Billy Davies has the CV of a Premier League manager yet is still unemployed ... clubs aren't being fair on him - Scott McDermott
Our man Scott McDermott believes Davies has a top notch managerial record and being linked with the St Mirren job was insulting.
Control the public’s perception of you and nobody will care if you have any talent.
It was American actress Rashida Jones who said it. But it was relevant this week to a guy from Glasgow who has been castigated as one of Scottish football’s pantomime villains.
I had to laugh when reading Sky Sports’ report on Jack Ross being named as the new St Mirren boss.
It said: “The club had been in discussions with former Derby County and Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies – but Ross was the outstanding candidate.”
Really? Now, no disrespect to Jack Ross. He’s a terrific young gaffer who fully deserves his chance in Paisley. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great appointment. But the outstanding candidate over Davies? Do me a favour.
Out of courtesy to his local club, Davies spoke to Buddies chairman Gordon Scott but opted to rule
himself out of the running.
The fact he was even linked with a side bottom of the Championship is an insult to Davies’ ability in the dugout.
When he left his last job at Forest in March 2014, he had them seventh in the English Championship, two points off the play-offs. And on a salary north of £500,000 a year.
To put it bluntly, there isn’t a manager in Scotland – Brendan Rodgers aside - boasting a better record. The CV filed away in his brown leather bag is one that could belong to a Premier League gaffer.
So why isn’t he in work? Because you get the feeling if you scissored the name off the top of that A4 paper, there would be clubs falling over themselves to appoint him.
That’s where perception comes in. Davies is viewed as tarnished goods. His reputation goes before him.
But why? The perceived belief is the he would cause a fight in an empty phone box, he’s a troublemaker, he hates the press. Unfortunately for him, these myths have become reality for some people.
I spent almost five hours with him last week. As always, it was fascinating. Since our first meeting in Preston a decade ago, Davies has always been accommodating, honest, funny and insightful. Deep down he’s still the same guy.
Show me a player over the past 18 years who didn’t enjoy working with him. Kris Boyd, who only had a brief spell under him at Forest, had previously played for Alex McLeish, Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan.
But on Davies, he said two years ago: “Billy is the best coach I’ve ever worked with. He works on technique, shape and he gets inside players’ heads.
“He makes you think you’re Messi or Ronaldo – he’s fantastic. And tactically he’s second to none.”
His record of reaching a play-off final with North End, promotion to the Premier League with Derby and two play-offs with Forest backs that up
His stats in England are superb. His win percentages at those clubs are 45, 44, 42 and 43. He’s never achieved less than 79 points in a season – so he guarantees success.
At Forest he broke Brian Clough’s 30-year record of 12 straight home wins. But apparently St Mirren prefer the Alloa boss? Come on.
The negative perception of Davies was perpetuated down south by power-hungry board members at the iPro Stadium and City Ground. The Scot is a proper football man. But he was being suppressed at both clubs by guys with cricket backgrounds, most notably Mark Arthur at Forest.
Personality clashes were inevitable. With Midlands locals at director and CEO level, who were able to exert considerable influence, Davies was always going to be in trouble. He believes he was shafted. And if the evidence he’s gathered against some of the individuals involved is eventually aired in court, payback will be sweet for the 52-year-old.
After he left Forest the first time, Davies was publicly filleted for ‘neglecting the youth academy’.
It’s handy then that he’s kept a copy of the employment contract – offered by the club – which clearly states that he was to have no involvement with any Forest player under the age of 18.
Davies was accused of imposing a ‘media blackout’ during his controversial second spell at Forest when he worked under Kuwaiti owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi. He was ridiculed when a camera was installed to record press conferences.
And infamously he wouldn’t do a post-match briefing after a Forest game against Leicester which could have sealed a play-off place.
Anyone who is remotely close to Davies would know he’d never not want to speak out after any victory, let alone such an important one. But he was under orders.
Those extreme measures were Al-Hasawi’s doing, as was the decision to put Davies’ advisor and cousin Jim Price on the payroll.
With someone like Al Hasawi calling the shots, Davies was powerless to intervene. Unlike a lot of managers, he doesn’t get ideas above his station.
He’s a working-class guy from Pollok, a traditional but forward-thinking coach whose best work is done on the training pitch.
His record shows that if he’s allowed to manage a club his way, allowed to sign his own players, he’ll get results.
All of which makes his 30-month exile from the game in this country more peculiar by the day.
It’s impossible not to feel that Davies is being persecuted, due to public perception. Sadly for him, he hasn’t been able to control it.
