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Former Manchester United and Wales international midfielder Robbie Savage is in charge at Forest Green Rovers these days
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The retired footballer-turned-radio pundit has tried his hand at management in recent years, initially taking the reins at phoenix club Macclesfield FC. Savage won 42 of his 51 games in charge of the Silkmen, earning promotion to the National League North and a move of his own to join recently-relegated National League club Forest Green. Since arriving at The New Lawn in July, Savage has won eight of his 11 games at the helm, including Rovers' National League Cup match against Wolverhampton Wanderers' Under-21 side on Tuesday night.
Savage's side are unbeaten in all competitions this term and are currently second in the National League table. Keen to maintain the club's strong start to the season, Savage exploited a loophole in the rules of new National League Cup competition in midweek. ⏱️ 1' | Early switches for Rovers➡️ Bamba, Balagizi, Merrett, Bonnick⬅️ Knowles, Mc Allister, Kengni, Kanu? 0-0 ? | #FGRWOLSeptember 16, 2025 The competition, which pits senior National League clubs against Category One academy sides of Premier League teams, requires the non-league outfits to field at least four players who also started their last league match. In order to circumvent the competition's rules and effectively name a completely-changed, second string XI, Savage made four substitutions during the opening minute of Forest Green's 3-2 win over Wolves U21s. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Abraham Kanu, Tom Knowles, Neil Kengni Kuemo and Kyle Mc Allister were all replaced by Akai Bonnick, William Merrett, James Balagizi and Yahya Bamba without so much as a kick of the ball in a pre-planned quadruple substitution by the ex-Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Manchester United man. It is not known whether Savage will face repercussions from the Football Association for fielding a weakened team, due to technically abiding by the competition rules with his initial lineup selection. Joe joined Four Four Two as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
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