Robbie Savage at Forest Green Rovers: A Celebrity Manager Finally Gone Right?

The Success Behind Forest Green Rovers This Season

For many years now, Forest Green have switched between a high-profile manager with a footballing background as player and a name much less known and more suited to the depths of the EFL.

Both Troy Deeney and Duncan Ferguson played a part in their back-to-back relegations from League One to the National League, and only lasted for a combined total of seven months at the helm.

As for Steve Cotterill, he got the club into the play-offs last season against Southend United, where they fell on penalties after the game ended 2-2.

So, the announcement of ex-Leicester, Derby and Birmingham midfielder, Robbie Savage, was met with lots of eyebrows given their recent history.

Yet, they currently sit top of the table in England's fifth tier and have four straight wins in the league, silencing any critics from the summer.

As such, it's time to explore why this is the year they have bucked their recent trend.

Savage's Management

Many were baffled at the Welshman's decision to depart Macclesfield, given he was on the board since their financial issues in 2020, and became their manager in June 2024.

At the end of his only season in charge, the club finally ended two years in the Northern Premier League, with a division record 109 points.

He ranks individual quality and expression over rigid coaching and tactics, something that allows player such as Kyle McAllister and Jayden Clarke to pull the strings moving forward.

Clearly it is paying dividends, as the duo have 16 goal contributions between them, just under half of the 35 total strikes the club have scored.

Also, Savage's connection with the fans has received many plaudits, as he uses his online presence to connect regularly with the Rovers faithful.

After 200 of them made the trip to Woking back in September, Savage wrote:

"The fans turned out in their numbers and they out sung the home fans. Some people say, ‘There’s only a few of them,’ but those few make more noise than any others in the league.

"They should be proud of their performance.”

This manager-supporter connection is hard to find in the lower leagues, as coverage is less and social media profiles aren't as prominent, so it helps to create a healthy balance off the pitch.

It is certainly a stark contrast to how Deeney used his platform, as he publicly hit out at his players, referring to them as “inmates running the jail” and that there were “too many babies top to bottom”.

Quality Players

The ownership of Dale Vince OBE hasn't always led to smart decision making, but this year the signings have been worth while.

Clarke, who I mentioned earlier as one of their best players, arrived from Gillingham in League Two, whilst their goalkeeper, Luke McNicholas, was at Wrexham in League One last year.

Strikers such as Kairo Mitchell and Temi Babalola joined after impressing in National League South, and both have adapted seamlessly into the division up.

Four signings were brought in from Macclesfield, meaning they didn't have to transition from old to new tactics as they were already used to Savage's ways.

All in all, this smart recruitment, at very little cost, has given them the edge in competing with their rivals for promotion.