Michael Sheen has successfully impersonated Tony Blair on television and in the film “The Queen” followed by a less convincing portrait of David Frost in “Frost/Nixon”.

He can now be viewed in British cinemas playing charasmatic English soccer manager Brian Clough during his 44 nightmare days at Leeds United in the film based on the 2006 novel “The Damned United”.

As always Sheen gets the accent spot on and the mannerisms seem accurate in a production gentler in tone than David Peace’s novel, praised by one reviewer as “probably the best novel ever written about sport”.

The period detail – England in 1974 — is acutely observed and the football scenes merge appropriately grainy television footage of the time with inevitably less convincing shots of actors playing footballers to suspend skilfully enough the disbelief of all but the most critical audiences.

All in all, the film is an enjoyable romp through the era of power cuts, militant unions, soaring inflation, good pop music and appalling fashion sense at a time when footballers still formed part of the local community.

So why the pervading unease over the portrayal of the best manager of his time during his ill-fated venture at Elland Road?

Clough’s widow Barbara and her family have expressed their horror at both book and film. Johnny Giles, the Irish midfielder depicted as a key participant in Clough’s downfall at Leeds, read the book and did not like what he saw.

Giles took legal action against the publishers and was awarded an undisclosed sum in an out-of-court settlement.

“I was totally misrepresented in the book,” Giles told the Irish television channel RTE, where he now works as a pundit.

“There were fictitious conversations between me and Clough and he wrote about incidents that never took place. But the way that Brian Clough was portrayed was outrageous. Absolutely outrageous.

“The Clough family are very upset about it and quite rightly so. I was there and most of the things that were written did not happen. This guy (Peace) says that fiction is sometimes more truthful than fact. That’s arty farty nonsense as far as I’m concerned.”

Giles enters into territory where athletes rarely venture. His blunt conclusion, though, will be endorsed by those dismayed by a deliberate blurring of fact and fiction in the search for an allegedly higher truth.

Clough, whose inner demons are explored by Peace through extensive passages of that hackneyed literary device stream of consciousness, died five years ago.

The dead can not be libelled. Unlike Giles, Clough’s family and the family of the former Leeds manager Don Revie and the family of the late captain Billy Bremner, whose treatments in both book and film are unsympathetic, have no redress.

In his 1962 black and white classic “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, director John Ford examined the passing of the old west.

The film’s central flashback reveals that the respected senator played by James Stewart was not the man who disposed of the villainous Valance. Instead it was the forgotten rancher Tom Doniphon portrayed by John Wayne. The true story is never revealed.

“When the legend becomes fact print the legend,” says a newspaper editor. A wonderful quote when the characters are invented. An altogether more disturbing line when they are real.

PHOTO: Brian Clough, who died in 2004, takes charge of his final game for Nottingham Forest before retiring from management, May 1, 1993. REUTERS

Mexico’s recent tribulations — four coaches in the last three years, two defeats to Honduras in five months, an even more humiliating loss in Jamaica — have left many supporters with a certain nostalgia for former coach Ricardo La Volpe.

Gruff and outspoken, La Volpe brought almost unprecedented stability between 2002 and 2006 as he actually completed the four-year cycle between World Cups. He made Mexico one of the world’s most tactically versatile teams, boldly drafted in numerous young players and enjoyed competitive wins over both Brazil and Argentina.

Now coach of Mexican club Atlas, La Volpe is still producing the goods and has taken the unfashionable side on an impressive nine-match unbeaten run which has included a 1-0 win away to their more powerful neighbours Guadalajara.

Yet, not for the first time, La Volpe has threatened to undo his good work on the field with his comments off it. Tact is not his strong point, as he proved once again with a stunning public attack on his squad.

“We don’t have any players who can tip the balance of a match,” he complained, adding that if the players did not understand his tactics — a criticism which has been levelled at him in the past — then they should leave. (more…)

Newcastle’s interim boss and Geordie hero Alan Shearer opened St. James’ Park on Tuesday and his Premier League side trained in front of 7,500 fans.

