The emblem is more significant than any manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his introduction as the club's head coach, sporting a training top with his initials. He then, corrected himself. “Well, there was one manager who was probably as big as the crest – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Then came, an impression of the legendary manager, an attempt at that distinctive accent. Lad, well done,’” he recalled, reminiscing about his time as a trainee at the City Ground, the days he spent wandering down the Trent, with Clough’s labrador, whizzing past him and his manager’s voice invariably within earshot.
The coach tells a anecdote of how, as a youngster, he and a few others tended the manager's garden at his residence in the area. Our weekly wage was minimal and he paid you a ten pounds to tend his garden. So we really thought: ‘This is pretty good.’ He’d prepare food for you and make sure you were well looked after. It was rather fun, not too much yard work.”
In his case, the appointment has been a years in the making. He lives in the area and has a affection for the club. In lately, he and his long-term coach his deputy, who was a member of the Nottingham Forest side the previous occasion they were in Europe, in 1995‑96, have sometimes popped into the West Bridgford coffee shop where Forest legends such as Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and a famous name meet every week to discuss old and new tales. He will have to skip it this week to prepare for the visit of Porto, unbeaten this campaign, in the Europa League on this week.
I can't wait to seeing the miracle men,” remarked the manager, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou to become Forest’s third head coach of the term. I'll get an earful if I don’t do too well, so I better win some matches for them. Those fellows mean a lot to me. A great deal of Forest fans appreciate the legacy of this institution. I have personal ties and now I’ve got a chance to reshape my personal history, I guess, as manager.”
Dyche oversaw the team practice for the initial session on Tuesday, three days after Postecoglou watched a three-nil at home defeat by Chelsea that left the side in the Premier League drop zone. the club captain, who came as a child, admitted these are just the start but he and his team have eased some of the negativity.
His backroom team features one more Forest hero in Steve Stone, as well as Billy Mercer and Tony Loughlan, both of whom featured for the club. “I feel like a huge strength of this organization is getting the connection between the fans, players and coach and, let’s be honest, the recent period we lacked a positive atmosphere around here,” Yates stated. Dyche and his staff have introduced that sense of life and enthusiasm.”
Dyche made clear he does not “know the team like the inside out” considering his latest encounter at the club has been as an opposition boss, but he thinks he has a wider understanding of the environment and expectations. The house rules have been set. “I’ve let them wear white socks, for heaven's sake,” Dyche commented. “I’ll have my former teammates caning me on messaging. But they’re forbidden to wear neck warmers or hats … I had to do a compromise somewhere.”
The team have been defeated in their past four matches and failed to secure a victory since the start of the season. Dyche mentioned the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, recognised the importance of stabilising the situation. Dyche encountered the Greek billionaire in the European competition with Burnley, when his side were beaten in a playoff against Olympiakos in recent years. After the first leg Dyche voiced anger at club officials, including Marinakis, confronting the officials at the break in Piraeus. “We had a bit of a giggle,” he said.
Part of Dyche’s appeal is his reputation for constructing sides with solid foundations, relevant for a team without a clean sheet in 20 matches. “I’ve been put in many boxes, I’m not concerned,” he said. “I’ve never tried to hide behind what’s effective. It’s no point of pride to me. Five years ago people were saying: ‘Why do you rely on dead balls?’ Now they’re in vogue. Tight trousers, wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, flared jeans … my child criticizes me for any jeans I wear. It seems on online platforms even I got some criticism for my trainers arriving at practice [on Tuesday] … was surprised by that. A brand [trainers] but, regardless, prefer not to mention it.”
The manager is proud that his formative years were at Forest but believes that should not mean he or his team are evaluated in a special way. “There’s no shortcut with the fans, but we do care, that’s one thing I don’t think can ever be questioned,” he remarked. My only aspiration was putting on the shirt, but I didn't manage to achieve it. Stoney and Ian Woan did, Billy Mercer played as a temporary goalkeeper, Tony Loughlan wore it and netted a strike. I was the only one who failed to and they constantly tell me of that.
“For me to have that connection of it is a big thing for me individually. But it doesn’t give me a special privilege, trust me. The supporters expect me to win. If I’m failing, the fans are going to come at me because how fans behave and I’ve got no issue with that because it's the truth. I was here as a kid and didn't get to wear the kit, the badge. Now, currently, I’m here with it wearing it.”
