David Horseman: New Forest Green Rovers boss wants club to start competitively
- Published
David Horseman (left) was one of 100 applicants for the head coach role at Forest Green
Forest Green Rovers' new head coach David Horseman said he wants to make the club competitive for the first game of the season.
The 39-year-old former Southampton B team boss was appointed on 17 July following the departure of Duncan Ferguson at the start of the month.
He has overseen one pre-season game so far as the club prepares for life in League Two again following relegation.
Horseman is in his first permanent first-team managerial role.
"We don't expect to be absolutely full steam ahead on day one but we'd like to be as close as we can," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
"The exciting bit for us is as the season goes on we will get better. We'd like more time and there's a lot to do but we'll try our best to make sure we're competitive for that first game."
Horseman spent more than 10 years with Bristol City in two spells, in various roles including leading their academy.
He joined Southampton in 2019 and guided their reserve side to the Premier League 2 Division 2 title last season.
Horseman has brought Louis Carey with him from Saints as his assistant, the former defender who still holds the record for the most appearances as a player for Bristol City.
"The club stands for more than just football and mine and Louis' [Carey] philosophy has always been it's got to be more than football, so even when we were working at Southampton's youth team it was about developing people and football players," he said.
"Here we can give really good messages about the environment and sustainability but also bring joy to supporters through the style of football.
"When the opportunity came up it just seemed like a no-brainer for the two of us to apply and hopefully get the job."
Horseman is Forest Green's fourth head coach in the past 14 months
Forest Green have signed six players since their relegation from League One, but Horseman said the plan is to add more before the new season gets under way on 5 August.
"We've been left a good squad, a small squad but a good squad," he said.
"We're going to need to help, add, find a couple of different profiles for the way we want to play.
"The recruitment team are on it, we're going to have a meeting and look at some targets and try and get a couple over the line just to help the group, and give us that little something different that hopefully can win us some games over the course of the season."
'Insulting to women in football'
Horseman took over from Forest Green academy head Hannah Dingley, who was placed in interim charge after Ferguson left.
Owner and chairman Dale Vince confirmed Dingley was on the final shortlist of six people for the permanent job, adding that criticism that the club appointed her as a "stunt" did Dingley a disservice.
"There was criticism when we appointed her interim. People said it was a stunt but I said that's insulting to Hannah, to the club and to women in football, people shouldn't say that," Vince said.
"She was the most qualified coach at the club and therefore it was the logical decision.
"She did enter the process along with 100 other people, made the shortlist, but didn't get the top job. How many other interim coaches don't get the top job, I think it's fairly common."
Horseman is Forest Green's fourth head coach in 14 months, following Rob Edwards - who guided the club to the League Two title and promotion in 2021-22 - Ian Burchnall, who proceeded him for 28 games of last season, and Ferguson.
Vince said errors had been made in previous appointments, including decisions being rushed.
"I'm very positive about this for the whole club. I don't think we could have had a better reaction to relegation than the transformation behind the scenes that we've made, that we'll see on the pitch during the course of the season."