Davies' simple approach can reap dividends for Forest

WHEN he took over as manager of Leicester City, Gary Megson was greeted with chants labelling him the 'Ginger Mourinho' from the Foxes fans.

Within hours, another supporter, presumably from slightly closer to home, had been among the first to prick their bubble of optimism, with a succinct point made on an internet forum.

"You'll soon change your tune after a long winter of five-man defences with full-backs in midfield," he said.

In the end, their winter of discontent never properly materialised, as the former Forest manager soon departed to take over at Premiership Bolton.

And, at the City Ground, in the same way as Megson before him, Colin Calderwood was criticised for his own habit of altering his formation depending on the opposition.

An approach that favoured a three-man central defence was enough to steer Northampton Town to promotion in his first managerial role.

But it was also enough to elicit chants of 'we're not boring any more' from the Cobblers fans when Calderwood returned to Sixfields as Forest boss.

Reds fans themselves soon became frustrated with a mentality they felt was too negative and defensive.

Even in the Premiership, at Fulham, then manager Chris Coleman faced similar criticisms, with the Craven Cottage crowd more specific in their demands, as they repeatedly chanted: "4-4-2! 4-4-2! 4-4-2!"

Coleman's response was simple: "Let's say I play that way and we lose, do I then have to start booing the fans?"

It is a quandary that many a manager has found himself in, at a time when football fans' armchair expertise is fuelled by more information than ever before on the television and in the media.

Once results start to go awry, managers, as well as players, can quickly find themselves the subject of criticism.

Billy Davies will know this as well as anyone, as the memory of Derby County's remarkable climb into the Premiership faded quickly as the Rams began to struggle in the top flight.

But, while the Scott is willing to tinker with his line-ups when required, his mentality is one that should, in general, appease those of a Red persuasion.

Because, while there may be the odd deviation when required, Davies is emphatic when it comes to one thing.

This coming season, Nottingham Forest will play 4-4-2.

The personnel might change; the ethos may be tweaked from time to time, but, in general, 4-4-2 is the foundation on which the Reds will look to build what they hope will be a successful season.

As Davies engineered the finale to the season that was ultimately enough to keep Forest in the Championship, the emphasis was often placed on matching the opposition's approach.

The club were in a battle for survival and, at times, the mentality had to be to stifle the opposition and then progress from there.

Often, this meant adapting their approach to counteract that of their opponents.

Next season, the mentality will be different.

Speak to anyone fortunate enough to play under the legendary Brian Clough and they will tell you the same thing.

Where he was concerned, there was no such thing as a team talk – at least not in terms of the opposition strengths and weaknesses.

Instead the focus was placed almost entirely on what Forest would do to cause damage; on how best to utilise their own strengths, rather than concern themselves with the team they would come up against.

A fierce sense of belief was drilled into the squad, enforcing the feeling that, whoever they came up against, they were capable of winning.

In a modern game where success and failure can be decided by the tiniest of margins, there is perhaps not room for such a one-sided approach to management.

Indeed, while there is no questioning the genius of Old Big 'Ead, many of his methods may not be as incredibly effective in an era of player power and corporate influence.

One thing that Clough and Davies have in common is that players want to play for them, even if, like his esteemed predecessor, Davies can be a tough taskmaster.

But, when it comes to management styles, Davies has one very different trait to Clough.

Because few men can place as much substance in the importance of preparation and planning and in the value of research.

And, from the moment last season came to a finale, with Championship safety secured, Davies began to outline his blueprint for the coming campaign.

And while, to the majority of onlookers, the most significant aspect of that will be his list of potential transfer targets, its remit will be far more wide ranging.

In the long-run, the goal is to assemble a squad of 22 or so players who, between them, include at least two men who can provide a fight for places in every position.

Davies will also seek to demand a degree of flexibility – the ability and fluidity to adopt different approaches and formations when required.

But his base template will be that 4-4-2 approach he favours most.

And there is a logic to that, particularly when you are working with a squad that, while peppered with potential and enthusiasm, does lack experience.

Traditionally, even in the international game, 4-4-2 is the most effective approach.

But that is largely down to it's simplicity.

While it is easy for individuals to get bogged down in deciding what is and isn't their responsibility when utilising a five-man defence or a lone striker and a saturated midfield, there are no such complexities with 4-4-2.

Everyone's role is clearly defined.

And, while Davies can boost his already growing popularity levels through the quality of his further signings in the coming weeks, his standing in the eyes of supporters will be done little harm by his choice of approach.

By keeping Forest in the Championship, Davies has already earned the esteem of the Forest faithful.

But, merely by keeping things simple in the future, his stock can only continue to rise.