Can old hero Martin O’Neill reignite Forest fire?

It was no surprise to learn that the club hierarchy were said to have been “blown away” by Martin O’Neill’s pitch for the Nottingham Forest job, writes Liam Mackey. And even allowing for the positive spin which always attends the appointment of a new gaffer, it was probably no exaggeration either.

Man-management, the ability to make someone feel, as they say in the game, 10 feet tall, has always been flagged as one of the Derryman’s strongest points, especially in face-to-face exchanges and within the intimate surrounds of a dressing room or even a boardroom.