THE DAMNED UTD

David Peace (Faber, £12.99)

For 44 days in 1974, Brian Clough was manager of Leeds United. In this gripping novel, the author gets inside the manager's head to portray his hopes and fears.

At 28, Clough had scored an astonishing 251 league goals in 274 appearances for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, but an injury on a frozen Roker Park pitch in 1962 ended his glittering career prematurely.

Peace roots Clough's frustrations as a manager in the sudden end to his playing career and, according to the author's portrayal, Clough never really recovered from the bitter disappointment, which clouded his decisions as a top soccer manager.

The author switches the narrative between the present, when Clough is struggling to repeat Don Revie's success at Leeds United, and the immediate past, when Clough is taking Derby County to new heights.

At first, this constant switching is slightly irritating, but the writer sticks to the system like a manager insisting his team plays 4-4-2 - and such consistency soon won me over.

From the extensive bibliography, it is clear that Peace researched the period very carefully, but he has succeeded in delivering a clear and lively portrait of Clough by turning fact into fiction.

This book will keep you up in the night, just like the manager poring over the latest league positions.

And it will leave you wanting to know more about the enigma who took Derby County and Nottingham Forest into Europe.