions. It was, however, one of the most bizarre managerial stints in football history. As many would later recall, it was a “A Marriage made in hell”[8] that ended in just 44 days. It left clough to rethink his career and his friendship with Taylor. The events at Leeds and the ensuing turmoil in Clough and Taylor’s personal lives are well documented by David Peace in his book The Damned Utd. This book was later adapted for the big screen by BBC Films, under the name The Damned United. It starred Michael Sheen as Brian Clough and Timothy Spall as Peter Taylor. It gained critical acclaim, but received harsh words from Clough and Taylor’s families and some former players. It remains a controversial film to this day.
Following a period of cold tension between the two, they were reunited at Nottingham Forest in 1976. Taylor was once again instrumental in bringing in some quality players, but tempers continued to flare. The acquiring of the notorious Kenny Burns from Birmingham City was a particularly sore point between the two. Clough was convinced the man was a “hooligan”[9] — who else who would drive a battered Vauxhall Viva without an insurance and be often caught brawling in pubs? Taylor, on the other hand, was adamant that Burns could provide some much-needed muscle to the team. So, for GBP 150,000, Burns was sold to Forest and was converted to a central defender from a striker. England international Peter Shilton was also bought as a goalkeeper for a record fee. These decisions puzzled the club authority as well as fans, but Clough and Taylor knew exactly what they were doing. “We were mad in many people’s eyes. But Peter Taylor and I knew our history in advance. History now tells us Shilton was worth twice the price. We weren’t mad at all, we were magic.”[10]. Forest would go onto win almost everything their heart desired, including two successive European cup triumphs in 1979 and 80. This winning streak also included an unbeaten run of 42 unbeaten games, only bettered by Arsenal in the 2003-04 season after a quarter of a century. Taylor decided to part ways with Forest and Clough in 1982 and went back to manage Derby county. Forest would go on to win domestic cups in the years to come, but Clough was never able to replicate the success of these two years.
Taylor and Clough had a complex relationship of trust, faith, and understanding with the occasional pinch of envy and annoyance. Taylor was often unhappy with Clough getting all the accolades for their exploits. Clough made a huge chunk of money from media events while Taylor was left to do his work on the field — especially during the duo’s time at Brighton. When Taylor published his autobiography in 1980 named With Clough, by Taylor , he didn’t share a single penny of his royalty with Clough, even though the book was based on his work with him. Things took a turn for the worse in 1983, during the transfer of John Robertson from Forest to Derby. Clough had apparently not been informed of this deal, and called Peter a “rattlesnake” — even threatening to “run him over” if they ever passed each other on the highway.
According to Taylor’s daughter, Wendy Dickinson, Taylor’s death in 1990 left Clough devastated. In an interview with the BBC years later she recounted, “…he was devastated; so were we all…” “He was deeply upset. I think he always regretted not making it up with dad. If dad had lived I think possibly they would have.”[11]. In 1994, Clough would go on to dedicate his autobiography to Peter Taylor.
Clough’s and Taylor’s exploits were nothing less than miracles. They promoted struggling teams, won league titles ahead of giants like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Leeds, and acquired European glory by beating the likes of Barcelona and Ajax. And everything they did was done with their characteristic swagger and charisma.
The Knight And The Translator — An Unlikely Pair
1990 saw England being denied a berth in the World Cup final by eventual winners West Germany. The match was decided on penalties. As the events unfolded like a Shakespearean tragedy, Sir Bobby Robson, the English coach, cut a disheartened figure on the sidelines. It remains an evocative image to this day. Robson’s eventual decision to depart from the national team wasn’t a popular one, but newer pastures and challenges awaited one of the most successful managers of English football.
Three years later, on December 7, 1993, a UEFA Cup round-of-16 match was underway at the Lehener Arena in Salzburg, Austria. Sporting Lisbon were leading Casino Salzburg by two goals in the first half. Despite scoring one goal after half-time, Salzburg were looking at elimination. However, things went horribly wrong for Sporting in last few minutes of the match. Salzburg restored parity and went on the win the match in extra time. On the way back, Sousa Cintra, the club president, got hold of the plane’s intercom and started berating the players for their subpar performance. Bobby Robson, the then manager of Sporting, wasn’t fluent in Portuguese. As a result, he was not able to recognize the full extent and implications of the conversation that was taking place. His interpreter, somewhat embarrassed by the foul language being used, informed Robson that Cintra was going to have a word with him once they touched down at Lisbon. Well, it was more than a word. Once they reached Lisbon, Robson got the sack in front of the entire staff and was sent packing only a year after his appointment. Managing Sporting was probably not a highlight of Sir Bobby’s illustrious career. However, he did establish important relationships while at the club, including, surprisingly enough, with the aforementioned translator on that plane.
