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“This emblem is bigger than every manager,” Sean Dyche declared at his unveiling as Nottingham Forest’s head coach, wearing a training kit with his initials. Subsequently, amended his statement. “Well, there was a single manager who was likely as big as the crest – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Following that, an impression of the legendary manager, a crack at that unique drawl. “‘Young ginger, well done,’” he said, reliving his three years as a youth player at the club's stadium, the days he spent wandering down the Trent, with Del Boy, dashing past him and his boss's voice invariably within hearing range.

The coach tells a story of how, as a youth player, he and a few others looked after Clough’s garden at his home in Quarndon. “We were on £28.50 a week and he gave you a ten pounds to tend his garden. So we really thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d prepare food for you and make sure you were cared for. It was rather enjoyable, not too much yard work.”

For Dyche, this moment has been a long time in the planning. He lives in the city and has a affection for the club. In recent years, he and his long-term assistant his deputy, who was part of the Forest side the last time they were in Europe, in the mid-90s, have occasionally visited the local coffee shop where club icons such as a former player, Colin Barrett and a famous name meet every week to talk old and new tales. He will have to give it a miss this week to prepare for the visit of Porto, unbeaten this campaign, in the Europa League on this week.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the club legends,” said Dyche, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou to become the team's third manager of the season. “They will give me a bit of ear-holing if I fail to deliver, so I must secure some matches for them. Those fellows are important to me. A great deal of Forest fans appreciate the history of this institution. I’ve got my own and now I’ve got a chance to reshape my personal history, I suppose, as coach.”

Dyche took Forest practice for the initial session on Tuesday, three days after Postecoglou watched a three-nil home defeat by Chelsea that placed the club in the top division relegation zone. the club captain, who came as a child, admitted these are just the start but Dyche and his team have alleviated some of the negativity.

Dyche’s backroom team includes another club icon in a former player, as well as a coach and another staff member, who played for the club. In my view a huge strength of this club is fostering the bond between the fans, players and coach and, let’s be honest, the last few weeks we haven’t had a positive feeling around here,” Yates said. “The new manager and his staff have introduced that sense of life and energy.”

He made clear he does not understand the club like the back of my hand” considering his most recent encounter at the club has been as an opposition boss, but he thinks he has a wider grasp of the place and expectations. The guidelines have been set. I allowed the players wear light-colored footwear, for goodness sake,” the manager commented. “I’ll have my ex-players caning me on WhatsApp. But they’re forbidden to wear neck warmers or headgear … I had to make a compromise somewhere.”

Forest have been defeated in their last four matches and failed to secure a victory since the opening day. The coach mentioned the proprietor, Evangelos Marinakis, understood the significance of stabilising things. He faced the wealthy individual in the Europa League with his former club, when his side lost in a qualifier against Olympiakos in recent years. After the first leg he expressed anger at club officials, including the owner, confronting the referees at half-time in the stadium. We laughed about it,” Dyche recalled.

One aspect of Dyche’s appeal is his reputation for building sides with solid foundations, pertinent for a team without a clean sheet in many games. “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 badge of honour to me. In the past people were saying: ‘Why do you depend on set pieces?’ Now they’re popular. Skinny jeans, flared jeans, skinny jeans, bell-bottoms … my daughter criticizes me for any trousers I wear. Apparently on online platforms even I got some stick for my trainers walking into practice [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. A brand [trainers] but, regardless, don’t like to mention it.”

Dyche is pleased that his formative years were at Forest but believes that should not mean he or his team are evaluated in a special way. No easy path with the supporters, but we do care, that’s a point I believe can ever be doubted,” he remarked. My only aspiration was wearing the jersey, but I never got to achieve it. Stoney and Woany did, Billy did as a temporary goalkeeper, Tony Loughlan wore it and netted a strike. I was the sole person who failed to and they constantly tell me of that.

“For me to have that part of it is a big thing for me individually. But it doesn't grant me a divine right, trust me. The supporters expect me to win. If I’m failing, the fans are going to criticize me because how fans work and I’ve got no problem with that because it's the truth. I was at the club as a youth and didn't get to wear the shirt, the emblem. Well, currently, I’m sitting with it wearing it.”