Nottinghamshire

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Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach.

The former Tottenham boss joins just hours after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked.

Postecoglou won the Europa League in May, but was dismissed by Spurs just 16 days later after a poor Premier League campaign.

The Australian had previously been in charge at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic where he won a domestic treble and claimed five of the six trophies available to them during his two campaigns at the club.

How do you feel about Postecoglou's appointment?

What will his priorities be so he can hit the ground running at Forest?

Get in touch with your views here

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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We've been here before. Despite recent stability, Nottingham Forest have a habit of sacking managers.

But rarely have they stung as much as Steve Cooper and now Nuno Espirito Santo. While Cooper achieved the impossible promotion, Nuno took us to the brink of the Champions League and our first European campaign in 30 years.

He transformed a relegation-threatened side into top-five contenders and brought the absolute best out of players like Chris Wood, Elliot Anderson, Neco Williams and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

For all the rumours, briefings and speculation, for whatever reason, Nuno fell out with the global head of football Edu, who only arrived in July.

This wasn't whether he wanted a bigger or smaller squad, whether he wanted or didn't want certain players, or whether he was too stubborn to play them. It was a juvenile spat that blew up the club's best season in 30 years, and it all happened in the space of a month or so.

Evidently, it was untenable. But it is ridiculous that it came to this, on the eve of our Europa League adventure.

After a great result against Brentford and a solid point away at Crystal Palace, the West Ham collapse is really the only negative on the pitch.

Ange Postecoglou is expected to replace Nuno, which, perhaps, is no surprise given the rumours over the past few weeks.

However, the Australian doesn't seem to be the most popular name among the fanbase. Forget the Europa League final win over a Manchester United side in turmoil, he nearly relegated the ninth-richest club in the world.

Ange's gung-ho tactics and high line will either succeed spectacularly or fail miserably.

We should be looking to progressive managers who will continue the tradition established by Nuno and Cooper - names such as Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola are much more in that vein.

The squad is the best in a lifetime.

Can the new manager pick things up where Nuno left off and take us to the next level? Or will we be left dreaming of what was and what might have been?

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

• Is Postecoglou the right man for Forest? Take part in our pole here

Watch a special BBC Sport show reacting to the sacking of Nuno and assessing the appointment of Postecoglou below...

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Nottingham Forest's players have been caught by surprise by Nuno Espirito Santo's departure.

Many of them are on international duty and not due back for training until later this week, before Saturday's trip to Arsenal.

But word spread with some players hearing the news from other members of the squad.

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Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to replace Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest, following the latter's sacking, and we asked you who you want to see appointed to lead the Reds into their first European campaign since 1996.

Would this be a good appointment or would another name be better suited to the job?

Here are some of your replies, and it's fair to say you are not hugely in favour of the Australian's expected arrival:

Jack: Evangelos Marinakis needs to make up for this situation he helped create by getting a suitable replacement quickly. I'm not a fan of Postecoglou, who made a living last season from complaining. He won't last the season. The best option would be to take an overachieving unhappy manager from a smaller club like Crystal Palace or Fulham, whatever the cost.

Fosi: Postecoglou is a joke. He has no idea about defending or systems. I hope the owner is ready for relegation. Edu is the problem, along with this stupid decision!

Luke: I'm not sure about Postecoglou, although he has just won the Europa League. One thing's for sure - he won't get much time if results don't come quickly.

David: Whatever transpires in the coming days, Forest fans must stay behind the team and give whoever takes over as head coach a warm welcome - and give him a chance. The upcoming games against Arsenal and Swansea will be challenging enough.

Stephen: If we are to get another ex-Spurs manager, please let it be Mauricio Pochettino. It's such a shame though as Nuno did so much for us last season, for which the fans will always be grateful, so it does leave a sense of "what if...".

Paul: I hope it's not Ange. That would be a backward step. Marco Silva would be great.

Alan: I would like Silva from Fulham. Him and Marinakis have history of working together and I like his passion. Whoever it is, I know the fans who attend games will be behind them.

Peter: Jose Mourinho would be the obvious replacement, speaking Portuguese and English. Perhaps a Nigel Clough-type character in Marinakis' eyes?

Jonn: There aren't a lot of high-quality managers available right now. If there are, they will have seen this whole farce regarding Nuno, Marinakis and Edu. This could well be where our good fortune dries up and the decline begins.

