Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg, tonight, 8pm
Nigel Clough reckons Sir Alex Ferguson reminds him of his dad Brian - and claims the Manchester United boss is the last of a unique breed of managers.
Clough, 42, takes his new Derby team to Old Trafford tonight for their Carling Cup semi-final decider with the Championship strugglers surprisingly leading 1-0 from Pride Park.
He is looking forward to seeing United's legendary manager Fergie, who has won everything in a glorious reign since taking charge in 1986. And Clough junior insists Ferguson's methods remind him of his dad Brian, whose exploits at Nottingham Forest and Derby have also gone down in folklore.
Both managers won the League title and European Cup more than once and Clough jnr says the pair also share the same philosophy on most things from football to politics.
"What Sir Alex has achieved is absolutely remarkable," said Clough, whose father passed away in 2004, aged 69.
"I don't think there are many managers like that now - the game has changed so much.
"I think we used to describe them as the 'top to bottom' managers, they run the club from top to bottom and have an influence on decisions all the way through the club. That's what my dad did and there are other similarities in their background and the way they were brought up with their football.
"They both realise how hard people work during the week to get the money to pay to watch football.
"I don't think that has changed since whatever the admission was at Hartlepool and where Sir Alex started, to where they are paying £60 for a ticket now.
"I think they understand people work hard for their money, they choose to spend it on football and they should be entertained.
"That was the basis of their philosophies and their teams play similar disciplined, attacking football.
"So I think they are definitely similar people and are both fiercely competitive.
"I don't think there are too many Labour supporters either among managers in the Premier League these days, which they both were!"
Clough has a tough act to follow at Derby, where his dad won the 1972 title during his six-year spell at the club before going to Brighton and Leeds and ending up at Forest, where he built a dynasty.
Clough jnr lost his first game in charge, 2-0 at home to QPR, in dismal fashion after succeeding Paul Jewell, whose team were relegated last term with a record low points haul of just 11.
Defeat was a shock to the system for Clough after moving from nearby runaway Blue Square Premier leaders Burton Albion, where he spent a decade at the helm.
And he now knows the huge size of the challenge, both to keep the battered Rams up and guide them to the Carling Cup Final after David Lowe was caretaker for the first leg.
Clough added: "We've been in a state of shock the last 48 hours really, having watched the game on Saturday.
"Deep-rooted things certainly emerged once the first goal went in and that's not going to change in a week or two weeks, or even a month. It is 18 months' worth now and it takes a while to eradicate that.
"Personally, you do forget a little bit how bad it feels to go to bed on a Saturday night with that feeling in your stomach after you have lost and it is still there when you wake up on Sunday morning.
"You forget the good games but you don't forget ones like that. At least with the way the players are at the moment, going away to a bigger team almost suits them.
"I think they would rather be going to Old Trafford than to Blackpool or Barnsley, it might just be better for them. Even with our 1-0 lead, United are very strong favourites. whatever side they put out, so it will be deemed a shock if we do get anything there."
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