Who's in the drawer, Peter?

[Durutti]

I hear a lot about legal issues that are still bubbling relating to his time at Forest. Supposed to be the reason no one’s touched him. Not a clue what’s happened.

That would make sense. There is absolutely no way he didn't get interest or offers after Forest. Good managers are a rare breed, look at this list FFS! 🤣 Something weird going on there.

I know if someone applied at my place with very little info on why they were out of the industry for 10 years or much info on what they have been doing, I wouldn't even go to interview. It's weird.

 

[Whiteinwales]

Seeing most want rid of Lowe and it ain’t happening, quite a few want BD in his place. Maybe the dream team of Lowe as manager and BD as his number 2 is the way to go.

 

[Muzza]

If Ridsdale is Mr Grimsdale, is Lowe the Norman Wisdom character?

Norman Pitkin as I recall. Used to love those films.

 

[SoccerHQ]

I keep flip flopping between thinking Davies would be an inspired masterstroke or a disaster.

He hasn't managed at this level for a long time, but on the flip side he hasn't been just sat doing nothing by all accounts. If he came in and he was actually an even better manager than he as first time round, he'd get this squad with a few additions in the summer competing at the top end of the division.

It would last about five matches and be a complete disaster, I genuinely can't believe people think it's a serious possibility.

Aberdeen has a live vacancy currently, why isn't Davies going for that? Or Charlton?

 

[Jack Daniels]

Just like signings that don't work the same with managers. The slide started when PR and the hierarchy sacked Alan IRVINE just look what happened after that:-

Darren FERGUSON was a terrible decision and we didn't recover for some years. The only good was Tracey coming and the loan players. rating 6/10

Phil BROWN given a poison chalice, had horrendous injuries to deal with and we were then relegated. Had it not been for them we would have stayed up, bought better players in the summer and perhaps challenged, I think Brown would have done a decent job Rating 7/10

Graham WESTLEY. was brought in to do a hatchet job and did it. sadly again finances played a part but his team selection was baffling and football suffered. Rating 5/10

Simon GRAYSON. The start of the renaissance, was superb for the club and he openly admits jumping ship to Sunderland was a huge mistake. rating 9/10

Alex NEIL. Started well but then players sold and not replaced, felt for him, had he been backed correctly we could have made it. rating 7/10

Frankie MAC. He gave him a chance and he tried hard but sadly didn't work out, nice chap. rating 5/10

Ryan LOWE. Arrogant, full of himself, lets his ambition run away with his ability, has favourites who are poor. Has lost the fans and it will get worse especially if we lose against Ipswich and beyond. Initially changed to good attacking football but now out thought by even muppets. Surely will be gone in the summer. Rating 3/10.

I think PR gets a lot of stick but he has the job and hiring and firing and has a board to answer to with budgets and finances to take into account. I think he has been more positive than negative and seems to have the club at heart. Having sat in the Invincibles opposite I have seen him incensed at times when we make errors on he pitch.

Hello Archie.

Which former poster are you?

Not Banned previously are you?

Your insistence on capitals for entire surnames rings a bell.

Good job for you that I quit my Mod Job. 😂

PS - Shite ratings

 

[Skin & Rathbone]

Aberdeen has a live vacancy currently, why isn't Davies going for that? Or Charlton?

Or if he did, why wasn't he being entertained? If he hasn't, has he been going for jobs lower down in the league? Surely you'd recognise your stock has fallen after so long out of the game and you need to rebuild your career a bit. Even if you don't want to go down the leagues, why not a coaching job ready to get back into management (like Paul Simpson among many)?

 

[SoccerHQ]

Perfect analogy for me is his return here would be like Nugent returning as a player. Hugely sentimental but deep down majority knew it wouldn't work out and could tell very early on Nuge just wasn't able to do it at championship level anymore despite still giving 100% when he played.

Managers also get past their best. It's Davies not managing for a decade which really alarms me as his general record should've got him a job relatively quickly.

 

[Bobbage]

 

[Mr S]

Wow. I like the man. He's mellowed with age but he clearly still believes in himself. Respect.

 

[Bobbage]

 

[Skin & Rathbone]

Managers also get past their best. It's Davies not managing for a decade which really alarms me as his general record should've got him a job relatively quickly.

See even then I can sort of understand the clamour if he at least had been involved in any sort of football. I think people are focusing on idea he's not up to date with tactics etc, when really that's not a major concern of mine. The world has changed a lot and it's easier than ever to keep up to date with tactical developments etc.