It could prove to be a masterstroke. As the sun shone down and school kids on half-term flocked to the stadium, it had the city buzzing again just two days after the disappointing loss to Chelsea.

But the Geordie faithful are precisely that, and rarely do they turn their backs in disgust when things aren’t going well, just ask Habib Beye.

If the Magpies don’t escape relegation, it will be horribly sad to see St. James’ Park half-full at best for Championship games.

Newcastle’s run-in however is a tough one, and with just seven games remaining I fear for the club and their most loyal fans.

Seeing the optimism that abounded on Tuesday among the young faces was uplifting, but the effect Shearer’s return has had could turn to heartbreaking scenes come the season’s end.

PHOTO: Newcastle United’s interim coach Alan Shearer gestures during their training session at St James’ Park in Newcastle April 7, 2009. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

Chelsea have sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari after just over half a season in charge.

“Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club with immediate effect,” a statement said on www.chelseafc.com.

Some would say it is out of the blue but others might not be so surprised. On the day Portsmouth also axed Tony Adams, it just goes to show the pressure on clubs in modern football.

Chelsea have been on a bad run for their standards but it is a big risk to switch coaches just weeks before their Champions League last 16 tie with Juventus.

PHOTO: A combination of file pictures shows Luiz Felipe Scolari watching Chelsea against Manchester United during their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, Sept. 21, 2008. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez 

For the second time in less than two months a young Englishman who had a great playing career has been sacked as the manager of a struggling Premier League club.

Tony Adams was dismissed from Portsmouth on Monday after being in charge at Fratton Park for just 16 league matches, one league match less than his old England team mate Paul Ince lasted at Blackburn Rovers.

Ince, the self-styled “Guv’nor” of his playing days became the ex-guv’nor of Blackburn Rovers in December.

The two played almost 120 matches for England between them and more than 1,200 club games during their respective playing careers at Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, West Ham United and Inter Milan among others — yet together lasted just 33 games as Premier League bosses.

In a statement, the Portsmouth board said they had taken a “difficult decision”, adding “the priority for the club is to remain in the top flight and we feel the appointment of a new manager will give us the best opportunity to enable us to do this”.

But surely they must have felt the same way when they appointed Adams, otherwise they would not have given him the job. Blackburn too, were impressed enough by Ince last summer, after he did well coaching in the lower leagues, to put their faith in him.

At the time he was shown the exit door at Ewood Park, Rovers were 19th in the table and had lost six successive matches.

Portsmouth meanwhile have slid down the table since Adams took over from Harry Redknapp when Redknapp left for Tottenham Hotspur at the end of October.

Ironically the tide began to turn against Adams after Portsmouth beat Blackburn 3-2 at the end of November.

That was one of only two of 16 Premier League matches Pompey won under him and they are now 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. Rovers, even having improved their results since Sam Allardyce replaced Ince, are still in the drop zone, one point worse off.

For all its romance and history, soccer is an unsentimental game and self-preservation is everything. But if both Blackburn and Portsmouth do get relegated at the end of the season, will it be the boards to blame — or the managers ?

PHOTO: Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams gestures during their English Premier League match against Liverpool, Oct. 29, 2008. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Spats like Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez’s recent run-in with his Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson are always guaranteed attention-grabbers.

But while I find stories of polemics between football’s top figures good fun, I sometimes get the impression they’re having us on.

Inter’s Jose Mourinho gave the game away some time ago, admitting he drank wine with Ferguson after matches despite their feuding in his Chelsea days.

Ferguson, especially, strikes me as someone who’s aware that he is acting a role in a pantomime which serves his purposes and helps generate interest in the game.

He cultivates an image of being surly and aggressive, possibly so that the media, referees, players, agents etc know that he takes no nonsense. (more…)

Dear Premier League players, managers and pundits, I’ve got a great suggestion for a New Year’s Resolution - stop moaning!

Win or lose, it seems hardly a match goes by without an immediate post-mortem and it’s almost always the fault of the match officials rather than poor skill or tactical ineptitude.

