Nigel Clough's legacy.

[Jayram]

His managerial style was archaic and he was tactically incompetent but he could spot a decent player. I think the plaudits belong firmly with McClaren and his staff though for bringing that extra class and nous to the club which enabled us to go so close to the Prem. I honestly don't think Nige would have got us there if he'd been given another 50 years. That said I wish him all the best at Sheffield Utd.

[DesertRam]

I dont think the Board ever thought he could get us to the PL, at that time they needed somebody to

steady the ship, not spend any money, and the fans to agree to give him time to do it.

It was really a brilliant move if you think about it!!

[EssendonRam]

I guess it's your own personal view with regards to Clough because it varies too much and I understand why.

 

Nevertheless... 

 

I think he was a very good manager that was very stubborn in his ways and that ultimately cost him his job.

 

He got us playing to the style, he got us playing some beautiful football, it took time but he did it. However, he was tactically naive and limited within his ways and that ties in with his stubborn attitude. 

 

McClaren has done a wonderful job, but let's face it, he had something Clough never had IMO. Competent backroom staff. 

 

I'm not surprised in the slightest at his record at Sheffield United and I'm sure they'll be promoted next season.

Where on Earth would he have got a stubborn streak from?

[EssendonRam]

Clough had very much generic bloke hair. McClaren is at least touting a unique look. No comment on the small shorts and suspenders...

Not sure "unique" quite covers it.

But, thinking about it, neither does Mac's hair...so maybe it's the perfect description after all.

[EssendonRam]

I was buzzin the day he got the sack last season, I knew our fortunes were about to change. The man held us back for so long.

This, and several others in this thread, betray precisely the problem in English football. Change the manager for the sake of change.

Ironically, the time we allowed Clough bucked* the trend; he could have been sacked earlier had the board caved into emotional demands for "action, any action". But supporters fail to learn that just changing the manager rarely works. Like drinking too much because the missus has been a b1tch to you, it may feel good at the time but it rarely helps your performance.

And, whatever his limitations, Clough did stick to his plan and the club's need to cut spending. Yet still built a competitive team. It still amazes me so many here just routinely disrespect what Clough achieved for Derby. He bought us time just for starters.

But it is also obvious that McClaren is a class above him. From the looks of things so far, he just may be a class above most English managers and coaches.

Hopefully, regardless of what happens over the next few seasons, we also give Mac the time we gave Clough and don't turn on him at the first setback.

* Yes, auto-correct, for the first time EVER I meant to write "bucked". Was briefly concerned you might change it to the other word.

[Animal is a Ram]

6/10. Was going well until the analogy slipped at the end.

Broke down before the chequered flag.

[Gypsy Ram]

my first ever comment on a Clough thread:

 

It's in the past. Can we leave it there? He did a good job but when it was time to step it up he had to move on.

Move on people. A bright future awaits.

[Rammy1]

everybody has there own opinion, so if they want to speak about clough, who are u to say ''move on people''

 

u move on to a different thread if you dont like it

[Gypsy Ram]

everybody has there own opinion, so if they want to speak about clough, who are u to say ''move on people''

 

u move on to a different thread if you dont like it

TWIT. What got your knickers in a twist. But yes lets talk about the same old subject for the millionth time making the same point over and over again. Nothing will change in the argument. I'd rather focus on something positive. 

[Rammy1]

as i said

go on another thread

dont be a pest

[Gypsy Ram]

as i said

go on another thread

dont be a pest

Yawn.

[Angry Ram]

my first ever comment on a Clough thread:

 

It's in the past. Can we leave it there? He did a good job but when it was time to step it up he had to move on.

Move on people. A bright future awaits.

I'm not one to point fingers...   But blame that Stokie fella. It's all his fault.

I had moved on and was in a better place.. Pills were working but the wound was opened and now I am back to square one.

[Martyn]

I'm gonna be controversial and sum up that Derby fans' opinion of Nigel Clough is "mixed".

[Albert]

Is this really a debate?

Nigel came in at a time that the club was looking down the barrel of some quite serious trouble, and on a shoestring leveled things out, build slowly and ultimately build a very strong base to go forward on. Whatever your feelings about him tactically and as a man manager, he put together a good solid squad, with good chemistry. It is this base that McClaren used (and build upon) to see us finish 3rd and at this point in time the only new first team signings we've made are Dawkins, Whitbread, Naylor and arguably Roos.

