The movie opens with England, after failing to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, installing Leed's United manager, Don Revie, as England's manager. Revie's replacement at Leed's United is Brian Clough, the former manager of Derby County and a fierce critic of Leeds United, because of their violent and physical style of play under Revie's management.
The movie then moves back six years and looks at the rise of Brian Clough. Clough's fight with Revie started in 1968 when Leeds was to play Derby in an FA Cup game Revie, who Clough idolized, completely ignored Clough as he was entering the stadium. Derby lost 2-0, and Clough blamed Leeds rough style of play, although he and Taylor saw the need to sign some new players. Leeds signed veteran Dave Mackay, along with several other young players over the objections of the club owner, who is concerned with the payroll. In 1969 Derby was promoted.
The movie then moves forward again the Clough first day of practice with Leeds. Clough alienates his players in their first training session, first by telling them "Well, I might as well tell you now. You lot may all be internationals and have won all the domestic honours there are to win under Don Revie. But as far as I'm concerned, the first thing you can do for me is to chuck all your medals and all your caps and all your pots and all your pans into the biggest f---ing dustbin you can find, because you've never won any of them fairly. You've done it all by bloody cheating." When he gets in a scrimmage they take him down really hard and then laugh at him.
The movie jumps back again to Derby days where they had just finished winning the second division. They once again faced Leeds, only to lose 5–0. Clough rebuilds the club and they eventually win their first ever League championship in 1972, meaning a European Cup campaign the following year.
The movie then moves forward again to Leeds. The season starts with a Charity Shield match against FA Cup winners Liverpool. Leeds's captain, Billy Bremner gets into a fight and Leeds lose the match on penalty kicks, and Bremner is given a two-month suspension from football, forcing Leeds to start the season without their captain.
The movie then flashes back to Derby. They go through to the semi-finals against Juventus. Clough uses his best squad in the last match before the semi-final, against Leeds, because he wants to beat Revie. They suffer injuries and then Juventus defeat them easily in the semi-final. Later that year, after Taylor suffers a heart attack, Clough tries to secure his position by offering up his and Taylor's resignations. To his horror, the club's board, because of the criticism Clough has directed at them, call his bluff, and terminates their contracts.
Brian Clough: What are you doing? You weren't supposed to *accept* our resignations!
Sam Longson: Shouldn't bloody well offer them, then, should you?
Brian Clough: Look, you can't get rid of us. It would be a disaster for the club. For the whole of Derby!
Sam Longson: You can't keep shooting your mouth off the way you have been and issuing these ultimatums. With great reluctance, your resignations have been accepted.
Brian Clough: Look, you can't do this. It's madness.
Sam Longson: The decision stands. Car keys on the table and out.
Brian Clough: We're gonna create a footballing dynasty here. Derby could be one of the greats. Alongside United, Liverpool, Leeds!
Sam Longson: Now! And don't dare show your face here again.
Back to the future, and Leeds is off to an awful start to the season and are in danger of moving down a league only one season after winning the title. Clough brings in some new players from Derby.
Jump to the past again and Clough and Taylor are offered jobs at Brighton and Hove Albion. They agree to take the jobs but first take a holiday in Majorca. During the holiday, Clough agrees to take control of Leeds after being approached by their representatives. Taylor, however, argues the case for staying at Brighton because they gave their word, and after a bitter quarrel, the two go their separate ways.
Back to Leeds and the crowd is doing chants for Revie. Captain Bremner and the players complain to the board about Clough and his game preparation. The club terminates Clough's contract after just 44 days. Afterwards, Clough agrees to do a final interview on TV, but finds Revie there to ambush him, bringing the two face to face at last. Clough accuses Revie of being hard and cold with a lack of warmth and Revie in turn brands Clough as egocentric. Clough brings up the incident in the 1968 FA Cup, and Revie claims to have not known who the rookie manager was at the time. After the interview, Clough drives down to Brighton to patch things up with Taylor. Clough gets on his knees and begs Taylor to come back and they reconcile.
In the film's epilogue, the audience is told that Don Revie proved a complete failure as an England manager, and afterwards never worked in football in his home country again, later working in the Middle East where he was accused of financial mismanagement.
In some real clips we see Brian Clough and Peter Taylor reunited at Nottingham Forest, where he repeated his prior achievements with Derby by taking them up and winning the First Division, and this time bettered both Revie and his own spell at Derby by winning two European Cups in succession. The film ends with the epitaph "Brian Clough remains the greatest manager the England team never had."
A really good movie that shows that as brilliant as some people are, they need someone who they can trust to advise them and guide them when they are going off course. Clough was a brilliant manager, when he had Taylor along with him.
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