5 months ago
John Robertson, who has died aged 72, was erstwhile described by legendary Nottingham Forest head Brian Clough arsenic "the Picasso of our game".
Robertson was languishing astatine nan City Ground until Clough arrived successful January 1975, releasing nan brains and talent that had been hidden down nan Scot's often unkempt quality to magnificent effect successful Forest's awesome squad of nan precocious 1970s and early 1980s.
Indeed, nan left-winger was wide regarded arsenic nan astir influential subordinate successful a squad that won nan First Division title and nan League Cup successful their first play aft winning promotion successful 1977-78.
This, incredibly, was only nan start.
Forest followed this up pinch nan moreover much singular feat of not only winning nan European Cup successful 1979 against Malmo, erstwhile Robertson provided nan cleanable left-wing transverse for Trevor Francis' decisive header, but retained it nan adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile his extremity hit SV Hamburg astatine nan Bernabeu successful Madrid.
Robertson was besides astatine nan centre of nan bitter divided betwixt Clough and his long-time managerial partner Peter Taylor successful 1983.
Clough ne'er forgave Taylor, who was by past managing Derby County, for signing Robertson connected a transportation pinch a interest to beryllium decided by a tribunal, without informing him of his plans.
To Clough's awesome regret, nan rift was ne'er healed earlier Taylor died successful 1992, aged 62.
Clough often made teasing mention of Robertson's scruffy quality and knew astir his smoking habit, but regarded it arsenic each worthwhile for nan magic he provided pinch his two-footed touchline-hugging brilliance, measured crossing transportation and his knack of scoring important goals.
Robertson had played for Scotland astatine schoolboy and younker level earlier joining Forest arsenic a teen successful 1970. He had grounded to make an effect until Clough's appointment, but nan awesome head saw thing he could nurture.
In his autobiography Clough wrote: "Rarely could location person been a much improbable looking master athlete... scruffy, unfit, uninterested discarded of time... but thing told maine he was worthy persevering pinch and he became 1 of nan finest deliverers of a shot I person ever seen."
He besides wrote: "If 1 day, I felt a spot disconnected colour, I would beryllium adjacent to him. I was bloody Errol Flynn successful comparison. But springiness him a shot and a gait of grass, and he was an artist, nan Picasso of our game."
Clough was idolised by Robertson, who said: "I knew he liked maine but I loved him. I wouldn't person had a profession without him."
Robertson played successful 243 consecutive games betwixt December 1976 and December 1980, and contempt nan big-name buys specified arsenic England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Francis, Britain's first £1m footballer, he was nan subordinate who made Forest tick.
For each nan talent elsewhere, Robertson was Forest's fulcrum.
In Forest's first play backmost successful nan apical formation nether Clough successful 1977-78, Robertson not only played a captious domiciled successful winning nan title, but besides scored nan victor from nan punishment spot against Liverpool successful their League Cup last replay astatine Old Trafford.
It was not conscionable Clough who recognised Robertson's significance, pinch erstwhile team-mate Martin O'Neill saying: "He was nan astir influential subordinate successful Europe for possibly three-and-a-half to 4 years."
And Forest's skipper nether Clough, John McGovern, stated: "He was for illustration Ryan Giggs but pinch 2 bully feet."
All this contempt Robertson's ain admittance that he had nary gait and could not tackle.
Clough, however, was not bothered astir what Robertson could not do, preferring to springiness him licence to ore connected what he could do. It was nan cleanable footballing matrimony of head and player. Two maverick characters moving successful harmony.
In a celebrated question and reply earlier nan 1980 European Cup last against Hamburg, who had England skipper Kevin Keegan successful their side, Clough was asked astir nan imaginable of their awesome Germany right-back Manfred Kaltz keeping Robertson quiet.
"We've sewage a small fat feline who will move him wrong out," said Clough. "A very talented, highly skilled, unbelievable outside-left."
And truthful it proved, pinch Robertson outstanding, deciding nan crippled aft 20 minutes, cutting wrong to speech passes pinch striker Garry Birtles earlier beating Hamburg keeper Rudi Kargus pinch his correct ft from 20 yards.
Robertson won nan First Division title, 2 European Cups and 2 League Cups astatine Forest, playing 386 games and scoring 61 goals, earlier that acrimonious move to fierce rivals Derby.
It is simply a transportation remembered much for nan irreparable section it caused betwixt Clough and Taylor alternatively than Robertson's deeds. He was now beyond his top years, and a return to Forest successful August 1985 did not activity out.
Robertson won 28 Scotland caps, going to 2 World Cups successful 1978 and 1982.
He scored 8 goals for his country, including what he called his "greatest ever goal", nan victor from nan punishment spot successful a 1-0 triumph complete England astatine Wembley successful nan 1981 Home International Championship and different successful nan 5-2 triumph complete New Zealand astatine nan 1982 World Cup successful Spain.
Latterly, Robertson was a cardinal personnel of his erstwhile Forest workfellow O'Neill's backroom team, joining him erstwhile he was head astatine Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.
It is, however, for his brilliance nether nan guidance of nan mercurial Clough astatine nan City Ground for which nan winger team-mates described arsenic "pure genius" will ever beryllium remembered.
