Billy, be a hero!

My initial reaction when I found out that Billy Davies was to be our new manager was one of disappointment, but having had the chance to think about it, I've come to the conclusion that perhaps it's a good appointment after all.

Nobody can deny that his record in the Championship has been very impressive. He managed to turn around both Preston and Derby's fortunes at the wrong end of the table, and took both clubs to the play-off final, losing with Preston and winning promotion to the Premiership with Derby.

The fans are worried about his tendency to fall out with people, notably with Rob Earnshaw and Lee Camp. But Earnshaw's goalscoring prowess in the Championship is undeniable, so Davies will have to swallow his pride and come to a new understanding with Earnshaw if he wants to give Forest the best possible chance of survival. A lot of money was outlayed on Earnshaw in the summer, and Nigel Doughty would not be very pleased to see him sitting on the bench.

It is an awful shame that Camp is not likely to come back. Davies has a reputation for being stubborn, and Camp is unlikely to want to return now that Davies is here anyway. Let's hope that Davies has another goalkeeper in mind, because we are hugely indebted to Camp's heroics over the past three months, and without him would probably be staring relegation in the face.

Davies is certainly a passionate manager, and is almost the complete opposite of Colin Calderwood, except for one thing – they are both Scottish! There seemed to be a lack of discipline, with Calderwood often socialising with the players. His interviews were so devoid of passion that it's little wonder that after half time the players would often emerge from their team talk looking half asleep. Davies does not tolerate laziness, so any players, whether they are talented or not, who do not give 100% in every match could find themselves out on their ear. There's nothing wrong with a bit of discipline if the manager is respected by the players – Brian Clough was of course the greatest disciplinarian of them all, but everybody loved him. Whether the players will take to Davies in the same way remains to be seen, but if he can pull off a relegation rescue act, he will certainly win the doubting Forest fans' hearts.