DontLookBackInAnger said:
I get the feeling from the film that his time at Leeds was much like Malcolm Allison's second spell at City. Indeed I can't help but think that the Taylor role could easily have been Mercer.
What makes the Allison/Mercer thing so much more interesting was that where as Clough's villain was Revie, Allison's villain was himself and Mercer.
I always have had the view like Clough at Notts F, Allison wanted everything to be his at City and thats why he distoryed a pretty strong team.
I think Clough really stood no chance at Leeds because of the figure of Revie (but not directly because of Revie). At OT Utd could never replace Busby (well for 2 decades) because of the feeling fans/players/media/staff had for him and I think the same was true at Leeds. It was also probably true at Nottm Forest with Clough himself.
As for Allison & Mercer... I'm a bit biased because I wrote the only authorised biog of Mercer "Football With A Smile" and interviewed Allison at length in the early 90s on the relationship.
Allison admitted, and it's in the book, that he needed Joe. He didn't publicly say that during the 70s (or even 80s) but he said it on tape in my interview with him.
I get what you're saying about Mercer and Taylor but I don't think you can compare as, at City, it was Allison who worked closely with the players (and with Clough/Taylor it was Taylor).
Also, there's a myth that I am determined to kill off and that is that Mercer & Allison were both failures away from Maine Road. Working together they had great success, but apart they also had success. Allison won the Portuguese double after his initial spell at City, while Mercer had guided Aston Villa to the Second Division title, won the League Cup and appeared in another League Cup (plus he developed decent FA Cup fighting sides at Bramall Lane & Villa Park, though they could only reach FAC semis).
Looking at City's entire history, there are very few managers who had won as much as Mercer before they arrived at City. The story that they desperately needed each other and that without the other they were failures is a bit of a myth. Sure neither man was quite as successful as a manager but having said that Mercer retired after he'd managed England (and he'd been asked to stay on but turned it down because he felt he couldn't put 100% in to it because of possible health issues).
Allison's second spell does fit the pattern you suggest - break up a team that was capable of success and replace it with his own players - but the earlier break up of the partnership was, as far as the evidence suggests, down to the directors who messed it all up at the time.
In April 1970 we were League Cup winners & ECWC winners. About 6 months later a takeover was launched with the aim of making City 'a truly successful club'. Forty years later we've won only one more trophy (one of the ones the 'failed' Mercer won at Villa) and it's only now that we're getting back on track.