Matt: Would be very surprised if Ange wants to come given this behaviour from Maranakis. Also, isn't he the next cab off the rank for the Manchester United job when they get frustrated with Ruben Amorim by Christmas?

Nottingham Forest fans will be "split" in their feelings over Nuno Espirito Santo's sacking, but Ange Postecoglou could "fit quite well" at the club, says former Reds forward Robert Earnshaw.

Forest have already made moves to appoint Nuno's successor, with ex-Tottenham boss Postecoglou in line to become the club's next manager.

"It's going to be a real critical move now for Nottingham forest. Going into Europe, Nuno wont be managing the club and Mr Maranakis wants to go in a different direction," Earnshaw told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"I'm actually a big fan of Postecoglou. What you could have is someone who fits quite well with Nottingham Forest.

"And everyone's going to look at the Tottenham thing, but you don't look at that - what you look at is when a manager loses a job, they learn from it for the next one: 'What could have I done better? How can I improve?'"

Despite his achievements in 21 months, Nuno's relationship breakdown with owner Evangelos Marinakis and global head of football Edu look to have cost him his job.

"I'm very surprised, very shocked," added Earnshaw.

"At a time where Nottingham Forest are going into Europe, really making a name for the club again, in a great position - that's why I'm shocked.

"All the Forest fans will be very split. Of course they will be shocked and sad and really thinking: 'Wow, I can't believe this happened.'

"But I think everybody understands that Mr Maranakis has also done a great job. He's put in the money, brought in lots of signings almost every transfer window, continues to push the club further and further.

"He continues to really push the club forward so it's going to be a very split feeling with Nottingham Forest right now."

Listen back on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Nottingham Forest sacking Nuno Espirito Santo after 21 months in charge. Was it the right time to make a change or does the decision seem a little rash?

Here are some of your thoughts:

Tom: I'm absolutely gutted. He has taken us from the brink of the drop to the best league position I've ever seen my club in - and this is the thanks we give him. It seems like a very rash decision to me, considering we have Arsenal at the weekend and the first run of European games in the next few weeks. I really hope Evangelos Marinakis has someone lined up already. If he's not already organised something, then this is definitely a rash decision.

Clive: A daft decision, but unsurprising given the recent noise. Typical Forest, messing things up when they are looking good.

Sean: After achieving our first European competition in 30 years, Nuno and his team deserved a crack at it, but clearly the breakdown in relationship with Mr Marinakis cannot be resolved. Nuno and his team deserve a lot of gratitude and praise for their achievements with us. I'm not particularly happy with the timing of this news either, mainly because it was a chance for him to work with the squad minus the internationals. This decision should have been reached at the start of the international break to give the new manager a chance to work with and get to know the squad. What started as a promising season is looking like it is going to be an absolute mess now.

Adie: Nuno brought all of this on himself. You don't cross Mr Marinakis and get away with it. I'm excited to see who's next for the European Reds!

Louise: Absolutely shocked to wake up to this! I can't see this season going well now. Bringing in a new manager will shake up the team and I don't think it will be for the best. I get he was frustrated - as a manager he should have had input on the new players, which it sounds as though he didn't have. We now have someone coming in who hasn't had any input on of any of these players and I can't see that being a good thing this season, unfortunately.

Mike: A ridiculous decision, but unfortunately it was the only outcome I could see. There's only one winner in an argument with an owner, especially one like ours.

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Nuno Espirito Santo's departure from Nottingham Forest is "no surprise" and it was just "a matter of when", says former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin.

Reports of the 51-year-old's sacking surfaced late on Monday night before confirmation from the club came shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

The decision comes less than two years after Nuno's appointment and despite him leading Forest from a relegation battle to European football, but a recent breakdown in relationship with the ownership looks to have cut his time short.

"It is no surprise whatsoever, and I don't mean just coming back to the words that Nuno said at the start of the season where he thought his job was in danger. It goes back further than that," Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"It goes back all the way to [Evangelos] Marinakis coming on to the field at the end of the game. At that point in time, there is going to be a breakdown - it's just a matter of when.

"You heard the comments earlier on in the season from Nuno that obviously he wasn't getting the control, particularly the transfer phase that he wanted. He's never going to ask to leave himself or walk out himself because that's a huge amount of money.

"I was waiting just for the first bad result and then expecting it to come. So no shock, no surprise."

Listen back on BBC sounds

David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham reporter

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While the news of Nuno Espirito Santo's sacking by Nottingham Forest isn't a huge surprise given the Portuguese's comments about his relationship with the owner, it still comes as a shock and a reminder of how quickly things can change in football.

