Tracking Brian Clough’s doomed 44-day tenure as manager of Leeds Utd in 1974, David Peace’s The Damned Utd is a triumph of a book – and we’re tipping the film version to be just as brilliant. Told from Clough’s point of view, the story is a demented stream-of-consciousness take on Clough’s alcoholism, self-destructiveness, psychotic male competetiveness and treachery. Starring the brilliant Michael Sheen as Clough, Timothy Spall as Peter Taylor and Stephen Graham as Billy Bremner, we’re tipping it for greatness in that toughest of leagues: the Good Football Movie.

The Damned United is out 27 March.