The issue is football culture has changed a lot in that time too (listen to any episode of Under the Cosh and you'll hear about such changes). Will Billy even be able to relate to the culture and psychological profile of today's players? When he was last here people perceived him to be so arrogant that he was nicknamed "the poisoned dwarf". I remember when we played Derby and spent all pre game making a deliberate show trying to shake each players' hand and make it all about him. I remember the gestures after one of the games too, pointing at himself. People talk about Lowe's arrogance blinding him (not unreasonably) and believe he's alienating players at the moment, why is Billy the antidote? I don't know if Billy has changed, but if he has I haven't seen the evidence of it, nor would I expect people to want him back if he had because it's that supreme confidence that was so infectious the first time (the only time watching this team I KNEW, not felt, KNEW we were better than everyone). I suspect the way in which players are coached too has changed a lot too.

Let's not forget the advantages Billy had in his day (focus on diet and analysis) aren't the advantages they once were too as they are all pretty standard practice these days. Perhaps he has it in his locker to find a new advantage, but it seems less likely when he's not been involved in the day to day.

The money thrown about is a lot more and we aren't close to competing. When Billy was last here and when he was at Forest and Derby he talked a lot about not being backed. Has Billy become more humble or would the current directors change their approach for him? I seriously doubt either.

Moreover it's not just about him being backed, if he were to come in for Ryan Lowe, it's not unlikely he would need to rebuild the backroom staff. Billy would need to find the right people and persuade them to join him. Considering there's enough of us fans who are anxious about him without knowing the ins and outs of his last time at Forest, would he really have the ability to persuade people to join him now?

Don't get me wrong, I miss the mid 2000's too and if he were to come back I dearly hope it works. I would love for us to have the same confidence we had back then. But there's just too many question marks about him.

 

[Bobbage]

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

 

[MBcha]

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

Surprised he's had to drop to that level though.

 

[Silverback]

With the pool for new managers thinning....is this consistent with no transfers in January. The plan is to change manager after the season ends when more managers and players available for a new start? Can't believe the decision to write this season off, a real kick in the teeth to fans.

With Riis back, we are starting to look a bit better . . . At least for a half at a time.

 

[IrishNorthEnder93]

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

Ffs I wanted him here if Lowe ever went, looks like I’ll have to go with my 2nd choice Eustace.

 

[Phil181058]

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

I’m delighted as well

 

[Kathryn]

Didn’t someone yesterday say Tom Clarke was Manager of the u18’s? Maybe add him to the list.

 

[SoccerHQ]

Surprised he's had to drop to that level though.

Charlton are in serious danger of relegation to league 2, in freefall and yet more chaotic ownership.

That's a really big gamble he's taken if he can't get a quick bounce.

 

[SoccerHQ]

Billy Davies actually had two spells as Forest manager. Got them into the play offs two years running (2010 and 2011 but they lost the SFs in similar fashion to the infamous Leeds game).

He left in summer 2011 and then returned in January 2013 with the "unfinished business" motto.

Just missed out on top 6 the first time but then the following season it unravelled, he was having a go at the board and local media there and then got sacked after a 5-0 loss to Derby in March 2014 so all the goodwill from his first spell evaporated.

The thing to take from that is he'd only been away from the game for 18 months at that point and probably inherited most of the squad he left and he couldn't meet expectations or get it performing like in the first spell.

I also think the championship has moved on so much since the mid 2000s. Of course there were always good teams coming down from the prem with sizable warchests but transfer fees of anything above 2-3m weren't that common place in 2005. This club has remained one of the lowest payers with regards transfer fees so will be same problems as before when he couldn't sign Stephen Pearson on loan in the Jan 2006 window.

I just don't think it will work and don't really want to waste six months of next season finding that out. Let Plastics or Stoke gamble on him if he really wants to get a job again.

 

[SoccerHQ]

Davies' second spell proved to be a controversial and damaging one.[9] He dismissed long-serving club staff without explanation, shouted at a photographer taking photos for the club's matchday programme after a match at Millwall, banned journalists as part of a "near media blackout", and employed his cousin, Jim Price, a suspended solicitor, as his closest advisor.[33]

After an eight-game winless run left Nottingham Forest one place and two points outside of the play-off positions, and having seen his side lose 5–0 to local rivals Derby County two days earlier, Davies was dismissed on 24 March 2014. A statement on Forest's website read simply: "Nottingham Forest Football Club have confirmed the termination of manager Billy Davies' employment

No wonder Forest couldn't wait to get shot of him!