Davies looking to achieve even more at Forest next season

WHEN Billy Davies arrived at Nottingham Forest, he did not underestimate the size of the task that lay ahead.

From the beginning, when he was publicly revealed as the new manager, he repeated the mantra – keeping the club in the Championship would be the biggest achievement of his career.

By the time it came to his first training session with the players, his words will have held even more meaning.

"I came here to the club because there were good young players here," said Davies. "But, if I showed you the video of the first day of training and then a video of the training sessions we do now, you would see that the difference is like night and day.

"It is only my humble opinion, there is nothing right or wrong here, nor is there a magic formula, it is just opinion.

"We have tried to do lots of little things differently and the difference, overall, between then and now is huge."

If Davies believed his task was a tough one then the depth of the challenge was only increased when, having provided a list of six or seven potential targets to the club's transfer acquisitions panel, Forest failed to land a single permanent signing by the end of January as, one by one, their efforts to sign players failed.

Having identified areas of the side that needed strengthening, in literally every section of the pitch, Davies was instead left to plug the gap with young players who, while full of potential and raw ability, lacked experience.

And, rather than relying on new signings, Davies had to look at the training regime and the day to day routine of the squad to provide a lift.

"What we needed was the introduction of some fresh faces and January was crucial," said Davies.

"You can understand my frustration then because I was hoping to bring in new players.

"We went into a little lull after that period, we lost players through injury and, at that point, it was difficult.

"We needed a lift then. But, since that time, we have changed the training programme, we have looked at the way we prepared.

"We have changed our pre-match, we have changed where we train – there are so many things.

"But there will be 40 or 50 more changes of little details at the club over the summer again.

"For example, the players will report for training at the Academy now, rather than to the City Ground.

"We will have soup and sandwiches for our lunch, rather than a three course banquet – I can keep going with examples.

"But that is just opinion.

"Individual players are getting particular types of training.

"We have set in place a very heavy fine for exceeding weight and body fat levels, which will be measured on a regular basis.

"I could go on and I will explain it all properly in the summer."

Of course, the failure to land players in the transfer window is not a complete explanation for why, long before Davies's arrival, Forest found themselves in a struggle for survival.

And Davies himself does not try to gloss over the fact that, at times, simple human error and poor play – among other factors – have been a factor in Forest's struggle for consistency.

"There are a number of issues, I think. Naivety and individual error have cost us dearly. There has also been a little indiscipline and we have worked hard on fitness," said Davies.

"I don't think you can put your finger on one thing that has been a problem for us.

"Every little change we have made has helped us to progress. But we are not finished yet, there is a long way to go."

And, a priority for next season will be to address another of Davies oft repeated mantras – about not putting square pegs in round holes.

"I laugh when I get letters from fans telling me that James Perch is not a midfield player, that Luke Chambers is not a right back," said Davies. "They are telling me things we already know.

"You look at how well they did with James as a full-back and Luke as a centre-half. It is the same with Guy Moussi, we have got to put players in their best position and keep them in the right areas.

"We have to give them the chance to understand what is required in that position rather than having many players in many different positions, as we have done in the past.

"It is nice to have people like Chris Gunter, Perch and Chambers who can play in different positions if you are short of options.

"From time to time you have to utilise that.

"But what we want to do is find the best positions for our players and let them best utilise their attributes by playing there consistently."

For Davies, the summer is unlikely to be a period of rest as he looks to compile a fresh list of transfer targets to add the required depth to his young squad.

Several of the loan signings Forest brought in – such as Dexter Blackstock, Lee Camp, Joel Lynch and, potentially, Gary McSheffrey – are likely to be pursued as permanent additions, while the club may look to bring the likes of Chris Gunter and Paul Anderson back on long-term loan deals.

Whatever happens, Davies will be facing the biggest challenge of his career again.

Because this time the target will not merely be survival, but to challenge for a place among the promotion pack.