What that's basically saying is that Nigel was a Dawkins, Whitbread and Naylor short of where McClaren's squad is now, so credit still has to go to Nigel for his squad building over that time, particularly on a fairly restrictive budget. It speaks volumes that in his first summer McClaren is rumoured to have a warchest large enough to pay over

[RamNut]

Is this really a debate?Nigel came in at a time that the club was looking down the barrel of some quite serious trouble, and on a shoestring leveled things out, build slowly and ultimately build a very strong base to go forward on. Whatever your feelings about him tactically and as a man manager, he put together a good solid squad, with good chemistry. It is this base that McClaren used (and build upon) to see us finish 3rd and at this point in time the only new first team signings we've made are Dawkins, Whitbread, Naylor and arguably Roos.What that's basically saying is that Nigel was a Dawkins, Whitbread and Naylor short of where McClaren's squad is now, so credit still has to go to Nigel for his squad building over that time, particularly on a fairly restrictive budget. It speaks volumes that in his first summer McClaren is rumoured to have a warchest large enough to pay over

[CheltenhamRam]

Nigel lacked edge and didn't get them playing as often as we (or I imagine, him) would have liked. 

 

I am 3 beers in waiting for pizza to be delivered so my judgement could be off 

[Albert]

Jacobs seemed as good as Dawkins.

Whitbread was injured and didn't make much of a contribution.

Naylor was almost irrelevant.

The difference was the loanees.....wisdom, keane, thorne, and bamfords goals.

Yes they were, but now we're talking about squad building and legacy. The loanees legacy was 3rd, not what's coming this season.

[Angry Ram]

This, and several others in this thread, betray precisely the problem in English football. Change the manager for the sake of change.

Ironically, the time we allowed Clough bucked* the trend; he could have been sacked earlier had the board caved into emotional demands for "action, any action". But supporters fail to learn that just changing the manager rarely works. Like drinking too much because the missus has been a b1tch to you, it may feel good at the time but it rarely helps your performance.

And, whatever his limitations, Clough did stick to his plan and the club's need to cut spending. Yet still built a competitive team. It still amazes me so many here just routinely disrespect what Clough achieved for Derby. He bought us time just for starters.

But it is also obvious that McClaren is a class above him. From the looks of things so far, he just may be a class above most English managers and coaches.

Hopefully, regardless of what happens over the next few seasons, we also give Mac the time we gave Clough and don't turn on him at the first setback.

* Yes, auto-correct, for the first time EVER I meant to write "bucked". Was briefly concerned you might change it to the other word.

Understand what you are saying and there are certainly instances of clubs getting rid of managers too early. I don't think the Clough Out movement really got going until the middle of last season when it became obvious that he was lost and did not know what to do next. So I don't buy that he was hounded out early.

Yes Clough had restrictions placed on him and the most frustrating thing is that he got decent players in on a budget, brought the youth through and had a real decent core of a team. He just did not know how the put the pieces of the jigsaw together.. Something McLaren has done with mainly the same players.

His negative tactics were okay when we were complete pants but when we started to play some decent possession football he continued with these when a certain amount of boldness was needed. I travel extensively to watch us away from home and never felt like we would get a result.. In fact if we went 1-0 down we might as well go home.... At home, we would get our noses in front and then try and hold on.. Why? The weakest part of our team was the defence and Cloughs tactics were to heap pressure on it... Hoof the ball into the channels 30 mins before the end of games... It was only a matter of time before a badly defended cross meant we threw away more points.

I agree he was hampered by a poor back room team but that was his chosen back room team.

He had a long time but Rush and co could see that season would just run into each other.. 9th, 10th, season after season. Harder to attract sponsorship, season ticket sales and crowds declining.

No brainier if you are running a business.

[EssendonRam]

Agree. You've slightly misunderstood my point. I commend the board for sticking fat with the manager even though fans call for change for change's sake. As others have said, perhaps a better backroom staff would have helped (but he wasn't budging on that).

In hindsight, the change has been terrific and I am happy to admit, in hindsight, it WAS time for him to go. To be fair, I did switch the moment I heard McClaren was in the frame.

I just hope we give McClaren the same patience.

[ladyram]

I blame Uttox for this, it's all his doing.

Bad man.