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The badge is bigger than every manager,” Sean Dyche declared at his unveiling as Nottingham Forest’s manager, wearing a training kit with his monogram. He then, corrected himself. Actually, there was one manager who was probably as big as the badge – everyone recognizes who that was.”} Then came, an imitation of the legendary manager, an attempt at that unique accent. Lad, well done,’” he said, reliving his three years as a trainee at the City Ground, the period he spent wandering down the Trent, with Clough’s labrador, dashing past him and his manager’s voice always within earshot.

Dyche tells a story of how, as a youth player, he and a few others looked after the manager's garden at his home in Quarndon. “We were on £28.50 a week and he paid you a tenner to tend his lawn. So we actually thought: ‘This is pretty good.’ He’d cook for you and make sure you were cared for. It was quite enjoyable, not too much gardening.”

For Dyche, this moment has been a years in the planning. He lives in the city and has a affection for the club. In lately, he and his long-term coach his deputy, who was part of the Nottingham Forest squad the last time they were in Europe, in 1995‑96, have occasionally visited the West Bridgford cafe where club icons such as Frank Clark, another stalwart and Garry Birtles gather every week to talk old and new tales. He will have to give it a miss this week to prepare for the visit of the Portuguese side, unbeaten this season, in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the club legends,” remarked Dyche, who replaced Ange Postecoglou to become the team's latest head coach of the term. I'll get an earful if I don’t do too well, so I better win some games for them. Those guys mean a lot to me. A lot of supporters recognise the legacy of this club. I have personal ties and now I’ve got a opportunity to reshape my personal history, I suppose, as manager.”

Dyche took Forest practice for the initial session on Tuesday, three days after his predecessor watched a 3‑0 home loss by Chelsea that left the side in the top division drop zone. the club captain, who joined as a child, admitted these are early days but Dyche and his team have eased some of the negativity.

His backroom team features one more Forest hero in Steve Stone, as well as a coach and another staff member, who featured for the team. In my view a massive asset of this organization is fostering the connection between the supporters, players and manager and, frankly, the recent period we lacked a positive feeling around here,” the captain said. “The new manager and his staff have brought that feeling of life and enthusiasm.”

He emphasized he does not understand the club like the back of my hand” considering his most recent experience at the club has been as an opposition manager, but he thinks he has a broader grasp of the place and expectations. The guidelines have been laid. “I’ve let them wear white socks, for goodness sake,” Dyche said. “I’ll have my ex-players caning me on WhatsApp. But they’re not allowed to wear neck warmers or headgear … I had to do a deal somewhere.”

The team have lost their past four fixtures and not won since the opening day. The coach mentioned the proprietor, the Greek businessman, recognised the significance of stabilising the situation. He encountered the Greek billionaire in the European competition with his former club, when his side were beaten in a qualifier against Olympiakos in recent years. Following the initial match Dyche voiced anger at Olympiakos dignitaries, including Marinakis, approaching the officials at half-time in the stadium. “We had a bit of a giggle,” Dyche recalled.

Part of his attraction is his image for building sides with solid bases, pertinent for a team without a clean sheet in 20 matches. People categorize me, I’m not concerned,” he stated. “I’ve never tried to hide behind what’s effective. It’s no badge of honour to me. In the past people were going: ‘Why do you depend on set pieces?’ Now they’re popular. Tight trousers, wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, bell-bottoms … my child criticizes me for whatever jeans I wear. It seems on online platforms even I got some stick for my trainers arriving at practice [on Tuesday] … was surprised by that. Tom Ford [trainers] but, anyway, prefer not to bring it up it.”

Dyche is proud that his early career were at the club but believes that should not mean he or his team 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 said. “All I dreamt of was wearing the jersey, but I didn't manage to do it. Steve Stone and Ian Woan succeeded, Billy Mercer did as a loan goalkeeper, Tony wore it and netted a goal. I was the only one who failed to and they constantly tell me of that.

“In my case to have that part of it is a big thing for me individually. But it doesn't grant me a special privilege, believe me. The fans want me to succeed. If I’m failing, the crowd are going to criticize me because that’s the way fans work and I’ve got no issue with that because that’s the reality. I was here as a youth and didn't get to wear the shirt, the emblem. Well, now, I’m sitting with it on me.”