‘I feel used’ – Troy Deeney hits out at being sacked by Forest Green

Troy Deeney hits out at being sacked by Forest Green, saying ‘I feel used’ as he speaks for the first time on the decision.

Deeney was sacked after just six games in charge of the League Two side, and embarrassing start to what was in his first managerial role.

He said sorry earlier this week for publicly calling out his own players following defeat by Harrogate, saying on Sky Sports that emotions got the better of him.

Rovers are seven points from safety at the bottom of the fourth tier, with the club once again on the search for a new manager/head coach.

I feel used by Forest Green… they sacked me before I even received my first payslip as a manager, says Troy Deeneyhttps://t.co/W5XSrgOnIWhttps://t.co/W5XSrgOnIW

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 20, 2024

The day after being sacked, Deeney said, as per The Sun: “They told me it was because of results but I have trouble believing that.

“I feel to a certain extent I have been used for my contacts and pulling power.

“We had brought in five players in this window, most of whom would not have dropped down to the bottom of League Two if it wasn’t for me — including Maxi Oyedele, on loan from Manchester United.

“Four weeks ago, I was the solution. Now I’m told I’m the problem.

“The club knew the type of character I was, someone that had been in the dressing room and knew changes needed to be made if the club was going to grow and gain improved results on the pitch.

“When you’re taking over a club in the middle of a season and it is rock bottom of the league you can’t take your time and go easy. Hard words needed to be spoken and I felt that we were about to turn a corner with results.

“Was I the problem? Or is it the club that is about to appoint its ninth manager in less than three years?

“I was expected to turn around the fortunes of a failing club in less than a month. I hadn’t even received my first payslip as a manager when they told me they were getting rid of me.”

The same day he was dismissed, he was given a four-match FA touchline ban for misconduct when he was sent from the dugout during their 2-1 defeat against Swindon last month.

Deeney continues: “The comments I made about the players in the media last weekend should never have left the dressing room and I apologised to them for that on Monday.

“That was a mistake which will not be repeated and a lesson learned for when I go back into management — and I do want to go back.

“The ironic thing is that I felt those comments had helped to raise standards and focus minds. The team had trained really well all week, people had stopped turning up late.

“People have tried to make out I had some personal issue with Reece Brown — it’s not true, I’ve known him since he was at Birmingham, he’s a good player.

“But the idea that a manager might want his men to turn up for work on time and give 100 per cent, is that really so outrageous?”

On the touchline ban, Deeney adds: “I don’t know if that contributed to the decision. I attended a disciplinary hearing where I was commended for my conduct and I plead guilty to those aspects that were true.

“I admitted I called the linesman a ‘weasel’ and maybe I used that word in a different context to how it was interpreted but I shouldn’t have said it.

“Still, I can’t believe this decision was made on results after only six games.”

It was when he had a meal with his backroom staff that Deeney had been called on Thursday evening and was told to head back to the stadium so that he can speak to director of football Allan Steele.

He said: “I wanted to get the staff together and it had been an enjoyable meal, everyone was in good spirits and then I got the call. I just felt embarrassed when I left the restaurant.

“I asked why they wanted me to come in and was told ‘we have decided to go in another direction’. Then I was told it was a decision based on results.”

Forest Green owner Dale Vince chose not to speak to Troy Deeney directly about his decision.

Deeney said: “The whole thing has been done without any class. I don’t feel bitter. I feel more hurt for my assistant David ‘Ned’ Kelly, who has also left the club, than I do for myself.

“I even feel an element of relief this morning. I wish them well. They have a squad of players which should not be anywhere near the bottom of League Two, especially with the new players I brought in.

“There is a losing mentality which Ned and I had been trying to reverse and I feel many of the things we put in place will benefit the team going forward.

“But whoever the next manager is, he had better get things right in three weeks or less.”

On what happens next, Deeney said: “I won’t deny that this hurts but I have never been one to shrink from a challenge.

“It has taught me to be more selective about jobs and roles I take but I’m highly motivated and will regroup and go again.

“One thing my career has taught me is that you grow way more from adversity and I’ll learn from this and get stronger and will be successful in my management career.

