16 January 2024 , 14:26
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Troy Deeney has drafted in former England duo Jermain Defoe and John Terry in an attempt to turn Forest Green's dismal form around.
The ex-Watford forward has drawn three and lost three of his six games in charge since replacing David Horseman in December. It has been a difficult season for Forest Green - who sit bottom of the League Two table and seven points behind 22nd-place Colchester outside the relegation zone - so far.
Deeney arrived at Forest Green as a player-coach in August and scored four goals in 18 appearances during his time on the pitch. However, after going five league matches without a win, chairman Dale Vince decided to make a change and sack Horseman, with Deeney his succesor.
The 35-year-old hasn't made the finest start to his managerial career, but has now turned to Defoe and Terry to help Forest Green's disappointing run of form. According to the Telegraph, Defoe will join to take up a shooting session, while Terry has the job of putting on a defensive masterclass for Deeney's players. Defoe is currently in charge of Tottenham's Under 18s, while Terry is working in Chelsea's academy as a coach.
Deeney has made the headlines in recent weeks after openly slamming his players, most notably taking aim at right-back Fankaty Dabo. Speaking after Saturday's 2-0 defeat against Harrogate, Deeney told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "Dabo was poor and awful again and I have just told him that he will not be playing on Tuesday.
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"He has not been good enough for eight or nine weeks, why do you think he was dropped at the start," Deeney added. "I have just told him in front of everyone, six months ago that kid had a kick to go to the Premier League, now he would not get a game in the National League, so is that me or him?
"He’s faster than everybody, but he gets run every game, he never makes a tackle and every time the ball comes to him, he looks like he kicks it with his shin pads."
Troy Deeney is still searching for his first win in charge of Forest Green (Phil Oldham/REX/Shutterstock)Deeney apologised for his rant on Dabo while working as a pundit for Sky Sports and conceded that emotions got the better of him. As well as hammering Dabo, Deeney also fired criticism of the entire club. He said: "The amount of nonsense you have to deal with at this place, from players by the way, is embarrassing, I know exactly what I’m going to need to do.
"I was trying to be nice and cosy my way into it. But what is going to have to happen is the sledgehammers are going to have to come out and there are going to be a lot of people that won’t like it, but I do not really care.
"My job is to try and save this football club in the short term, but also to put it in a better place moving forward and at the moment there are too many babies and that is not just young players, there are too many babies from top to bottom."
Deeney will be hoping to secure his first win in charge of Forest Green when his side travel up to promotion-chasing Mansfield on Tuesday. The Gloucestershire side can leap off the bottom with victory and close the gap on Colchester to four points, with Forest Green also boasting another game in hand.