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The badge is bigger than any manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his introduction as Nottingham Forest’s manager, sporting a training kit with his monogram. He then, corrected himself. Actually, there was one manager who was likely as big as the badge – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Following that, an imitation of the legendary manager, an attempt at that unique drawl. Lad, well done,’” he said, reliving his time as a trainee at the club's stadium, the days he spent wandering down the river, with Del Boy, dashing past him and his manager’s voice invariably within hearing range.

The coach shares a anecdote of how, as a youngster, he and a couple of mates tended the manager's yard at his home in the area. Our weekly wage was minimal and he gave you a ten pounds to do his garden. So we actually thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d prepare food for you and ensure you were well looked after. It was rather fun, not too much yard work.”

For Dyche, this moment has been a years in the making. He resides in the city and has a affection for the team. In lately, he and his longstanding coach Ian Woan, who was part of the Nottingham Forest squad the previous occasion they were in Europe, in the mid-90s, have sometimes popped into the local coffee shop where club icons such as Frank Clark, another stalwart and Garry Birtles gather every Thursday to talk old and new tales. He will have to give it a miss this time to prepare for the arrival of Porto, undefeated this season, in the European tournament on this week.

I can't wait to seeing the miracle men,” said Dyche, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou to become the team's latest manager of the term. “They will give me a bit of ear-holing if I don’t do too well, so I better secure some games for them. Those guys are important to me. A lot of supporters recognise the legacy of this institution. I’ve got my own and now I’ve got a chance to reshape my own history, I guess, as manager.”

Dyche oversaw Forest training for the initial session on Tuesday, three days after Postecoglou watched a 3‑0 home defeat by the London club that left the club in the Premier League drop zone. the club captain, who joined aged eight, acknowledged these are early days but Dyche and his staff have eased some of the gloom.

His staff features another club icon in Steve Stone, as well as Billy Mercer and another staff member, who featured for the club. “I feel like a huge asset of this club is getting the connection between the supporters, players and coach and, frankly, the recent period we haven’t had a good feeling around here,” Yates stated. Dyche and his assistants have introduced that sense of vitality and energy.”

He made clear he does not “know the team like the back of my hand” considering his most recent experience at Forest has been as an opposition manager, but he believes he has a broader grasp of the environment and expectations. The house rules have been set. “I’ve let them wear white socks, for heaven's sake,” the manager said. “I’ll have my former teammates criticizing me on messaging. But they’re forbidden to wear neck warmers or hats … I had to make a deal somewhere.”

Forest have lost their past four fixtures 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. He encountered the wealthy individual in the European competition with his former club, when his side were beaten in a playoff against the Greek side in recent years. Following the initial match Dyche voiced anger at club officials, including Marinakis, confronting the referees at half-time in Piraeus. We laughed about it,” he recalled.

Part of Dyche’s attraction is his image for building sides with strong bases, pertinent for a side without a shutout in 20 matches. People categorize me, I’m not concerned,” he said. I don't avoid 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, flared jeans, skinny jeans, bell-bottoms … my child hammers me for whatever trousers I wear. It seems on social media even I got some stick for my shoes arriving at practice [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. A brand [trainers] but, anyway, don’t like to mention it.”

The manager is proud that his early career were at the club but believes that should not mean he or his team are judged in a special way. No easy path with the fans, but we do care, that’s a point I believe can ever be questioned,” he remarked. “All I dreamt of was putting on the jersey, but I didn't manage to do it. Stoney and Woany succeeded, Billy Mercer played as a loan goalkeeper, Tony Loughlan featured and scored a strike. I was the sole person who didn’t and they constantly tell me of that.

“In my case to have that connection of it is a significant matter for me individually. But it doesn’t give me a special privilege, trust me. The fans want me to succeed. If I’m failing, the crowd are going to come at me because how fans work 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, currently, I’m here with it wearing it.”