Nottingham Forest’s new era under Sean Dyche has seen their recently-appointed manager implement some of his rules, while softening one stance he had had at previous clubs.
Dyche was named as Forest’s new manager on Tuesday, signing a contract until the summer of 2027.
The 54-year-old is the third boss at the City Ground this season following the sackings of Nuno Espirito Santo last month and Ange Postecoglou on Saturday afternoon.
And with so much upheaval at the club so far this season, Dyche is trying to restore some order by imposing some regulations among the squad.
However, the former Burnley and Everton manager has renegaded on one of his old traditional no-no’s – by allowing players to wear white socks in training.
‘It’s early yet but I would like to think they do their homework, I’d like to think they know enough people in the game and ring around,’ Dyche told The Times when discussing how his training sessions have gone at Forest.
Sean Dyche (centre) has laid down some rules during Nottingham Forest training for his players
Dyche’s players are not allowed to wear snoods or hats in training, but can wear white socks
‘I’ve let them wear white socks, for goodness sake, I’ve never let anyone wear white socks. I’ll have my ex-players caning me on WhatsApp, saying, ‘Gaffer, they’ve got white socks on.’
‘That’s fair, isn’t it? But they’re not allowed to wear snoods or hats, I had to do a deal somewhere. You know what I mean?’
His softening on white socks, is a change from his time at Everton. Speaking of his former rule during his unveiling at the Toffees in February 2023, he said: ‘This has been going round for years and it drives me mad.
‘Unless I’ve been out of the game for too long, you’re not allowed to wear hats when you play on a Saturday, you’re not allowed to wear snoods when you play on a Saturday and you have to, by the rules, wear shin pads. It is not rocket science.
‘Everyone makes the mythical story that it’s hard lines from Sean Dyche. It is just common sense.
‘You train how you play, how can you train how you play if you have 14 snoods on, 15 hats and leggings, no shin pads, white socks, it’s not relevant. I told the players, ‘these myths I’m going to bust them for you right now”.’
While banning snoods and hats at training remain, Dyche will be hoping the subtle light-hearted tweaks will pay off ahead of their Europa League home clash against Porto on Thursday night.
That will be Dyche’s first game in charge of his new club and he says owner Evangelos Marinakis is aware of the challenges they face – with the priority on stabilising the club first rather than win the Europa League.
During his time at Everton, players had to wear shinpads and football socks to replicate games
‘He’s well aware of the challenges,’ Dyche said of Marinakis’ tempered ambitions on Wednesday. ‘He spoke very openly about the challenge. I don’t think he thinks it’s a gimme just because of last season.
‘He’s been around football a long time with Olympiacos and then here. So stability is the first move – but that’s not acceptable for the whole run of being Nottingham Forest manager.
‘I don’t want that. I don’t want to sit here and go: “Well, that’s OK then”.
‘I always say to players don’t accept “alrightness”. It doesn’t get you anything. Let’s push for more.
‘As a football manager, a football coach and football players, you should be wanting more – but the first thing is: can we just stabilise the situation?
‘It still needs the basics put back into the team from my point of view, because they have lost sight of that a little bit.’