Until that first pre-match news conference of the season, supporters were enthusiastic about the forthcoming campaign and the prospect of European football for the first time in three decades.

Yes, there were a few worries about the size of the squad, but there was confidence from most people that that would be sorted before the end of the transfer window.

That confidence was justified when Forest unveiled Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee on the pitch before a sizzling performance against Brentford.

So, all sorted then? Well, apparently not and Nuno's relationship with sporting director Edu and owner Evangelos Marinakis clearly still needed work.

With talks between them imminent but the problem seemingly not easily fixed, the international fortnight was always going to be make or break for Nuno, especially after the bewildering nature of the defeat by West Ham.

Now they have four away games in the space of 12 days, starting with a match at Arsenal - where Forest have not won since 1989 - and ending in Seville with a Europa League game against Real Betis.

Whoever comes in will inherit a strong squad and a noisy, expectant fanbase, but also very little time to settle in and get their ideas across.

Watch Nuno discussing his future when answering BBC East Midlands Today questions in his final news conference as Forest boss below...

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Nottingham Forest are on the hunt for their next manager, following the decision to sack Nuno Espirito Santo after 21 months in charge.

After taking charge in December 2023, the Portuguese head coach helped the Reds maintain their top-flight status, guided them to their highest finish since 1994-95, and brought European football to the City Ground for the first time in three decades.

The 51-year-old's position had been uncertain for two weeks, though, after he admitted his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

The appointment of Nuno's replacement is imminent, with former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou one of the names in the frame.

What do you make of the decision to sack Nuno? Was it the right time to make a change or do things seem a little rash?

Who would you like to see take charge next?

Let us know your thoughts here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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In just under two years, Nuno Espirito Santo guided Nottingham Forest from a relegation battle back into Europe for the first time in 30 years.

He leaves beloved by Forest fans but after a clear breakdown in relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

He created a siege mentality which served Forest well and, despite both being big characters, it appeared a perfect match between him and Marinakis.

Last season's shock European challenge ended in missing out on Champions League football on the final day, a finish which may now have been crucial to Nuno's future.

Forest still finished seventh and reached the Europa League - being promoted to the competition after Crystal Palace's demotion - but for Nuno, the club did not prepare quickly enough this summer.

Successive swipes in news conferences about the club's slow movement in the summer transfer market included the revelation that his relationship with Marinakis had changed.

It was a shock, given how guarded the Portuguese manager usually is.

Forest spent more than £180m this summer, but Nuno was unhappy with being unable to integrate his new players swiftly enough.

Suggestions of a rift with Edu, Nottingham Forest's global sporting director, lingered and the 3-0 defeat by West Ham last week was the worst performance of his reign, coming before talks with Marinakis about the club's future direction following his comments.

Nuno said, although not entirely convincingly, that he expected to be in charge for Saturday's trip to Arsenal - but Forest's future is now without him.

A search for his replacement is not expected to be a lengthy one, with former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou previously linked.

• Not a Nottingham Forest fan? Find your Premier League club here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Despite Nottingham Forest's success on the pitch during Nuno Espirito Santo's time as manager, his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis became increasingly strained.

In August, Nuno revealed he feared for his job.

Internal tensions at the club were believed to be centred around disagreements over their transfer business. Nuno had previously criticised the club's activity in the summer transfer window, saying they had wasted a good chance.

Edu was appointed as Forest's global head of football earlier in the summer and has taken firm control over the club's recruitment operation.

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner - last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well," Nuno said in a news conference (watch that clip below).

"Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together, but this is not the reality."

In total, Nottingham Forest made 13 summer signings for about £196m, based on reported initial fees.

As for their outgoings, Anthony Elanga, Danilo and Wayne Hennessey were among the players whose Forest careers ended this window.

In May, Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Leicester City at the City Ground.

Forest later said the incident was because of the owner's frustration that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play following an 88th-minute injury, which subsequently required what was described as "urgent" surgery.

The club said there was "no confrontation" and it was "fake news" to suggest otherwise.

However, those missed points against an already-relegated side were part of a run that saw Forest - who had been in contention for Champions League qualification - only pick up eight points from their last eight matches of the 2024-25 campaign.

They qualified for the Conference League but were moved into the Europa League for 2025-26 at Crystal Palace's expense, after the Eagles were deemed to be in breach of multi-club ownership rules.

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