“One thing’s for sure, I never give up.”

Dale Vince told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: “Results haven’t been what we wanted – I know it’s only been six games but we didn’t manage a win.

“There was an outburst after the last game against the players, public criticism of the players, harsh words were said, I think that was a mistake. I think Troy understands that was a mistake. He has apologised for that.

“Then [Thursday] a four-game ban for abusive and violent language towards officials in the game against Swindon where he got sent off, which was another factor.

“We’re in a precarious position, not much time left to save our season, and yesterday it felt to me like the right thing to do was to move sooner rather than later.

“It hadn’t been working and it probably was not going to work and it was better not to wait another half a dozen games before making that decision.

“Poor judgement has been shown and arguably Troy let himself down – the incident that led to the ban and the public criticism of the player. I feel he let the club down as well. He probably wouldn’t disagree, I don’t know,” Vince said.

“I think he’s a good guy, I think he’s a good coach, it hasn’t worked for him. I think it came too soon.

“The plan was for him to be our head coach but not now maybe in a couple of years’ time. Dave Horseman left before anyone expected.

“We’re looking for somebody who’s experienced in the league. That will mean they’ve got experience of man-management, which I think is a vital part of the game and game-management as well,” Vince said.

“Instead of somebody who we think could be a prospect, is about to start a coaching career. If you go all the way back to Rob Edwards, he didn’t have experience actually in the league, he came from England Under-21s and that worked out – worked out for him as well, he’s now in the Premier League.

“We tried that with a few coaches since then and it hasn’t worked out but we’ll go back to looking for experience right now.”

Hear the full interview I did with @PFurls for @BBCGlos’ Sports Round Up – lots packed into this one. pic.twitter.com/OHV0HB78fa

— Dale Vince (@DaleVince) January 19, 2024

Dale Vince told talkSPORT: “I read some of what Troy said after that game, I didn’t hear it.

“I thought it was wrong, very wrong. He did later apologise on Sky so I think he knows it was wrong.

“It was definitely a factor, that and our results. Not our performances so much because our performances apart from that game had been good.

“I hadn’t had the chance to speak to him because I’d been busy this week and he also had a disciplinary this week with the FA. They banned him for four games for abusive and violent language towards officials.

“That was a new factor that that kind of thing [abusing officials] had happened. So really it was a bundle of things.

“We haven’t got a lot of time left to save our season and yesterday I felt it was better to make the decision sooner rather than later because I didn’t think it was going to work given those things.

“It was a less than ideal start from him in the world of being a head coach and for us as a club. I think it’s something we can all put down to experience and there’s plenty to learn from it.

“I hope that Troy learns from what’s happened in the last week or so because I think he could go on and be a great coach, I hope so.”

This is how fans reacted as Troy Deeney hits out at being sacked by Forest Green…

@JJames_2020: He’ll be back as a pundit in a few weeks telling managers what they are doing wrong.

@Owenfgrfan: Seriously needs a good look at yourselves if you think vince is a good owner. I knew something was off, very wrong of vince to do that but aye still deeneys fault???

@CllrDanielFry: Fair play Dale for admitting you’ve failed on your recruitment for FGR since your league 2 win. I hope you don’t run your energy company the way your run your football club. I hear you have too many chiefs within the club and not enough Indians to speak. Maybe show some leadership and take the bull by it’s horns and stear your club you love and the supporters you appreciate to league safety and learn from your catastrophic mistakes YOU’VE made.

@disco_shippers: Just fold the club now, they’re a waste of a space in the football league. Give it to a real club like Chesterfield.

@Doveymuir91: Dale Vince doesn’t know how to run a football club.

@StevenWilc34988: Recruitment is not your strong point, Dale, speaking as a @FGRFC_Official supporter. Since Edwards left. It took months for you to dismiss Birchnall, you brought Big Dunc in after the window shut and on the verge of going down, got rid of him, and used Hannah Bingley as a PR stunt. Brought Horseman, and Deeny respectfully, they nice guys but not experienced enough to take on an English football club. Time to bring in a director of football with the skill sets to bring in an experienced manager to try to keep us in the football league and beyond.