“I think when he looks at that on replay he will probably apologise,” has become a refrain of hard-done by managers these days as they highlight one decision of hundreds in a match that did not go the way they would have liked.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate laughed off the idea that his team should have had a penalty in their defeat at Old Trafford on Monday, saying, “You don’t get those things here,” while Harry Redknapp let fly this week with a tirade of abuse towards a referee who sent off one of his Tottenham players. (more…)

Don’t you just hate daft excuses?

Soccer is riddled with them. The manager who can’t comment on his player being sent off because he didn’t see it - despite having the best seat in the stadium - is perhpas the most common, but a different example caught my attention this week.

Everton assistant manager Steve Round believes the club’s record signing Marouane Fellaini is being booked unfairly by referees in England because of his size.

The gangly Belgian midfielder, 1.94 metres tall, joined from Standard Liege in September and has collected eight yellow cards in just 12 appearances. Many would say the player nicknamed “Screech” commits too many fouls, although Round offers a different explanation:

“He’s disappointed with how many bookings he’s had and has put that down to inexperience. But we’ve also put it down to the fact he’s quite recognisable. I think referees need to book him on merit rather than because it’s ‘big’ Fellaini.

“There was a recent game when one player from the opposition did six consecutive fouls and didn’t get booked. Fellaini made one foul and got a yellow card.

“It was pointed out to the officials and they’ve taken that on board. Hopefully we’ll start seeing him getting fair treatment.”

However, a delve into the Premier League stats offers a different view.

Heading into the latest round of matches Fellaini, according to official Premier League statistics, had committed the most fouls in the league at 53.

A further look at the stats shows that Fulham defender Brede Hangeland has been booked twice in 17 appearances this season, committing only 14 fouls. Oh and he is 1.94 metres - the same size as Fellaini.

Any other excuses from coaches or players caught your eye this season? Let us know in the comments.

Roy Keane quitting as Sunderland boss was not a huge shock but I’m surprised by reports many of the players were happy about his departure.

The former Manchester United midfielder seemed an inspired appointment by chairman Niall Quinn two years ago despite having no managerial experience — apart from playing under Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson.

The trophies he won as a player, his burning desire for success, a refusal to accept second-best and the sheer force of his personality seemed ideal qualities to galvanise Sunderland into becoming more than England’s best yo-yo club.

The Irishman made his mark early on by leaving three players behind when they were late for the team bus to an away game and proved up to the job on the pitch too as he led Sunderland to promotion back to the Premier League.

However, just as in his days as a rampaging midfielder for club and country, he seemed to struggle with players who weren’t up to his standard and he was exasperated by those who were not 100 percent committed.

You would think that the likes of Anton Ferdinand (8 million pounds) Pascal Chimbonda (£5m) and Andy Reid (£4m) would be delighted that such a man considered them worth bringing to his club for seemingly inflated prices but they have hardly paid him back with sparkling performances.

As Sunderland slipped down the league towards the all-too-familiar relegation zone, where were the players apologising for their feeble displays?

Instead we hear, unofficially, that many of them were celebrating the news that the manager had gone, pushed over the edge by last weekend’s 4-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers - a video of which could be used in a “how not to defend” coaching class.

 ”He ruled by fear,” whined one unnamed millionaire, who will continue to collect his £50,000-a-week regardless of how badly he or his team play.

If a man like Keane cannot inspire a team to perform or even earn their complete respect, then what hope is there for anyone else?

PHOTO: Ex-Sunderland manager Roy Keane shouts during a Premier League game against Manchester City at the Stadium of Light, April 12, 2008. REUTERS//Russell Cheyne

The Premier League will always have its army of foreign players, some of whom are no better than English teenagers who make way for them, but the number of home-grown managers is at least growing.

Ex-Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams became the 10th English manager in the 20-team Premier League on Tuesday when he took over at Portsmouth, following Englishman Harry Redknapp’s move to Tottenham Hotspur days before. (more…)