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“This emblem is bigger than every manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his introduction as the club's manager, wearing a training kit with his monogram. Subsequently, corrected himself. “Well, there was one manager who was likely as big as the crest – we all know who that was.”} Then came, an imitation of Brian Clough, a crack at that distinctive drawl. “‘Young ginger, well done,’” he said, reliving his time as a trainee at the club's stadium, the period he spent strolling down the Trent, with Del Boy, whizzing past him and his boss's voice always within earshot.

Dyche tells a story of how, as a youth player, he and a few others tended Clough’s garden at his home in Quarndon. “We were on £28.50 a week and he paid you a tenner to do his garden. So we really thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d cook for you and make sure you were well looked after. It was quite enjoyable, not too much gardening.”

For Dyche, this moment has been a long time in the making. He lives in the city and has a affection for the club. In lately, he and his longstanding assistant his deputy, who was part of the Nottingham Forest side the last time 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 Garry Birtles gather every week to discuss old and new tales. He will have to give it a miss this time to prepare for the arrival of Porto, undefeated this campaign, in the European tournament on Thursday evening.

I can't wait to meeting the club legends,” remarked Dyche, who succeeded the previous coach to become the team's latest head coach of the season. “They will give me a bit of ear-holing if I fail to deliver, so I must win some matches for them. Those fellows mean a lot to me. A great deal of Forest fans recognise the history of this institution. I have personal ties and now I’ve got a opportunity to reshape my personal history, I suppose, as manager.”

The new boss took Forest training for the first time on this week, three days after his predecessor watched a three-nil home loss by the London club that placed the side in the Premier League relegation zone. the club captain, who joined as a child, admitted these are just the start but he and his team have alleviated some of the negativity.

Dyche’s backroom team includes another club icon in Steve Stone, as well as a coach and Tony Loughlan, both of whom played for the team. “I feel like a huge asset of this organization is getting the connection between the supporters, players and manager and, frankly, the last few weeks we haven’t had a good atmosphere around here,” the captain said. Dyche and his staff have introduced that sense of vitality and energy.”

He emphasized he does not understand the team like the back of my hand” considering his most recent encounter at the club has been as an rival boss, but he thinks he has a wider understanding of the environment and expectations. The guidelines have been set. “I’ve let them wear white socks, for heaven's sake,” the manager commented. “I’ll have my former teammates criticizing me on messaging. But they’re forbidden to wear snoods or hats … I had to do a deal somewhere.”

Forest have been defeated in their last four matches and failed to secure a victory since the start of the season. The coach said the proprietor, the Greek businessman, understood the significance of stabilising the situation. Dyche encountered the Greek billionaire in the European competition with Burnley, when his side lost in a playoff against the Greek side in 2018. After the first leg Dyche expressed frustration at club officials, including Marinakis, confronting the officials at the break in the stadium. We laughed about it,” Dyche said.

Part of his appeal is his reputation for building teams with solid bases, relevant for a team without a clean sheet in many games. People categorize me, I’m not bothered,” he stated. “I’ve never tried to hide behind what’s effective. It’s no badge of honour to me. Five years ago people were going: ‘Why do you rely on set pieces?’ Now they’re popular. Tight trousers, wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, flared jeans … my child hammers me for any trousers I wear. It seems on social media even I got some stick for my trainers walking into training [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. Tom Ford [trainers] but, regardless, don’t like to mention it.”

The manager is pleased that his early career were at the club but thinks that should not mean he or his staff are judged differently. “There’s no shortcut with the fans, but we do care, that’s a point I believe can ever be doubted,” he said. “All I dreamt of was putting on the shirt, but I never got to achieve it. Stoney and Ian Woan succeeded, Billy Mercer played as a loan keeper, Tony featured and scored a strike. I was the sole person who failed to and they keep reminding me of that.

“In my case to have that part of it is a big thing for me personally. But it doesn't grant me a special privilege, trust me. The fans want me to succeed. If I’m failing, the fans are going to come at me because that’s the way supporters behave and I’ve got no issue with that because it's the truth. I was here as a youth and didn't get to wear the kit, the badge. Well, now, I’m sitting with it wearing it.”