As a result, people have forgotten about his unquestionable talent.
Our man Scott McDermott believes Davies has a top notch managerial record and being linked with the St Mirren job was insulting.
Control the public’s perception of you and nobody will care if you have any talent.
It was American actress Rashida Jones who said it. But it was relevant this week to a guy from Glasgow who has been castigated as one of Scottish football’s pantomime villains.
I had to laugh when reading Sky Sports’ report on Jack Ross being named as the new St Mirren boss.
It said: “The club had been in discussions with former Derby County and Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies – but Ross was the outstanding candidate.”
Really? Now, no disrespect to Jack Ross. He’s a terrific young gaffer who fully deserves his chance in Paisley. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great appointment. But the outstanding candidate over Davies? Do me a favour.
Out of courtesy to his local club, Davies spoke to Buddies chairman Gordon Scott but opted to rule
himself out of the running.
The fact he was even linked with a side bottom of the Championship is an insult to Davies’ ability in the dugout.
When he left his last job at Forest in March 2014, he had them seventh in the English Championship, two points off the play-offs. And on a salary north of £500,000 a year.
To put it bluntly, there isn’t a manager in Scotland – Brendan Rodgers aside - boasting a better record. The CV filed away in his brown leather bag is one that could belong to a Premier League gaffer.
So why isn’t he in work? Because you get the feeling if you scissored the name off the top of that A4 paper, there would be clubs falling over themselves to appoint him.
That’s where perception comes in. Davies is viewed as tarnished goods. His reputation goes before him.
But why? The perceived belief is the he would cause a fight in an empty phone box, he’s a troublemaker, he hates the press. Unfortunately for him, these myths have become reality for some people.
I spent almost five hours with him last week. As always, it was fascinating. Since our first meeting in Preston a decade ago, Davies has always been accommodating, honest, funny and insightful. Deep down he’s still the same guy.
Show me a player over the past 18 years who didn’t enjoy working with him. Kris Boyd, who only had a brief spell under him at Forest, had previously played for Alex McLeish, Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan.
But on Davies, he said two years ago: “Billy is the best coach I’ve ever worked with. He works on technique, shape and he gets inside players’ heads.
“He makes you think you’re Messi or Ronaldo – he’s fantastic. And tactically he’s second to none.”
His record of reaching a play-off final with North End, promotion to the Premier League with Derby and two play-offs with Forest backs that up
His stats in England are superb. His win percentages at those clubs are 45, 44, 42 and 43. He’s never achieved less than 79 points in a season – so he guarantees success.
At Forest he broke Brian Clough’s 30-year record of 12 straight home wins. But apparently St Mirren prefer the Alloa boss? Come on.
The negative perception of Davies was perpetuated down south by power-hungry board members at the iPro Stadium and City Ground. The Scot is a proper football man. But he was being suppressed at both clubs by guys with cricket backgrounds, most notably Mark Arthur at Forest.
Personality clashes were inevitable. With Midlands locals at director and CEO level, who were able to exert considerable influence, Davies was always going to be in trouble. He believes he was shafted. And if the evidence he’s gathered against some of the individuals involved is eventually aired in court, payback will be sweet for the 52-year-old.
After he left Forest the first time, Davies was publicly filleted for ‘neglecting the youth academy’.
It’s handy then that he’s kept a copy of the employment contract – offered by the club – which clearly states that he was to have no involvement with any Forest player under the age of 18.
Davies was accused of imposing a ‘media blackout’ during his controversial second spell at Forest when he worked under Kuwaiti owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi. He was ridiculed when a camera was installed to record press conferences.
And infamously he wouldn’t do a post-match briefing after a Forest game against Leicester which could have sealed a play-off place.
Anyone who is remotely close to Davies would know he’d never not want to speak out after any victory, let alone such an important one. But he was under orders.
Those extreme measures were Al-Hasawi’s doing, as was the decision to put Davies’ advisor and cousin Jim Price on the payroll.
With someone like Al Hasawi calling the shots, Davies was powerless to intervene. Unlike a lot of managers, he doesn’t get ideas above his station.
He’s a working-class guy from Pollok, a traditional but forward-thinking coach whose best work is done on the training pitch.
His record shows that if he’s allowed to manage a club his way, allowed to sign his own players, he’ll get results.
All of which makes his 30-month exile from the game in this country more peculiar by the day.
It’s impossible not to feel that Davies is being persecuted, due to public perception. Sadly for him, he hasn’t been able to control it.
As a result, people have forgotten about his unquestionable talent.
