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Doughty interview
- Thread starter Beasty
- Start date
Fatb
First Team Squad
do you know what time?
Last edited:
TheMissplacedPassword
A. Trialist
shal we expect signings announced tomorrow then ?
Harrison
Jack Armstrong
time?
Rich
Rice IV
Live or recorded and edited today?
Super-Garth
Viv Anderson
Recorded today according to Chippers...
Rich
Rice IV
Gaybags. I bet he asked him nothing of note.
It'll be all 'can we sign a left back?'
'yes'
'Are we in debt?'
'No'
'would you have liked promotion last season?'
'yes'
'Is Billy staying as manager?'
'yes'
I will be astounded if there is anything remotely pressing asked.
It'll be all 'can we sign a left back?'
'yes'
'Are we in debt?'
'No'
'would you have liked promotion last season?'
'yes'
'Is Billy staying as manager?'
'yes'
I will be astounded if there is anything remotely pressing asked.
Tricky Tree
Viv Anderson
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/f...am-Forest/article-2481305-detail/article.html
I suspect the interview may say something along them lines, lol
I suspect the interview may say something along them lines, lol
Super-Garth
Viv Anderson
He makes some great points. I'd rather we didn't splash cash on substandard players simply to keep a few moaners quiet for a few days.
Rich
Rice IV
Hmm, didn't realy say much more than was expected.
Matt90
Grenville Morris
He may be asked if he knows the Leeds score and weather he understands the role of the holding midfielder.
Other pressing issues include:
Did you know Paul Ince is Black?
Is Mark Arthur a vampire?
Why have we just build a new shop if we're moving grounds?
What would be success this season?
What is your view on the new rules regarding squads in the premier league? If applied to the Championship, Forest could barely fill the quota; how do you feel about this?
Did you watch the world cup?
Is Wes Morgan as well endowed as some people claim?
LEANING back in his chair in the plush surrounds of the City Ground boardroom, Nigel Doughty speaks slowly, in warm, gentle tones.
It is only afterwards, when listening back to the interview for a second time, that it becomes clear that his considered, thoughtful delivery is masking some incredibly straight-talking.
Resplendent in his ever present, perfectly pressed suit and tie and sipping on a coffee, Doughty does not dodge any issues or duck any questions.
After eight years as a chairman, it is clear he has realised that, when it comes to football fans, you can't please all of the people, all of the time – particularly when it comes to the subject of the transfer market.
Click here for more
In his case, the evidence of the last few months would suggest his biggest battle is that to satisfy the demands of his own manager, Billy Davies.
But, whether the flak is being fired his way from the terraces or from the confines of the manager's office, Doughty is unwavering in his convictions.
And, while it may be delivered with a broad smile and a jovial demeanour, his message is clear.
"If you want me to go out and buy somebody who isn't good enough, I will go and do it," says Doughty, perched at the end of one of a quartet of perfectly polished tables.
"It will keep a few people quiet, I suppose. But we are not going to run this club on the basis of sending out a positive PR message to satisfy people during pre-season.
"We have been down that path before.
"There is a serious amount of money going into this club now and we have to run it in a serious way.
"If there are banners saying 'Doughty out' or whatever, it is something I will just have to suffer along the way.
"It is what it is and it is not going to change.
"I have been at this club for 45 years now. I am not going to do anything to it that will damage it in the long term."
Doughty does concede that a few additions during January might have made a difference to Forest's promotion push.
"It would have been nice to have got Moses, it would have been nice to have got Shorey and it would have been nice to have got Pratley," said Doughty.
"But, beyond that, we did not have a list (of targets).
"It would have been nice to have brought in players to assuage the fans. But that is not my style, I am not going to take easy decisions for PR purposes.
"Without being pompous about it, that is how I have made my money. I am not going to take easy decisions for PR purposes.
"Let's say a mid-level Premiership player can buy you ten mid-level Championship players, in terms of wages. So what is that Premiership player going to do (when you try to sign him)?
"He is going to stay in the Premiership."
Doughty's past experience – not just as chairman, but as a young fan stood on the terraces at the City Ground – tells him that new signings are not always a blessing.
"We are only going to bring players in to the club who we believe will improve our ability, as a football club, to get promoted," he said.
"There are not that many people around (to target).
"It would easy for us to go out and buy run-of-the-mill players, as some other clubs have done.
"It would be easy to do that and it would make great copy for you and it would make the fans happy.
"I remember, as a teenager, getting excited about watching new signings at Forest. But some of them were awful!
