Sean Dyche's Nottingham Forest survival guide: The demands Evangelos Marinakis makes of his managers, how he can tame the owner and the key skills he'll need to succeed in a constant battle behind the scenes

On the day he was named Nottingham Forest ’s new manager, a PR company sent out a press release announcing Sean Dyche as a high-profile commercial partner for a credit card firm.

Advising customers on how to manage debt, Dyche was quoted as saying: ‘Coaching is about breaking things down, so they feel less overwhelming. Whether it’s football, finances or how to build your credit score, having the right support gives you the confidence to tackle challenges step by step.’

Dyche had to cancel his appearance due to the rather more pressing matter of returning to Premier League management, but he will now need to heed his own counsel. Because as any coach who has worked for Evangelos Marinakis will know, his credit score will prove more changeable than most.

Dyche is a clever appointment. He has shown, particularly at Burnley but also at Watford and Everton , that he can unite a squad, and reviving last season’s outstanding team spirit under Nuno Espirito Santo should be within his grasp.

While winning the fans over was tricky at Everton, it should be easier here. Simply not being Ange Postecoglou is a good start, while Dyche will also be helped by having Ian Woan and Steve Stone as part of his backroom team. The pair were excellent players for Forest in the 1990s and remain popular with supporters.

In his first appearance before the media as Forest boss, Dyche pushed all the right buttons. He wore club training kit and posed for photographs in the club museum. He praised what the players had delivered last season and emphasised that the ‘badge’ was far more important than his own ambitions.

Sean Dyche is a clever appointment at Nottingham Forest. He has shown, particularly at Burnley but also at Watford and Everton, that he can unite a squad

On his first day at the club, Dyche praised what the players had delivered last season and emphasised that the ‘badge’ was far more important than his own ambitions

But there is a slightly different to what he is used to, in the form of Evangelos Marinakis

There was praise for the supporters and even a cheeky impression of Brian Clough, Forest’s greatest manager, who was in charge when Dyche was an academy player here in the late 1980s.

‘The fans have created an atmosphere here and that is important,’ said Dyche. ‘Over the last few years they made it a really tough place to come – I knew that as an opposing manager.

‘To come back here as manager, there will be a little more of a tingle down my spine. But I’m not just here for a fun time. I’m aware there’s a job to be done.’

Yet at Forest, keeping the squad and the supporters happy is only half the battle.

Marinakis likes a manager he can speak to frequently to discuss progress and performance. As the man who bankrolls the club, he will challenge his manager often, sometimes in very blunt terms.

If the manager fires back in similar fashion, all well and good. But he has to be available to speak to Marinakis at all times.

Dyche has worked with technical directors before, such as Mike Rigg at Burnley and Kevin Thelwell at Everton, so he will not expect to arrive and run the whole club.

His stock response during Everton's points deduction sagas was that it was his job to focus solely on the pitch, and leave what happened off it to other people.

Assistants Steve Stone (centre) and Ian Woan will help the adjustment period, as former Forest heroes in their playing days

Life at Forest is, though, different from working at many of their rivals. At the City Ground the background scene is regularly shifting, sometimes subtly, sometimes more drastically.

There is a constant battle for Marinakis’ ear, both within the higher echelons of the club, and among those who might seek to influence matters from outside.

That is a challenge for any manager, and it remains to be seen how the departure of chief football officer Ross Wilson to Newcastle will affect the organisational structure.

Edu, the former Arsenal sporting director, was hired at great expense as Forest’s ‘global head of football’ and it is still unclear how that job will develop, although the club have been keen to emphasise his role in appointing Dyche.

With his friend, the actor and film-maker Jonny Owen, among the Forest directors, Dyche should have at least one an ally in the boardroom.

Though Forest’s transfer policy has largely been successful, it is not always methodical. The speed at which players are traded by Marinakis has alarmed previous managers and Nuno’s public criticism of Forest’s work in the market went a long way to costing him his job.

‘He spoke very openly about the challenge,’ said Dyche, when asked about his conversations with Marinakis. ‘I don’t think he thinks this season is a "gimme" just because of the success of last season.

‘He does keep up with the stats and facts and he knows at the end of last season it was a challenging run where they didn’t get as many points but he’s aware of that and that’s why they tried to add a bit more to try to keep moving forward.

It remains to be seen just how big a loss Ross Wilson (left) will be after he joined Newcastle

Dyche will need to manage around a constant battle for Marinakis’ ear, both within the higher echelons of the club, and among those who might seek to influence matters from outside

‘It was a good conversation, obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. There was a reality to it, as well.’

During the early part of his management career, Dyche would set his squad a running exercise in training. Players divided into groups of four and each team had to complete certain distances inside a time limit.

The targets were adjusted according to the distance required and – crucially – players were given no indication of when the drill would end.

The name of that exercise? ‘Mental toughness’. Dyche will try to instill those qualities into his players – and he will need them at least as much to make a success of this position.