Clough can inspire Blues boss Hart
The spirit of Brian Clough lives on at Fratton Park. And the ghost of Old Big 'Ead could just guide Pompey to Premier League safety.
It may be getting on towards five years since the man seen by many as the greatest manager of them all died.
Clough's influence on the game is certain to be eternal, however.
That can be seen as he makes his mark on the Blues through one of his students.
He may be a respected figure in the game himself, but, at 55, the awe remains for Paul Hart.
As the caretaker boss sits in the canteen at Pompey's Eastleigh training ground and reminisces about his days under Clough, the sparkle in his eye is there for all to see.
Hart's two years working under his tutelage at Nottingham Forest provided him with the hymn sheet he was to sing from in his management career.
No nonsense, no prima donnas and a collective team ethic provided the ethos which carried Forest to two European Cup titles.
Now it could be set to turn around Pompey's season.
'He was like a broken record,' said Hart, as he reflected on the legendary Clough.
'That's how he won European Cups.
'If you look at their team there was no real stars, they just grafted. It was 4-4-2.
'You have to look at the Malmo final. Malmo were unfancied, but it was a back-to-the-wall 1-0 win.
'Then there was Hamburg the following year. It was more of the same, and then all of a sudden there was a bit of magic from John Robertson to Trevor Francis at the far post.
'It was about clean sheets. Head it, boot it and anything else was a bonus.
'I've tried to do that here. We had to do a job on Manchester City like that.
'If you let great players play they will cause you problems.
'So that was our strategy, and they kept to it. They knew their jobs. Mine is the easy bit. The hard bit is keeping to it.
'But the players did their jobs. If you looked at what we did on Friday and what they replicated it was unbelievable.
'We spoke to them and gave over the strategy we were going to use. They took it on straightaway within an hour and responded. You can't ask for any more than that.'
Hart was taken to the City Ground by Clough in 1983 after a five-year stint with Leeds.
The powerhouse years at Elland Road were coming to an end, but the philosophy which had made them such a force were still being impressed on the former defender.
That was until he came across Clough.
'His words ring in my head,' said Hart, imitating his old manager's nasal tone for effect.
'He told me: "Head it, kick it and none of that Leeds United rubbish here!"
'I came out at Ipswich one game and we scored after 20 seconds. From there they gave us the biggest battering ever.
'I started looking up at the clock and there was five minutes until half-time.
'I used to come out and nip back in, do a quick backpass to the keeper and waste some time.
'Then I could hear him from the half-way line. He was saying: "Centre-half! Centre-half! Get in the other half and waste time there".
'But I did the same again because we couldn't get it down there.
'So the whistle goes at half-time and I get into the dressing room.
'He turns to me and says: "Centre-half, don't you come with your Leeds United tricks here. You took them down, you're not going to take me down!".
'Everyone knew their jobs. He was a coach, but not really in the traditional sense.
'He wouldn't go on the pitch and set it all up, he just told you.
'You either did it or you didn't, and if you didn't you were gone. Every player knew his role.'
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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