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“This badge is bigger than every manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his introduction as Nottingham Forest’s head coach, sporting a training top with his monogram. Subsequently, corrected himself. Actually, there was a single manager who was likely as important as the badge – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Then came, an impression of the legendary manager, a crack at that unique accent. Lad, well done,’” he said, reminiscing about his three years as a youth player at the club's stadium, the period he spent wandering down the river, with Del Boy, whizzing past him and his boss's voice invariably within earshot.

Dyche tells a anecdote of how, as a youth player, he and a couple of mates tended Clough’s garden at his home in the area. “We were on £28.50 a week and he gave you a ten pounds to do his lawn. So we really thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d prepare food for you and ensure you were well looked after. It was rather fun, not too much gardening.”

For Dyche, the appointment has been a long time 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 part of the Forest side the last time they were in European competition, in the mid-90s, have sometimes popped into the local cafe where club icons such as Frank Clark, another stalwart and Garry Birtles meet every Thursday to talk old and new tales. He will have to skip it this week to get ready for the visit of Porto, unbeaten this campaign, in the Europa League on this week.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the club legends,” remarked the manager, who succeeded the previous coach to become Forest’s third head coach of the term. I'll get an earful if I fail to deliver, so I must win some games for them. Those fellows are important to me. A lot 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 coach.”

Dyche oversaw the team practice for the first time on Tuesday, a short while after his predecessor oversaw a three-nil at home defeat by the London club that placed the side in the Premier League drop zone. Ryan Yates, who joined as a child, acknowledged these are just the start but Dyche and his staff have alleviated some of the negativity.

Dyche’s backroom team includes another Forest hero in a former player, as well as a coach and another staff member, both of whom featured for the team. In my view a huge asset of this organization is getting the bond between the fans, squad and coach and, frankly, the last few weeks we haven’t had a good atmosphere around here,” Yates stated. “The new manager and his assistants have introduced that feeling of life and enthusiasm.”

Dyche made clear he doesn't “know the club like the back of my hand” given his latest experience at the club has been as an opposition manager, but he believes he has a broader understanding of the place and demands. The guidelines have been set. “I’ve let them wear light-colored footwear, for heaven's sake,” the manager commented. “I’ll have my ex-players criticizing me on messaging. But they’re forbidden to wear neck warmers or headgear … I had to do a deal somewhere.”

Forest have lost their last four fixtures and not won since the start of the season. Dyche mentioned the proprietor, the Greek businessman, understood the significance of steadying the situation. Dyche faced the wealthy individual in the European competition with Burnley, when his team lost in a qualifier against the Greek side in 2018. Following the initial match he voiced anger at Olympiakos dignitaries, including Marinakis, approaching the officials at the break in the stadium. We laughed about it,” he said.

One aspect of Dyche’s attraction is his image for constructing sides with solid foundations, pertinent for a team without a shutout in many games. People categorize me, I’m not bothered,” 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 depend on dead balls?’ Now they’re in vogue. Skinny jeans, flared jeans, skinny jeans, bell-bottoms … my child hammers me for any trousers I wear. Apparently on online platforms even I got some criticism for my shoes arriving at practice [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. A brand [trainers] but, anyway, don’t like to mention it.”

Dyche is proud that his formative years were at Forest but believes that should not mean he or his staff are judged in a special way. “There’s no shortcut with the supporters, but we do care, that’s one thing I don’t think can ever be doubted,” he said. My only aspiration was wearing the shirt, but I didn't manage to achieve it. Stoney and Ian Woan did, Billy did as a temporary keeper, Tony Loughlan featured and netted a goal. 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 significant matter for me individually. But it doesn't grant me a divine right, believe me. The supporters expect me to succeed. If I’m failing, the crowd are going to criticize me because that’s the way supporters work and I’ve got no problem with that because it's the truth. I was at the club as a kid and never wore the kit, the badge. Now, now, I’m here with it wearing it.”