‘I wasn’t ready to do a Rooney and stop playing to become a manager’
Chris Hughton has brought stability to Nottingham Forest and will draw on his experience for today’s highly-charged derby
Chris Hughton has two promotions on his CV, and is approaching 500 matches as a manager, so perhaps it is no surprise when he reveals that behind that dignified exterior lurks an edge of menace.
“I’m afraid the Hughton hairdryer does exist,” he says, smiling. “You always try and stay calm, but sometimes that goes out the window when you blow. When you’re not happy, you want the players to feel the impact, so it has an effect and they know about it.”
Fortunately for the Nottingham Forest dressing room, Hughton has not had to lose his composure too many times this season. He is preparing for the 98th league meeting between Forest and bitter rivals Derby County tonight, with the club moving up the Championship.
The 13th full-time appointment by Forest since the summer of 2011, Hughton has lost only twice in the past 14 league matches.
“There’s a better feel around the club now, certainly better than a few months ago,” he says. “We’ve worked hard to get to this stage, but the hardest thing is continuing it.”
It is now 22 years since the club last operated in the Premier League. Since 1999 there have been four play-off semi-finals (all lost) and a solitary promotion out of League One. Like all his predecessors, Hughton is acutely aware of the history and tradition, and the need to create achievements of his own.
“Everybody is always striving for that one glorious season when it happens. The supporters will always feel there will be a time when it changes,” he says. “Forest is still regarded as a big club and not just because of the history. I had other opportunities before I came here, but this one really excited me. It’s about personal pride for the players and our supporters, to finish the season in the best position we can.”
Results and performances have now resembled Hughton and his management: solid yet unspectacular, defined by excellent organisation. With Mick Mccarthy mounting a revival with Cardiff at the age of 62, and the recent appointment of Nigel Pearson, 57, at Bristol City, it shows there is still enduring value in experience.
“All these years in management have helped me cope better,” says Hughton, 62. “My pathway to management was very different: I was an assistant and a first-team coach for a long time, and that helped me. If you’d ask me if I could do what Wayne Rooney has done by stopping playing and going straight into management [at the age of 35], I wouldn’t have been ready.”
Hughton’s return to management in October came nearly 18 months after his brutal sacking at Brighton. He was dismissed the day after finishing 17th in the Premier League.
While Brighton have undoubtedly changed direction under Graham Potter, they are only four points above the bottom three.
Hughton said: “I didn’t see it coming and that was the hardest thing. In a lot of jobs, when they are difficult, it’s not a mega-surprise [to be sacked] but it did hit me. It did take a good while to get over, but what I’ve always done is look forward to the next challenge. That one is behind me, it’s not my decision and from the moment it happened it was about looking forward.”
Hughton spends long days at Forest’s training ground, frequently leaving at 7pm. He lives in an apartment near the city centre for most of the week, but the relentless schedule of the Championship is never far from his thoughts. His influence on the squad is now clear to see, and January was crucial for fine-tuning.
Glenn Murray’s signing from Brighton was evidence of Hughton’s control on recruitment, while he pushed hard to take Filip Krovinovic on loan from Benfica. James Garner, a Manchester United midfielder, has also made a big impact.
The focus now will be on the bitter local argument at Pride Park, as Forest aim to extend their unbeaten run against the old enemy to eight matches. “I’ve only ever been involved in two derby games as a player or manager without fans and they have both been against Derby,” says Hughton. “It’s a shame no fans will be present, but the intensity will still be there and there won’t be anyone playing who doesn’t know what the game means.”
‘I didn’t see the sack coming. It took me a good while to get over it, but I always look forward’