Nottingham Forest legend Nigel Clough has been unveiled as the new manager of League Two outfit Mansfield Town.
The former Reds talisman checks in at One Call Stadium with the Stags one of only two clubs yet to win a fourth tier match this season.
Clough replaced Graham Coughlan who was sacked last month after a desperately disappointing start to the campaign.
The 54-year-old has been out of work since May when he left Burton Albion to help the League One side balance the books.
Clough spent eight years at the City Ground in total, scoring 130 goals and helping the club to four cup finals.
He also spent time at Manchester City and Liverpool and is a respected man when it comes to English football.
The Stags have lost their way in recent years.
Their capitulation at the end of the 2018/19 campaign saw Mansfield throw away automatic promotion and then lose in the semi-final of the play-offs.
Quite simply, they’ve not yet recovered from that escapade.
Last season, Coughlan’s men toiled and finished in a lowly 21st place with the campaign curtailed after 36 matches.
Supporters cited a lack of any real strategy under the ex-Bristol Rovers man and in Clough they have appointed a meticulous manager who will have a clear plan.
Attacking football is typically the order of the day for the son of the legendary Brian Clough and that should delight the Stags faithful.
Clough has opted for a number of styles during his career, with 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 often showcased during his time at Burton Albion.
He remarkably led the Brewers to the Carabao Cup semi-final during the 2018/19 campaign – with his team beating Forest along the way.
Safe
Clough might not be the most glamorous appointment to some Mansfield supporters.
A trendy, modern-day manager he is perhaps not but that shouldn’t worry Stags’ supporters.
The man who served Forest with distinction has taken the old-fashioned values from his dad’s style of management and adapted them accordingly to today’s game.
He will command the respect of the dressing room and working hard will become a trait that is non-negotiable in the Mansfield dressing room on his watch.
Too often in recent years the Stags have settled for second best – and that simply won’t do.
For far too long managers have taken liberties with the ambitious John Radford and his backing.
Clough won’t do that. Okay, he might want a couple of his own players in January – name a manager who wouldn’t?
What he won’t do though is expect the financial backing to be a given and he’ll be more than happy to work with what he has at his disposal.
A proud history when it comes to academy players and them graduating to the first-team should also excite the club’s supporters.
The Stags and the people behind the scenes have big plans for their academy. They do some great things at the club’s RH Academy and it would be no surprise to see a few young players graduate during Clough’s tenure.
The ex-talisman looks like being a safe pair of hands for Mansfield Town and he’s arguably the biggest name to have ever worked for the football club.
Watch this space, but the future looks bright for Forest’s local rivals.
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