Another new era for Forest dawns under Dyche

Sean Dyche stood on the touchline and savoured the moment.

As the Nottingham Forest fans belted out Mull of Kintyre, their new manager looked around the City Ground to take it in.

Paul McCartney’s song has been Nottingham Forest’s anthem since 1978 after its release in 1977, as the club charged to the First Division title under Brian Clough.

Decades later, the club’s third manager of this season will hope to hear it countless times following his opening win over Porto.

It has been 35 years since he left Forest as a young professional to join Chesterfield and Dyche revelled in the Europa League atmosphere.

“I’d waited a long time for that moment. As a young person here in ’87 all I wanted to do was wear the shirt,” he said.

“To come back as the manager is super pleasing and to stand there and absorb it, I’ve learnt in life sometimes you have to slow your thinking down and take it in.

“So many big moments in life have been so nerve-wracking they just go and suddenly they are finished. So I thought ‘take it in and put it in the memory.'”

But after penalties from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus earned Forest their first win since their Premier League opener, what else will be in the memory from Dyche’s first game in charge?

Without the injured Chris Wood, who has been nursing a knee injury, his manager was robbed of his most potent weapon.

The striker scored 53 goals for Dyche at Burnley and despite his struggles this season, scoring just three times, still represents Forest’s biggest threat.

Jesus replaced Taiwo Awoniyi and dropped deep to cause problems for Porto, pulling them out of position, before scoring his third Europa League goal to seal the game from the spot.

Dyche moved to a back four, with centre-backs Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic more comfortable, especially with Elliot Anderson and Douglas Luiz sitting in front of them in midfield.

Anderson was his usual energetic, all-action self, which allowed Gibbs-White more freedom going forward, flanked by Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye.

The widemen were utilised often, even if their end product was lacking at times.

Around £120m worth of summer signings in James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa and Arnaud Kalimuendo was left out of the squad on Saturday and Dyche recalled McAtee and Kalimuendo to the bench.

Hutchinson, Forest’s £37.5m record signing, was not included in the European squad while Bakwa was injured.

Forest can perhaps slip back into their old ways under Nuno Espirito Santo – compact, counter-attacking and more pragmatic – quicker than adapting to the high press, high-tempo style Ange Postecoglou wanted to employ.

It certainly looked easier, with more fight, spirit and courage shown than under Postecoglou. The Australian could be forgiven for wondering where it was while he was in charge.

It ultimately earned Forest a first clean sheet in 21 matches, since a 1-0 win over Manchester United in April.

“I can finally breathe tonight,” Gibbs-White told TNT Sports. “It has been a difficult couple of months with all the changes and the bad performances, so it was good to get our first win in eight or nine games.

“We are delighted to get the three points and I want to thank the fans for sticking by us.

“The gaffer said when he came in that last season we had a real identity, and he wants to build on top of that. I am just delighted that the boys got the three points and the win.

“You can feel the morale. It feels a lot more positive and it needs to stay like that. That’s credit to the manager. He has instilled that in us, and we have to keep up that mentality.”

In the last European game at the City Ground, Forest fans chanted “sacked in the morning” at Postecoglou, just his fifth game in charge.

Defeat to Midtjylland now feels the beginning of the end for the former Tottenham manager as fans snapped early and refused to accept him.

They streamed out of the stadium after Reece James’ goal put Chelsea 3-0 up on Saturday, before Postecoglou was sacked, and owner Evangelos Marinkas had already left the stands just after an hour, having made up his mind.

Then there was resignation rather than anger, but on Thursday it was channelled into passion.

Pre-game Dyche had struck the right tone when tapping into what supporters needed and what they could buy into, speaking about Brian Clough’s dog Del Boy running around his feet almost 40 years ago.

All of his backroom staff have connections with the club, including coaches Ian Woan and Steve Stone, who were in the Forest team the last tie they won in Europe, a 1-0 victory over Lyon in 1995.

Supporters responded with a fervent show of support for the ex-Burnley boss, roaring on the side even after they thought Jan Bednarek had levelled, before it was ruled out for offside.

Fireworks went off outside the City Ground following the final whistle after fans sung ‘Forest are back’, forging an early – and much needed – connection with Dyche.

“When you are on the side you don’t hear every word, you hear a noise and you know if it’s a positive noise or a negative noise,” said Dyche.

“I’m not here to judge or question anything, just deliver what I can to the job. It’s nice when they support you from the off, winning helps.

“These fans are pretty fair, win, lose or draw if they see a team out there wearing the shirt with pride and I think they’ll accept that. To get it off with a good performance and a win is very pleasing for them. If they can accept me and my staff and what’s going on that’s got to be a bonus.

“Hopefully it will fast track the feeling around the ground.”