Forest sack Postecoglou after 39 days in charge

Ange Postecoglou failed to win any of his eight matches in charge of Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou was sacked just 17 minutes after the side's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday.

The Australian's dismissal - 39 days after his appointment on 9 September - means Postecoglou's stint at Forest is the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history.

The former Tottenham boss failed to win any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six defeats across all competitions.

Forest collected just one point from Postecoglou's five Premier League matches in charge, leaving the side one point above the relegation zone in 17th on his departure and in the bottom three following the day's later games.

"Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect," a Forest statement read.

"The club will make no further comment at this time."

It is understood Forest would like to make a quick appointment, having already considered Sean Dyche while there is also long-term interest in Fulham's Marco Silva, the Portuguese having worked under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Olympiacos, who he also owns.

Postecoglou's staff, including Nick Montgomery, Mile Jedinak and Sergio Raimundo are also expected to leave.

Marinakis was at the City Ground to witness the defeat by Chelsea but was pictured leaving his seat around the 67th minute.

He did not deliver the news to Postecoglou, with a senior club official instead telling the 60-year-old - although that is not unusual.

Postecoglou then said goodbye to his players, leaving them with an apology it did not work and he was not able to deliver what he was brought in to do.

Many fans headed for the exit when Reece James put Chelsea 3-0 up six minutes from time, and there were jeers from the home fans at the full-time whistle.

Postecoglou's 39 days in charge means he has broken Les Reed's record for the shortest reign - in terms of days in charge - of any permanent managerial appointment in Premier League history.

Reed spent 40 days in charge of Charlton Athletic in 2006 and was sacked having one just one of his eight matches in charge in all competitions.

Sam Allardyce, who managed 30 days in charge of Leeds United, was an interim appointment at Elland Road.

Former Crystal Palace boss Frank De Boer still holds the record for the fewest matches managed by a permanent appointment in the Premier League, having overseen four games in charge at Selhurst Park.

Postecoglou managed Forest five times in the Premier League.

The Australian was informed of his sacking after speaking to his players in the dressing room following the defeat against Enzo Maresca's side.

"Ange came in after the game, debriefed the game and then I went out to do some running, I came back and news had broke that he had gone," Forest defender Ryan Yates told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Everybody has to take responsibility. I think it would be unfair to pin it on anybody. We have to look ourselves in the mirror and dust ourselves down and go again because things in football can change really quickly."

'Never seen anything like it' - analysis

BBC Radio 5 Live reporter Lee Blakeman was waiting in the tunnel at the Forest Ground for post-match interviews when the news emerged that Postecoglou had been sacked.

"I've never seen anything like it in my 15 years of covering football for the BBC," said Blakeman.

"I came down from the stands, made my way to the tunnel and as I arrived another broadcaster just mouthed to me 'he's been sacked'.

"A statement dropped at the same time on the club's social media channels.

"Down here it was just frantic activity. Ange Postecoglou was seen leaving the dressing room. The media team were on their phones.

"The players were led out of the dressing room to attend a meeting with representatives of the club's board.

"Media people were asking were we going to get anyone to speak to. There was just glum expressions of anybody wearing a Nottingham Forest badge."

'Marinakis must take responsibility'

Former England captain Alan Shearer believes Marinakis must take a share of the blame for Postecoglou's sacking.

"Ultimately the results haven't been good enough and that is on Ange. But the owner has to take some responsibility too. He chose Ange, it was his appointment," Shearer told BBC Sport.

"How can you go from a manager in Nuno with one style of play to someone like Ange who everyone knows wants his teams to play in a completely different way?"

Nuno guided Forest to seventh in the Premier League last season, having spent much of the campaign battling for a Champions League spot.

Forest had the joint-fourth best defence in the division, conceding 46 times in 38 matches.

Postecoglou's Tottenham, by contrast, scored 64 to Forest's 58, but conceded 65 times to finish with a -1 goal difference.

"It was inevitable but I don't think it's right," former Manchester City defender Micah Richards told BBC Sport.

"He was only given eight games and a contrast of styles was always going to be a factor.

"Forest went from one of the best counter-attacking managers to one who wanted to be more expansive - it was never going to work straight away.

"Postecoglou is a good manager but it's possible his media outbursts haven't helped. It looked like he could have been the right fit but more time was needed.

"The interesting thing now is - will the next manager be short term or long term? What are Forest trying to be - was last season a one-off?

"I know Tottenham finished fifth in Ange's first season but if you're going off Ange's record last season, he should never have been appointed by Forest."

Who next for Forest?

Postecoglou's departure means Forest are searching for their third manager already this season, having sacked Nuno Espirito Santo just three matches into the campaign.

On Forest's radar is Fulham head coach Marco Silva, with sources indicating the Portuguese is the preferred option of several internal figures at the City Ground.

Silva has cemented Fulham's position in the Premier League by adopting the sort of football Forest believe can help stabilise them following their poor start to the season.

But Silva is under contract at Craven Cottage, with sources informing BBC Sport the 48-year-old has a "significant" release clause in his contract.

Having just paid off Nuno and with Postecoglou due compensation, there would be an obvious reluctance to fork out a further large sum to appoint Silva, particularly given he will be available for free when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Given the difficulties attached to attracting Silva, it is understood Forest have studied the merits and, more pertinently, potential costs of alternatives.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the prospect of reappointing Steve Cooper, who led Forest back to the top flight in 2022 before being sacked and replaced by Nuno in December 2023, has been considered.

But Cooper was recently appointed head coach of Danish club Brondby.

Another option explored, as reported by BBC Sport last week, is the appointment of Sean Dyche.

The attraction of the former Burnley and Everton head coach is clear - he has a proven track record in keeping teams in the Premier League, and his tactical approach is akin to the style Forest are targeting.

Dyche, who left Everton in January, also lives close to Nottingham and is available without the need to pay a release clause.

Postecoglou's torrid reign

When Postecoglou arrived at the City Ground, Forest were 10th in the Premier League and on the cusp of playing in Europe for the first time in three decades.

Marinakis said Posetcoglou's experience at the "highest level" along with "his desire to build something special" made him a perfect fit for the club.

But it was far from a perfect start for Postecoglou, as Forest were beaten 3-0 away at Arsenal in his opening match.

A poor start was cemented when Forest were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Swansea City, when they threw away a 2-0 lead in Wales.

Draws with Burnley in the Premier League and Real Betis in the Europa League did little to quieten a growing discontent.

The bubbling anger spilled over after a 3-2 defeat at home to Midtjylland in the Europa League, when a section of Forest supporters chanted "you're getting sacked in the morning" towards the former Celtic boss.

Postecoglou was defiant after a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle before the international break, saying: "I love a fight" in the face of questions about his job.

But a 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at home proved a defeat too far for Postecoglou, who has now been sacked twice in the last five months by Premier League clubs.