Sherwood Forest

[Tethys]

Having just secured a contract with Nottingham Forest, it was time to buckle down and fulfil the potential seen in me many years ago. The lure of outside attractions had always hindered my progress within the football business, firstly as a player and more recently, as a first team coach.

It was fair to say that my appointment shocked and surprised, but there was obviously something there that the board saw. I mean, I had hardly earned a reputation as one of the more talented managers around, but I always had self-confidence. And I knew how to hold my own in an interview. Whereas the other guys in the frame had the obvious plaudits and experience, I had the knowledge of having worked in over ten different nations, under many of the game’s finest tacticians. I believed I was on the up, and I would take Nottingham Forest with me. Plus I came cheaply.

Nottingham Forest were in the market for a new manager following Billy Davies’ surprise announcement that he was standing down after guiding The Reds to Championship status. Chairman Nigel Doughty admitted that they were looking to appoint a small-name manager, with the recent financial situation meaning funds were exceedingly low. I was that guy. Willing to work on a shoe-string.