"It took you three weeks to realise they were rubbish.
"But, on that first Saturday, you were excited about going to watch the new signing, whoever they were.
"We do not want to go down that road."
Forest have made bids for Cardiff winger Peter Whittingham, Darren Pratley, the Swansea midfielder and Jermaine Johnson, Sheffield Wednesday's flying winger.
They have also been linked with loan moves for Chelsea defenders Patrick van Aanholt and Ryan Bertrand.
And Doughty hints that patience will be a virtue in the coming weeks.
"It is dead calm at the minute, but I think it will all start to accelerate as we move towards the Burnley game," he said. "Billy and his team have been working incredibly hard; team spirit is fantastic.
"We are looking to build on the performance last season. You can never give exact timings or specific details (about signings). It is always nice to talk about these things after they have happened.
"The truisms are that we have invested consistently over the last four or five years.
"Certainly over the last three or four years we are one of the biggest spenders in the Football League, if not the biggest spender.
"I think we want to continue on that track.
"I guess we saw £90m go astray in 90 minutes when we played Blackpool.
"There is nobody with a greater incentive than me to make sure we get in the Premiership.
"Because in the Premiership, we are a financially self-sufficient club. At the minute we are not."
On that theme, Doughty says the club will back Davies in the transfer market, just as they did last year.
"We are investing, we are backing Billy and the reason we are investing is because we have probably the best manager, at this level, in the game," he says.
"And, in my view, the manager will go on to much greater things. He is very talented. He deserves our support and we'll try to give it to him.
"We have one or two targets of what I would call top-class Championship level and one or two targets of up-and-coming stars from the Premiership stable.
"If we were to get those – and we might overshoot or undershoot by one or two – that would give us a fantastic squad of 24 and one that would justifiably demonstrate our favouritism with the bookmakers."
Last season, when he backed Davies to the tune of £6m in the transfer market, Forest were still not considered among the favourites for promotion in the Championship.
But, while there may carry the added burden of that particular pressure on their shoulders now, Doughty is unconcerned.
"With that (status as favourites) comes expectation and pressure. But that is something we are warming to," he says. "That is something we want to embrace. In my experience in life, achievers love pressure.
"They are the sort of people who think a challenge is there to be enjoyed and not feared.
"You don't find winners clamming up or offering excuses.
"We have had consistent progression in the club within the last four or five years.
"Now comes the time when we have to justify our position as one of the favourites for promotion.
"We set ourselves objectives a few years ago and we have achieved a lot of those.
"The club is in fantastic shape. We have great facilities and there are new developments taking place both at the training academy and at the ground.
"We are ostensibly debt free and, if we were to get into the Premiership, I don't believe there are many clubs over the past few years who could say that they have that foundation to build on.
"The final, ultimate and elusive aim is to get into the Premiership."
If Forest do achieve that, then the clamour for new signings will reach fever pitch next summer, as they prepare for life in the top flight.
But you get the impression that, where Doughty is concerned, it is something he would take calmly in his stride.
It is only afterwards, when listening back to the interview for a second time, that it becomes clear that his considered, thoughtful delivery is masking some incredibly straight-talking.
Resplendent in his ever present, perfectly pressed suit and tie and sipping on a coffee, Doughty does not dodge any issues or duck any questions.
After eight years as a chairman, it is clear he has realised that, when it comes to football fans, you can't please all of the people, all of the time – particularly when it comes to the subject of the transfer market.
Click here for more
In his case, the evidence of the last few months would suggest his biggest battle is that to satisfy the demands of his own manager, Billy Davies.
But, whether the flak is being fired his way from the terraces or from the confines of the manager's office, Doughty is unwavering in his convictions.
And, while it may be delivered with a broad smile and a jovial demeanour, his message is clear.
"If you want me to go out and buy somebody who isn't good enough, I will go and do it," says Doughty, perched at the end of one of a quartet of perfectly polished tables.
"It will keep a few people quiet, I suppose. But we are not going to run this club on the basis of sending out a positive PR message to satisfy people during pre-season.
"We have been down that path before.
"There is a serious amount of money going into this club now and we have to run it in a serious way.
"If there are banners saying 'Doughty out' or whatever, it is something I will just have to suffer along the way.
"It is what it is and it is not going to change.
"I have been at this club for 45 years now. I am not going to do anything to it that will damage it in the long term."
Doughty does concede that a few additions during January might have made a difference to Forest's promotion push.
