I think on balance Nigel Doughty is the best chairman we could have at Forest. He's local, a Forest Fan, very wealthy and a 'good capitalist' (if that is not an oxymoron) and he appears to be here for the long haul. He has been unfortunate to have got involved with the club at a time when football has changed and we have been through our most difficult period in living memory. It could have been much worse without his support.
In my view he has only one flaw, he is not very good at picking managers and those advisors around him are not much better. He also seems to make his decisions on sound business principles, but football is as much about pride and passion as it is about profit and loss.
On paper Colin Calderwood probably ticked all the boxes, but he was a negative (defensive) manager, whose teams were him personified, good on paper, but too negative. So scared too lose, that they didn't win., especially on the big occasions.
I wasn't at the match today, but I'm sure that 3 away goals against a relegation rival would not have happened if Colin Calderwood was the manager.
Nigel Doughty has shown great patience and loyalty in sticking with Colin Calderwood for so long (a more ruthless chairman would have dumped him as soon as we secured promotion), but what will he do next ?
I'm firmly in the Nigel Clough camp and completely against bringing in Billy Davies. However, I feel the right thing to do is give John Pemberton a few games and hopefully allow him to salvage the season and keep us in this division. Then the next permanent manager should be an appointment for next season. (Dependant on the division we are in).
Obviously we need reinforcements on the playing side, but if I understand the set up at the Forest these days, we have a transfer committee. So let them do their job.
Hopefully by the end of the season Nigel Clough will have taken Burton Albion up to the Football League and the excuse of him only being interested in part time work will be redundant. Also this success should convince any remaining doubters that he is the man and we can start life in the Championship all over again.
The difference will be a manager that inspires the fans, who in return will fill the stadium and cheer the team on to some happier days.
