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“This emblem is bigger than every manager,” Sean Dyche stated at his introduction as the club's manager, sporting a training top with his monogram. Subsequently, corrected himself. Actually, there was one manager who was likely as big as the crest – we all know who that was.”} Following that, an impression of the legendary manager, an attempt at that distinctive drawl. Lad, well done,’” he recalled, reliving his three years as a youth player at the City Ground, the period he spent wandering down the Trent, with Clough’s labrador, whizzing past him and his manager’s voice always within hearing range.

Dyche shares a story of how, as a youngster, he and a few others looked after the manager's garden at his home in Quarndon. Our weekly wage was minimal and he paid you a tenner to tend his lawn. So we really thought: ‘This is decent.’ He’d cook for you and make sure you were cared for. It was quite fun, not too much yard work.”

For Dyche, the appointment has been a long time in the making. He resides in the city and has a fondness for the team. In recent years, he and his long-term assistant his deputy, who was part of the Nottingham Forest squad the previous occasion they were in European competition, in 1995‑96, have sometimes visited the local cafe where club icons such as Frank Clark, another stalwart and Garry Birtles gather every week to discuss stories from past and present. He will have to skip it this week to prepare for the visit of the Portuguese side, undefeated this season, in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

I can't wait to seeing the miracle men,” remarked the manager, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou to become the team's latest manager of the season. I'll get an earful if I don’t do too well, so I better win some matches for them. Those guys are important to me. A lot of supporters appreciate the history of this club. I have personal ties and now I’ve got a opportunity to reinvent my personal story, I suppose, as coach.”

Dyche took the team training for the initial session on this week, a short while after his predecessor oversaw a 3‑0 at home defeat by the London club that left the club in the top division drop zone. Ryan Yates, who joined aged eight, admitted these are just the start but he and his staff have eased some of the negativity.

His backroom team features one more club icon in a former player, as well as a coach and Tony Loughlan, both of whom played for the club. “I feel like a huge asset of this club is fostering the connection between the supporters, players and coach and, frankly, the last few weeks we haven’t had a positive atmosphere around here,” the captain said. “The new manager and his staff have introduced that sense of life and enthusiasm.”

Dyche emphasized he does not understand the team like the inside out” considering his most recent encounter at Forest has been as an rival manager, but he thinks he has a broader grasp of the environment and expectations. The guidelines have been set. “I’ve let them wear light-colored footwear, for goodness sake,” the manager commented. “I’ll have my former teammates criticizing me on messaging. But they’re not allowed to wear neck warmers or hats … I had to make a compromise somewhere.”

The team have lost their past four fixtures and failed to secure a victory since the opening day. Dyche mentioned the owner, the Greek businessman, understood the importance of stabilising things. He encountered the Greek billionaire in the Europa League with his former club, when his side lost in a playoff against the Greek side in 2018. After the first leg Dyche voiced anger at club officials, among them Marinakis, approaching the referees at half-time in the stadium. “We had a bit of a giggle,” Dyche said.

Part of Dyche’s attraction is his reputation for building sides with solid bases, pertinent for a side without a clean sheet in 20 matches. “I’ve been put in many boxes, I’m not bothered,” he said. I don't avoid behind what’s effective. It’s no point of pride to me. In the past people were saying: ‘Why do you depend on dead balls?’ Now they’re popular. Tight trousers, wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, flared jeans … my daughter criticizes me for any trousers I wear. Apparently on social media even I got some stick for my shoes walking into training [on Tuesday] … couldn’t believe that. Tom Ford [trainers] but, regardless, don’t like to mention it.”

The manager is proud that his early career were at the club but thinks that should not mean he or his staff are evaluated in a special way. “There’s no shortcut with the supporters, but we do care, that’s one thing I believe can ever be doubted,” he remarked. “All I dreamt of was putting on the jersey, but I didn't manage to achieve it. Stoney and Ian Woan did, Billy Mercer did as a loan goalkeeper, Tony Loughlan wore it and netted a goal. I was the only one who didn’t and they keep reminding me of that.

“For me to have that part of it is a big thing for me personally. But it doesn’t give me a special privilege, trust me. The supporters want me to win. If I’m failing, the crowd are going to criticize me because that’s the way fans behave and I’ve got no problem with that because it's the truth. I was here as a kid and didn't get to wear the shirt, the badge. Well, now, I’m here with it wearing it.”