"It would have been nice to have got Moses, it would have been nice to have got Shorey and it would have been nice to have got Pratley," said Doughty.
"But, beyond that, we did not have a list (of targets).
"It would have been nice to have brought in players to assuage the fans. But that is not my style, I am not going to take easy decisions for PR purposes.
"Without being pompous about it, that is how I have made my money. I am not going to take easy decisions for PR purposes.
"Let's say a mid-level Premiership player can buy you ten mid-level Championship players, in terms of wages. So what is that Premiership player going to do (when you try to sign him)?
"He is going to stay in the Premiership."
Doughty's past experience – not just as chairman, but as a young fan stood on the terraces at the City Ground – tells him that new signings are not always a blessing.
"We are only going to bring players in to the club who we believe will improve our ability, as a football club, to get promoted," he said.
"There are not that many people around (to target).
"It would easy for us to go out and buy run-of-the-mill players, as some other clubs have done.
"It would be easy to do that and it would make great copy for you and it would make the fans happy.
"I remember, as a teenager, getting excited about watching new signings at Forest. But some of them were awful!
"It took you three weeks to realise they were rubbish.
"But, on that first Saturday, you were excited about going to watch the new signing, whoever they were.
"We do not want to go down that road."
Forest have made bids for Cardiff winger Peter Whittingham, Darren Pratley, the Swansea midfielder and Jermaine Johnson, Sheffield Wednesday's flying winger.
They have also been linked with loan moves for Chelsea defenders Patrick van Aanholt and Ryan Bertrand.
And Doughty hints that patience will be a virtue in the coming weeks.
"It is dead calm at the minute, but I think it will all start to accelerate as we move towards the Burnley game," he said. "Billy and his team have been working incredibly hard; team spirit is fantastic.
"We are looking to build on the performance last season. You can never give exact timings or specific details (about signings). It is always nice to talk about these things after they have happened.
"The truisms are that we have invested consistently over the last four or five years.
"Certainly over the last three or four years we are one of the biggest spenders in the Football League, if not the biggest spender.
"I think we want to continue on that track.
"I guess we saw £90m go astray in 90 minutes when we played Blackpool.
"There is nobody with a greater incentive than me to make sure we get in the Premiership.
"Because in the Premiership, we are a financially self-sufficient club. At the minute we are not."
On that theme, Doughty says the club will back Davies in the transfer market, just as they did last year.
"We are investing, we are backing Billy and the reason we are investing is because we have probably the best manager, at this level, in the game," he says.
"And, in my view, the manager will go on to much greater things. He is very talented. He deserves our support and we'll try to give it to him.
"We have one or two targets of what I would call top-class Championship level and one or two targets of up-and-coming stars from the Premiership stable.
"If we were to get those – and we might overshoot or undershoot by one or two – that would give us a fantastic squad of 24 and one that would justifiably demonstrate our favouritism with the bookmakers."
Last season, when he backed Davies to the tune of £6m in the transfer market, Forest were still not considered among the favourites for promotion in the Championship.
But, while there may carry the added burden of that particular pressure on their shoulders now, Doughty is unconcerned.
"With that (status as favourites) comes expectation and pressure. But that is something we are warming to," he says. "That is something we want to embrace. In my experience in life, achievers love pressure.
"They are the sort of people who think a challenge is there to be enjoyed and not feared.
"You don't find winners clamming up or offering excuses.
"We have had consistent progression in the club within the last four or five years.
"Now comes the time when we have to justify our position as one of the favourites for promotion.
"We set ourselves objectives a few years ago and we have achieved a lot of those.
"The club is in fantastic shape. We have great facilities and there are new developments taking place both at the training academy and at the ground.
"We are ostensibly debt free and, if we were to get into the Premiership, I don't believe there are many clubs over the past few years who could say that they have that foundation to build on.
"The final, ultimate and elusive aim is to get into the Premiership."
If Forest do achieve that, then the clamour for new signings will reach fever pitch next summer, as they prepare for life in the top flight.
But you get the impression that, where Doughty is concerned, it is something he would take calmly in his stride.
Rich
Rice IV
The problem is, we don't want to spend money on mediocre players: great. We don't want to spend beyond the value of good players: great.
However, these two combined mean you wind up with nobody.
We won't pay for quality, and we won't bring in players that will strengthen the squad if not the team.
From what Doughty said in that interview, you'd have expected we would have bid more for the players we wanted.
