Told from Clough's point of view, the novel is written as his stream of consciousness as he tries and fails to impose his will on a team he inherited from his bitter rival, Don Revie, and whose players are still loyal to their old manager.

It was described by Rick Broadbent of The Times as "probably the best novel ever written about sport",[3] while Chris Petit of The Guardian praised its imaginative use of Clough's inner voice, and the "warts and all" portrait of its protagonist.

[4] However, the portrayal of some of the characters has attracted controversy, and the book has been criticised by members of Clough's family as presenting an overly negative view of the late manager.

Giles wrote, "Many of the things Peace talks about in the book never happened and for that reason, I felt it necessary to go to the Courts to establish that this was fiction based on fact and nothing more."

In an out-of-court settlement, Giles received a substantial sum to cover damages and costs, and got an apology from both publisher and author.