Twelve months ago, in his first round of media interviews, Dane Murphy spoke about Nottingham Forest moving toward “a true north”.
He joked at the time that it made him sound like a “sappy American”. But there’s no question the Reds have headed in the right direction since then; on a clear upward curve.
A video has done the rounds on social media showing Murphy’s immediate reaction after the final whistle at Wembley. As a great roar reverberates around the national stadium, others in the directors’ box can be seen leaping to their feet as they cheer and punch the air, before hugs all round.
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The club’s CEO, however, looks so overcome with emotion, he is slumped forward in his seat with his head bowed. There are genteel pats on the back as Murphy seemingly finds it tough to come up for air.
When it came to the celebration event in Market Square 24 hours later, the former Barnsley chief made a very fleeting appearance on the balcony, indicating his appreciation to the crowd below. He prefers the spotlight to be on the players.
Murphy has been central to Forest’s revival, however. As have plenty of others behind the scenes.
Getting the right structure in place was part of the promotion puzzle. Even if getting over the line might have come sooner than anticipated.
“I think, at the end of the day, we’re kidding ourselves if we don’t think this is a Premier League club,” Murphy said last July, after leaving Oakwell to take up position on the banks of the Trent. “My job is to hopefully move us all in a direction so we can get back there.
“I don’t want to set a timeline or an expectation as to when we’re going to get there, because there’s no perfect solution and no set date when you’re going to be able to achieve this. But, I hope sooner, rather than later. The club, the supporters and the city deserve it.”
Murphy was integral to the appointment of Steve Cooper as head coach, a decision which turned the course of the season. Under the American’s stewardship there has also been a different approach to signings.
A new-look backroom structure was put in place last summer, with a data-led process to recruitment. The chief executive talked about thinking outside the box when he arrived, trying to “out-think” any rivals. “We need to implement ideas that are a bit different,” he outlined.
That has paid dividends. The Reds have made some superb additions in the past year - either on loan or permanent deals. The majority of them played vital roles in the rise to the top-flight.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has shown he is willing to back the manager again, too. Cash has been splashed this summer as strong moves have been made in the transfer market to put together a squad capable of making the step up.
Cooper has a positive relationship with the Greek, and several times has referenced how “all he wants to do is support us”. Marinakis has demonstrated as much with the money he has invested in the club.
The history and prestige around Forest was a big draw when he took over in 2017. At the time, he said: “Our objective is to bring back the glory days. We want to rekindle Forest’s past success and we are committed to the club for the long-term.”
Aptly for a man with his roots in shipping, it has not all been plain sailing on the banks of the Trent. But he has proved true to his word.
Marinakis’ son, Miltiadis, began to play a greater role in the running of the club last season. It seems to have made a great impression on him.
“It was at the end of June when I started becoming more and more involved with this magical club, and with every day that passed I fell in love with it even more,” he wrote on social media. “We wanted this more than anything and bringing this magical club back to where it belongs is exactly what you all deserve.”
The Marinakis family and Murphy - along with everyone else at the City Ground - do not want to stop there, however. In the aftermath of promotion, it has been made very clear that this should be seen as a beginning, rather than as a one-off achievement.
In an open letter to supporters, the owner wrote: “Everybody here lives with memories from the past (with this history), but sometimes we don’t see the future because we always talk about the past. Now, we need to draw a line and write a new history for this club. Brian Clough did a lot for this club and had big achievements. Forty years later, Steve Cooper has done something similar, even more difficult. We respect our history, but now is the time to write a new history even brighter.”
That glorious afternoon in May was a return to Forest’s glory days. But the Reds’ hierarchy are determined to ensure plenty more are on the horizon.
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