Super-Garth
Viv Anderson
That's what I can't understand, but it's not always a game of simply upping the bid everytime we get rejected. If we bid £2.5m for Whittingham and Cardiff rejected it, do we go back with £3m? Or pay £2.5m on a slightly worse LM who isn't worth that figure. This is where I think the TAP should be abit more 'ballsy' (technical term). Pay slightly over the odds for a player, especially if he really is the missing link in our team.
But, then again, it isn't my money that's being spent...
Clifford
Viv Anderson
That attitude is all very well an incidently one I agree with apart from some major flaws.
The main one being that to attract quality players you need to pay a high price. If you try to attract quality without paying a premium you end up with exactly what forest have in the last two windows, Precisely nothing.
If Forest are to move onto the next level and the financial rewards of the Premiership via the route Mr Doughty suggests we need to pay that Premium.
We are in a position where the correct targets are being identifed, the rest of the team is of high quality. The manager is top class and two or three high quality signings would leave us with an excellent chance of promotion.
To not pay the going rate now and miss out on the likes of Pratley, Whittingham and Shorey could cost promotion, the manager, and ultimatley players like Wilson and Cohen will leave.
It is false economy to not spend now. Spend what is needed and it will be recouped next season in the Premier League.
The main one being that to attract quality players you need to pay a high price. If you try to attract quality without paying a premium you end up with exactly what forest have in the last two windows, Precisely nothing.
If Forest are to move onto the next level and the financial rewards of the Premiership via the route Mr Doughty suggests we need to pay that Premium.
We are in a position where the correct targets are being identifed, the rest of the team is of high quality. The manager is top class and two or three high quality signings would leave us with an excellent chance of promotion.
To not pay the going rate now and miss out on the likes of Pratley, Whittingham and Shorey could cost promotion, the manager, and ultimatley players like Wilson and Cohen will leave.
It is false economy to not spend now. Spend what is needed and it will be recouped next season in the Premier League.
pineapplehead
First Team Squad
what worries me is who is saying what a player is worth.if we had paid over the odds for a mediocre l/b in jan chances are we would have been promoted,so the over priced mediocre l/b would have made us 90 mill so would not have been over priced in the long run
incapable hulk
Best served cold
Does the writer of that article fancy doughty!?
Its not a bad interview, and hes right.
But there is yet another conflicting statement:
Davies, pleat and arthur all said they did.
Kier
Banned
I would say we have enough mediocre squad players: McCleary, McGugan, Adebola, Lynch, Moloney, Thornhill and Bennett so there is little point in spunking cash to simply boost numbers.
Hopefully by the end of the window, we will have brought in some of the players we're targeting.
Tnewton_1988
Jack Armstrong
I read that NEP interview twice and i never cristisised Doughty Nor will i,Without him we could of dissapeared in 2002 because their was only ND brave enough to dave the club.He has said all along that he will get rid of the Debt in which he has now. i rather have Doughty who cares about the club than some Jonny Foreigners that treat NFFC like a play thing like they have at Pompey.His point are valid and he know he has to ensure the club remain on a sound Financial footing to ensure we don't go down the same road as we did in the early 2000s.
RufusTFirefly
Geoff Thomas
Well this is the whole dilemma now with the prem being financially so far away from the rest of the league. Do you over-spend and gamble on being promoted, knowing that spending alone won't guarantee promotion? If your players don't perform you end up like cardiff, or more pertinently, like forest after platt. Otherwise you spend within your means and that you can pull off a blinder like blackpool. We're lucky to have a wealthy owner who can continually overspend slighty to give us a better chance of being up there every season, even if we can't really compete with the parachute payment boys.
W
winnits
Guest
I read that and found it mostly positive. I see why people criticise his policy particularly on acquisitions, but ultimately it's his call on how he runs his business, and whilst I too yearn to see us compete and get good players in, I don't want us to go bust either.
Deleted User
John Robertson
Well said mr doughty. Slowly slowly catchy monkey.
It would seem that the vast majority of football fans have almost no patience.
It would seem that the vast majority of football fans have almost no patience.
I think that what he said was perfectly fair and reasonable.
If he's only going to buy players that improve us then that is a good thing.
We've all known for a long time that Forest are run on a strict financial control but that without his money we'd be in trouble.
His money, his call - And I think he's calling it right. That's quietly a positive interview, especially if you read between the lines.
If he's only going to buy players that improve us then that is a good thing.
We've all known for a long time that Forest are run on a strict financial control but that without his money we'd be in trouble.
His money, his call - And I think he's calling it right. That's quietly a positive interview, especially if you read between the lines.