Despite being hired only as an interpreter, this “personable”[12] young man, who went by the name of Jose Mourinho, became more of an advisor to Robson during his time at Sporting. Mourinho was highly ambitious and a keen learner from the start. It didn’t take long for Robson to take notice of those qualities. “He was a marvellous asset. Whenever I needed his support he was there, even though it often meant putting himself in the firing line”[12], he once declared. But those weren’t the only things that impressed Robson about Mourinho. Jose was very detailed in his work. If he was given scouting jobs before matches, he would come back with long, meticulous dossiers about opponent teams. Sir Bobby had never before encountered such attention to detail. The “dossiers” were quite famous. After getting sacked for the first time in his career, Robson landed a job at Porto in January of 1994. And it was Mourinho whose advice he sought before taking the plunge. Robson was keen to have his young Portuguese advisor on board, and he made Mourinho his assistant at Porto. Mourinho wasn’t new to coaching. Manual Fernandes, one of Portugal’s most prolific goal scorers, remembers making a 26-year-old Jose in-charge of Vitoria Setubal’s youth team. Mourinho’s father had once served as head coach at Setubal. “I saw he had a good sense of leadership and great methods.”[13] he said. At Porto, Mourinho was given the additional responsibilities of managing training sessions, providing scouting reports before matches (even though he would still mostly act as an interpreter), and giving press briefings on Robson’s behalf. He even acted as the translator during Robson’s press conferences. Porto became a good side under Robson and Mourinho, winning two successive Liga titles. They even picked up the Taça de Portugal in 1994, beating Robson’s former club, Sporting. Chants of “Bobby Five-O” would often ring out from the Dragao. Sir Bobby was given this catchy nickname since his side was famous for their frequent 5-0 wins. However, while Porto garnered success on the pitch, they were rocked by events off of it. The death of 26-year-old midfielder Rui Felipe, and Robson’s health problems meant the club had to go through some very tough situations. Robson and his young Portuguese prodigy worked tirelessly to keep the winning mentality alive on field.
In 1996, Robson decided to part ways with Porto to fulfil his lifelong ambition of managing the Catalan giants, Barcelona. Stepping into the shoes of one Johan Cruyff was, however, no easy feat. Johan had left an unparalleled footprint over the club. He established a footballing philosophy that not only changed how F.C Barcelona played, but also how football in general was perceived around the world. Mourinho arrived at Barcelona with Robson. He had the reputation of a translator, but the job of an assistant coach. It was here that the manager in Jose started to take shape. Barcelona had an enviable team, with the likes of Giovanni Silva, Laurent Blanc, Hristo Stoichkov, Josep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Luis Figo, who was bought from Sporting a year before Robson’s arrival. To add to that, Robson bought a young dazzling Brazilian named Ronaldo from one of his former clubs — PSV. Robson and Mourinho, with their difference in age, were also visibly different in their man management skills. While Robson maintained a respectable distance from players, Mourinho was the charmer. He would train with the players and chat for hours on end in their local dialects. His actions really helped new signings like Ronaldo settle down quickly at the new club. With Guardiola, Jose would often discuss tactics, strategies, and ways to improve their play. Robson would pass on tactical instructions to Jose during training and matches. His trust in Mourinho was absolute. It was as if Mourinho and Robson balanced out each other in the most profound fashion.
Barcelona would go on to win the Copa del Rey, the Super Cup, and the European Cup winners’ trophy in the 1996-97 season. Ronaldo ended this season as the top scorer in the Spanish first division. He also received the European Golden Shoe, with a staggering 47 goals in 49 games. No wonder they called him “El Phenomenon”.
Even successful seasons are not perfect. Unofficially, Robson was held responsible for Barcelona forsaking some of their well-known, on-field flair and elegance. As a result, the club decided to bring in Dutch mastermind Louis van Gaal as the new man in charge. Robson was made a nominal executive at the club — a general manager only in name. He would hold the post for one season before moving back to PSV for another stint, and then finally moving to Newcastle United from where he retired in 2004. Mourinho, on the other hand, was retained as an assistant by Barcelona to help new coach Louis van Gaal. He would go on to become one of the most successful managers of our times.
Did Robson see his younger self in Mourinho? Did Mourinho seem like a young, hardworking, but more aggressive Robson in the making? It cannot be denied that Robson was well known for leaving an impression on would-be young managers like Andre Villas-Boas and Guardiola. And Robson really was quite fond of Mourinho. He would mostly keep him by his side. The press would often teasingly term Mourinho to be “Robson’s boyfriend”. Their uncanny alliance may have stemmed out of a need for each other in a high-pressure environment, but it grew into a very beautiful emotional bond. Mourinho picked up many of his traits as a manager from Robson. He would go on to reiterate that point many times “Bobby Robson is not so interested in study and systems or planning of training sessions. He’s a field man, who thrives on direct contact with the players”[12]. Robson was not only Mourinho’s mentor on the pitch, he also guided him through some difficult personal, when he lost his sister and mother-in-law in the same year.
There were occasional differences between the duo. Mourinho would often grumble about the tactics used on the pitch. Sometimes, during press conferences, he would speak his own mind instead of just translating Robson’s words. Their relationship, however, began to truly disintegrate when Mourinho started becoming the more successful manager of the two. Either Robson was miffed about not getting due credit from his protégé, or Mourinho felt that he deserved more respect from his ex-boss. During Mourinho’s time at Chelsea, Robson famously wrote him an open letter, asking him to tone down his aggressive antics and focus more on the game. This didn’t go down well with his former apprentice. Like a father and son duo unable to sort out differences while harbouring big egos, Jose and Bobby maintained this somewhat strained relationship till Sir Bobby passed away in 2009. Mourinho was very gracious and kind while paying respect to his deceased former mentor. He has also been helping the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation raise money to fight cancer ever since.
Bobby and Jose may not be credited for much success in the clubs they managed together for a short time, but together they were a pair to marvel at. Even today, many Porto fans still remember the times when an elderly English gentleman and his Portuguese translator gave them moments of heavenly joy.
References
1. The Guardian
2. The Guardian
3. Vavel
4. brianclough.com
5. YouTube
6. The Telegraph
7. The Guardian
8. YouTube
9. The Guardian
10. Nottingham Post
11. BBC
12. FourFourTwo
13. The Guardian
About Abhinav Maitra
A football enthusiast and an ardent Manchester united fan, keen on writing about human behaviors and the power of the beautiful game to bring in subtle changes and happiness in people’s lives
