Why Did Clough Break Up The Golden Generation Too Early

[Strawberry Avenger]

Ty, Zico.

Enjoyed your post.

SA.

[zicorice]

Later in life Cloughie admitted to breaking up the team too quickly. Having walked I believe on water, human nature dictated that they believed they could do anything and it would work. Telling Lloydy he was too old but then bringing in an even older Willie Young to replace him. The likes of Fashanu, Wallace and Ponte showed that Taylor was losing his touch. Money wasted and financial difficulties followed (out of Europe, the "executive " stand also contributed hugely) causing us to offload the bigger wage earners.

The recovery came when Cloughie was forced to bring through the home grown talent more than ever - and his genius came to the fore again - Sutton, Fairclough, Hodge, Walsh, Wigley, Davenport to name a few soon after followed by the likes of Des,  Flemming, Nigel, Brett William's, David Campbell, Terry Wilson between the them spine of Cloughies sides and squad players from the 3rd place finish in 83 and the 3rd place finish in 1988.

Of course many players were also brought in and played crucial parts but Cloughies magic returned though his best sides (1988-90 in my opinion) lacked an edge that we used to have with Burns Larry and Bowyer. We were a bit too nice. We had Psycho and the football was fantastic to watch, but the likes of Wimbledon used to bully us so we always fell a bit short in the league, but were superb in the cups winning 2 and 2 FA Cup semis in a short space of time. 

In 1989 we were the best team in the country for much of the season singing "We're gonna win the lot" in late March. A midweek loss during fixture congestion to Arsenal gave them the momentum to go on and win the league and we all know what happened in FA cup semi, when we were in full swing and went to Hillsborough at full strength and one of our greatest seasons paled into insignificance and is almost now forgotten.

To be as good as we were in 1988-89 season shows to me Cloughies genius was enduring. Imagine us finishing 3rd in the Prem, Winning the league cup and reaching Semis of FA Cup playing the most attacking exciting football in the country. A team that had homegrown Sutton, Walker, Clough, Wilson supplemented by bargain buys or freebies like Laws, Pearce, Crosby, Gaynor, Chapman, Webb, Parker and a returned Hodge.

I often think that this team doesnt get the plaudits and respect it deserves and neither does Cloughie for building it on a shoestring. Webb and Hodge cost relatively big fees for the time, Chapman cost 300 000 at the time Dean Saunders cost well north of a million.

A great team.

I forgot to mention the lack of of European Competition (thanks to Scouse scum) meant we also played in Simod cup where a full strength team in every round won at Wembley in a thrilling game vs Everton.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I enjoyed watching the likes of Pearce, Walker, Hodge, Webb, Clough, Chapman, Parker just as much as watching Shilton, Burns, Birtles and Robbo etc.

[zicorice]

I enjoyed watching the likes of Pearce, Walker, Hodge, Webb, Clough, Chapman, Parker just as much as watching Shilton, Burns, Birtles and Robbo etc.

I missed Franz Carr off when I mentioned bargains on the previous page.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

Personally I liked Franz Carr. I thought he was briiliant at Old Trafford when Forest won 0-1 in the FA Cup.

[Tricky]

Personally I liked Franz Carr. I thought he was briiliant at Old Trafford when Forest won 0-1 in the FA Cup.

He was an exciting player to watch

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

Two of Cloughie's biggest regerets.

1. He broke up the team too soon.

2. He never made up with Peter Taylor before he died.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Two of Cloughie's biggest regerets.

1. He broke up the team too soon.

2. He never made up with Peter Taylor before he died.

The 1st one.  I couldn't quite understand it at the time.  It didn't seem to make any sense to me.  For me, losing Woodcock was the beginning of the end.

The 2nd one?  I think that hurt him (and Forest) in more ways than we can imagine.

I caught the FA CUP 6th round vs WBA repeat the other day (I think the 'treble' was on?  But losing to WBA stopped that.)  Forest lost that one 2:0.  It was great to watch the legends in action.  I came into watch it just as WBA put the 2nd goal past Shilton...and someone giving Kenny Burns a run for his money.  

Boy, Forest were great.  Neat.  To feet.  Close passing.  Forwards.  Attack, attack, attack.  Just spell binding to watch in possession.  Such industry.  Gemmil.  What a powerhouse of a player.

I was cheering, "COME ON, FOREST!" as if it was a live match.

SA.

[Jasper Scarrott]

Two of Cloughie's biggest regerets.

1. He broke up the team too soon.

2. He never made up with Peter Taylor before he died.

Sad but true. He admitted them both many times.

[Heanor Red]

Agree he broke the team up to soon. Going from Francis & Birtles up front to Wallace & Fashanu in the blink of an eye was like going from driving a Ferrari and swapping it for a Robin Reliant. Think they also got caught up in debt as a result of the new stand and had to sell players to recoup money. Crowds declined rapidly all over the country, our average gate more or less halved between 1980 and 83. We were still paying for the stand in the mid 80’s when we sold Davenport. I think we had some bad luck as well. I thought Einer Aas was big Larry’s replacement before we bought Willie Young. Aas would’ve been a Forest legend if not for the career ending injury dominant in the air and pure class on the deck.

[jurgen rober]

Heanor Red you are right about Einar Aas, he was fast becoming my favourite player when he broke his leg. Was absolute class and was getting better every game. He was actually the first Norwegian footballer to play pro in Germany and England.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Agree he broke the team up to soon.

Going from Francis & Birtles up front to Wallace & Fashanu in the blink of an eye was like going from driving a Ferrari and swapping it for a Robin Reliant.

Think they also got caught up in debt as a result of the new stand and had to sell players to recoup money.

Crowds declined rapidly all over the country, our average gate more or less halved between 1980 and 83.

We were still paying for the stand in the mid 80’s when we sold Davenport.

I think we had some bad luck as well. I thought Einer Aas was big Larry’s replacement before we bought Willie Young. Aas would’ve been a Forest legend if not for the career ending injury dominant in the air and pure class on the deck.

Some less popular but CRUCIAL points made there.  Well done, Heanor Red.

Francis and Birtles to Wallace and Fashanu (That's £3 million on those two?  A lot of money back then...)  And that sudden transition probably did for Forest.  But losing Woodcock seemed to start the rot for me.  (Went to Arsenal?  Even Viv Anderson went to Arsenal...)  And losing Withe.  Another Forest should have kept.  I seem to recall Forest seemed to go through this unsettled period of strikers through this 'transitionary' period.

And you're right.  Sign the wrong strikers and try to pay for a new stand and you have a recipe for trouble along with crowds declining.  (I seem to remember that being a topic on the news at the time, falling gates.)


And that Forest had their hands tied in debt and sold Davenport.

Eisner Aas.  I remember vaguely.  He got injured after a promising start and then I heard no more.


Forest had their luck until they no longer had it.  They made their luck and unmade their luck.

It took a long time of being in the relative wilderness before Forest (and maybe Clough) got back to their roots of finding talent.  That takes time.  Pearce.  Nigel.   Keane.

I suppose after success of so much success in a relative short space of time, the pressure to build upon that success and achieve was greater and that led to mistakes and a fracture in relationships until Forest 'faded' (compared to what they had been.)


SA.