Saturday 17 January 2015 07:59, UK
John McGovern is a rare phenomenon: an ex-player loved by both Nottingham Forest and Derby County supporters, reports Sky Sports News HQ’s Rob Dorsett.
McGovern now works for Forest as a Club Ambassador and advisor to Chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi. He also played a key role in bringing former Forest favourite Stuart Pearce back to the club as manager in the summer.
Six months later, and after just two wins in 20 matches, there are some Forest fans thinking the unthinkable: that, after Billy Davies was sacked following this fixture last season, maybe another defeat at Derby on Saturday could cost two Forest managers their jobs in consecutive years. The Rams fans, of course, are revelling in that possibility.
"Forest have been on a very poor run lately, but I don't think Stuart is under any more pressure now than he was at the start of the season," says McGovern. "We are all big enough and brave enough to know the situation. He needs to win a game. Forest need to win a game. He knows managers lose their jobs if they keep losing, or not winning matches. But Fawaz has been fantastic in his support. He's just let Stuart bring in a couple of loan players, so that shows his backing.
"And I think - not everyone - but the vast majority of supporters are behind the manager. He is Forest through and through, and they appreciate that. When he walked out at the City Ground for his first match [the 2-0 win against Blackpool in August] the noise was incredible. I'd not heard anything like that since we played a European Cup semi-final down here, and that's 30-odd years ago.
"Yes, he's having a tough time at the moment, but the supporters, staff and players are all totally behind him. Things have to improve. And this is the perfect game for things to start."
The two clubs, separated by 17.5miles and the A52 Brian Clough Way, are way apart in terms of confidence and form. Forest haven't won in eight matches; Derby have just beaten one of their promotion rivals, Ipswich, away from home and sit joint top of the Championship, 17 points ahead of their East Midlands rivals.
"I hear some of the Derby fans predicting it will be 5-0 again [as it was at the iPro last season] - that's bold!" says McGovern. "But if you talk to the calmer, more sensible ones, they're expecting it be close. Tense. With maybe the odd goal either way.
Yes, he's having a tough time at the moment, but the supporters, staff and players are all totally behind him. Things have to improve. And this is the perfect game for things to start.
"In many ways all the pressure, all the expectation is on Derby. But it's 11 against 11, and never is that more true than in a derby game."
"They're frantic affairs. Not as physical now as they were - I remember as soon as you received the ball in a derby game in my day, you could end up on your backside. And it was like that for 90 minutes. But even now, no game means as much. It's about respect, pride; and if you win, it keeps you going for weeks."
That is what Stuart Pearce is hoping for. An unexpected win to kickstart Forest's stalling season. The statistics that punctuate his City Ground tenure are bizarre.
Pearce's first nine matches went like this: WWDWWWWDW. Forest were flying. Top of the Championship.
His last 20 matches have gone like this: DLDDDLDLLLWWLDDDLLLL.
"The season started unbelievably well," admits McGovern. "People didn't believe me when we were top of the table, and I told them we weren't playing particularly well. I guess we had the rub of the green then, which is something that's been in very short supply recently. Injury problems haven't helped, that's for sure. But hopefully this is as bad as gets. Hopefully, this game will prove a turning point."
Inevitably, it's a sell-out crowd at the iPro Stadium for the lunchtime kick-off. And it's sure to be a crackling atmosphere.
"The vocal support from both sets of supporters will be magnificent," says McGovern, who won two European Cups with Forest, and the old First Divison title with Derby - both tenures, of course, under Brian Clough.
"The Derby fans are loving what they're seeing at the moment, and rightfully so. They're playing some great football, and look dangerous. But despite Forest's tough times, the noise home and away has been nothing short of astounding. And that support is for Stuart as much as it is the players."
As unpredictable as an East Midlands derby is, there is an unshakeable certainty: it will be noisy, and it will be fascinating.
Watch Derby v Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports 1, Saturday at midday.
