THIS time, he is here to stay.
Having resumed his love affair with Nottingham Forest, Billy Davies is determined the relationship will last a little longer this time around.
The Scotsman has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract and, when asked the simple question of whether he expects to see out that deal, he pauses for thought only fleetingly.
"I said to Fawaz (Al Hasawi), why are Manchester United successful? Why are Arsenal and Everton, successful?" he said.
"The longer the relationship goes on, the more success you get.
"It can be good if you can get that working relationship, over a long period of time, as those clubs have found out.
"At this moment there are too many clubs making too many knee-jerk reactions.
"I don't know what has gone in the past, there have been changes here, but I do not know why.
"I left my job (at Forest) early previously. I know the situation, I know why. It happens.
"But the most successful clubs are the ones that bond a working relationship over a long period of time.
"If you can do that, then achievements can be reached."
For Davies, who had been courted by Blackpool last week, the chance to return to Forest, where he has repeatedly stated he has 'unfinished business', was too good to turn down.
And, indeed, his return has been welcomed with open arms by many supporters, who are glad to see the man who steered them to successive top-six finishes back at the helm.
But how excited is he about the prospect of being Forest manager again?
"Every fresh challenge is exciting, this is another one," he said. "It will be filled with highs and lows, it will be filled with positives and negatives.
"It will be filled with all those emotions that you get in football.
"I said that to the chairman. Football clubs are up and down. They take time to turn around.
"We have 15 games to go, we are in the month of February. Why did I sign a three-and-a-half-year contract? Because, as I explained to the chairman, I know it'll take time to turn things around.
"What is clear is that I do know that we have a vision and an ambition.
"It is important to try to finish this job off now. That is the important thing.
"We have hit the bar and hit the post and live in hope that we can now go that next step."
The only time, throughout the entire interview, that Davies refuses to comment is when the subject of his departure is raised.
He would, he insists, rather look to the future – and he is merely happy to have been given a second chance to complete the job he felt was left unfinished when he was axed by the club's previous regime.
"I had no time barrier, I was fortunate that I could wait," he said. "I was not waiting for a particular, special job to come up.
"I was not in a rush. I have been doing lots of things, lots of family stuff, getting them away, cycling, going to the gym and watching games and training sessions... and friends ask you to go and see their teams.
"I have been doing all sorts. I didn't do any coaching, I just caught up with the kids, it's nice to have time in your life.
"It's important you review and reflect and take your time about things.
"Now we're here, we want to look at the future and galvanise this group, to try to move the club forward. That's the most important thing, I'm a football manager, I know what the football world is about.
"On paper we have an excellent squad of players, we know ourselves we are underachieving.
"We are probably firing at 85 per cent and it's a big challenge.
"There are other things to look at such as the training ground and the day-to-day working of the players. Those assessments will continue and we will do what we can to make the club better.
"The only thing that is ever constant at a football club is the supporters.
"Managers and coaches come and go, players and even board members come and go. But the fans are the constant.
"For them I had a great relationship – they appreciated the job I did the last time – and it's nice to be back and finish unfinished business."
Davies has previously worked with Alex McLeish, the man he is replacing, in Scotland.
But he says he is not concerned about seeing him leave after only 41 days or by the fact that he is the fourth manager at the club since July.
"I don't know what the agreements were with other managers or the conversations they had," he said. "When you sit down with a football club you can only sit down and listen to what they have to say.
"I was very impressed with what Fawaz had to say and I was encouraged by the ambition he had, over where he wants to take the club.
"Over the coming weeks and months, I'm sure he will want to make different changes at board level at the club.
"I've told him, as far as I'm concerned, I'm very happy to be here, I like what they say and what they are trying to do and I'm very confident in what they are saying they will do, otherwise I wouldn't be here."
Indeed, Davies feels he is already building a positive relationship with Al Hasawi.
"There is no conflict, absolutely none. I'm very comfortable with his ambition, following the conversations we have had," he said. "There's 15 games to go, I think Fawaz is realistic. He knows he has bought a football club that clearly needs work, not only on the pitch, but through the whole organisation.
"He's looking at that, he's not a stupid man. He knows what he is doing.
"We are mid-table and we know the Championship: two or three wins can take you up, or two or three wins can take you down, that's the facts.
"But Fawaz has never once said to me 'you must get promotion this season'. He has said that he wants promotion, that he wants to take Forest into the Premier League.
"But he is also realistic to know things don't happen overnight. He was very quick to come and buy a football club and has signed 18 players – is that not an investment?
"That is a good investment. He has put his hands into his pockets, he has made a commitment, he has brought in 18 players.
"I was very impressed with what he said and how he's gone about things."
From the outside looking in, many might have had trepidations over the potential affinity between a man accused of attempting to have too much influence over the management of his club and another famed for determinedly ploughing his own furrow; for wanting to do things his own way.
But, if Davies is genuinely left to do what he does best – managing a football team – then he could yet prove to be right.
And, rather than ending in tears, it could prove to be a long lasting, fruitful partnership.
