Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

Across his last three jobs, Ange Postecoglou's sides have played in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1 shape that aimed to dominate the ball, playing quickly with it, and pressing incredibly aggressively without it. The high intensity of his style in all phases has become a hallmark of his system, with both positives and negatives.

Reading that, it is clear Nuno’s counter-attacking style differs largely from Ange’s approach, so what does this mean for Forest?

Forest's transfer business this summer appears to have been done with an eye on becoming a more technical, ball-dominant side. Interestingly, James McAtee, Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all players who have all developed at Manchester City, highlighting the change in intent.

Big money signing Omari Hutchinson and fellow Chelsea graduate Calum Hudson-Odoi too might enjoy playing in a way that ensures they keep the ball more, with license to create.

Questions arise when looking at the out of possession differences between both managers however. Nuno has often held the lowest defensive line in the league across his various clubs, with Ange playing the highest defensive line at Spurs.

Ange has been reluctant to alter his system but there was a level of pragmatism seen in Spurs’ Europa League win. Spurs were happier to defend their own box for large periods of time leading to success against Frankfurt and Manchester United.

Without a preseason, and coming into a club that has been built on a counter attacking, five-at-the-back style, adopting an approach more in line with his Spurs' knockout games might be a sensible thing to do early in his tenure.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

As Ben described earlier, there has been a bit of a backlash on these pages following the news that former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is being considered as a replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo as Nottingham Forest boss.

Many naysayers have highlighted the upheaval a complete change in playing styles could cause.

But what would those changes look like?

Events at the City Ground have moved at a fair old pace today, so let's have a quick recap.

Here are the top lines:

• Forest release statement shortly after midnight to announce sacking of manager Nuno Espirito Santo
• Ange Postecoglou set to be appointed as Nuno's successor

• Watch analysis as Postecoglou closes in on Forest job
• Premier League records: Postecoglou v Nuno
• Postecoglou in profile
• The Australian has been pictured arriving at Forest's training ground
• Your reaction to the news so far

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou may have frustrated supporters with his dogmatic commitment to attacking principles, especially during his two seasons as Tottenham manager.

But pundits Gareth Bale and Robbie Savage both held up his decision to adopt a more defensive style of play in Spurs' Europa League final victory over Manchester United as proof that he is willing to adapt.

"This showed there is a plan B," former Tottenham forward Bale said on TNT Sports.

"I guess as a manager if Ange Postecoglou also matures, and brings that type of defensive side to his teams, of course he can still have great success."

While ex-Leicester midfielder Savage added on BBC Radio 5 Live: "He's adapted, big Ange. He hasn't gone a full press, he hasn't gone with a high line. He sat deep and won the game because he adapted."

There has been a lot of focus on Ange Postecoglou's attacking principles and how that could work with a team built on defensively solidity and rapid counter attacks.

However, Tottenham's Europa League final win over Manchester United in May showed he can adapt his approach.

They had just 27.7% of the ball - the lowest amount of possession Spurs had in games they won under Postecoglou.

In the second half they had just one touch inside the opposition box, did not have a shot on or off target, and just 19.8% possession.

And in uncharacteristic fashion Postecoglou sacrificed an attacking player for a defensive one when Brennan Johnson was replaced by centre-back Kevin Danso.

Overall Spurs had three shots, just 27.7% possession and completed 115 passes, all the lowest figures Opta has on record by any team in a major European final (since 2009-10).

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Fair point, Adam.

We'll try and work a thumb poll around this one for you...

Nottingham Forest fans, would you be OK with the appointment of Ange Postecoglou if it was not at the expense of Nuno Espirito Santo?

Thumbs up if yes or thumbs down if you wouldn't want Ange Postecoglou under any circumstances.

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou's second and final season for Spurs flatlined until their Europa League triumph, let's have a look at his numbers from the 2024-25 season across all competitions:

• Matches: 60
• Wins: 26
• Draws: 8
• Losses: 26

Image source, Getty Images

It may have started brightly in the opening months of his debut season, but Postecoglou left Spurs with a 47% win percentage.

That is lower than Antonio Conte (54%), Jose Mourinho (52%) and Mauricio Pochettino (55%) but, ironically, is the same as Nuno Espirito Santo.

Even though Europa League glory was achieved in May, it is Spurs' domestic record in 2024-25 which cost Postecoglou his job.

Only the three relegated clubs - Southampton (30), Leicester (25) and Ipswich (24) - lost more league games than Spurs in 2024-25. In fact, their 22 losses is the most ever by a team that has avoided relegation in a 38-game Premier League campaign.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Some serious thumbs downing going on on this page today.

I'm starting to think it was something I said...

In all seriousness though, every post with regard to Ange Postecoglou seems to be getting heavily disliked.

Contrast that to the live page we did when he was sacked from Tottenham and there was a lot of sympathy for him and many Spurs fans were very angry at the decision to sack the Australian.

Funny old game is football.

Olly Foster is joined by BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan, Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos and Nottingham Forest fan Saveena Johal to analyse Nuno Espirito Santo's departure and imminent arrival of Ange Postecoglou.

In case you're just joining us, we're bringing you all the latest as former Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is set to take the reins at Nottingham Forest.

Forest parted ways with Nuno Espirito Santo in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Here are the top lines:

• Postecoglou in line to take Forest job
• "I'm a big fan of Postecoglou" - Robert Earnshaw
• Premier League records: Postecoglou v Nuno
• Postecoglou in profile
• The Australian has been pictured arriving at Forest's training ground
• Your reaction to the news so far

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Nuno Espirito Santo is the newest member of a very exclusive and undesirable club.

The Portuguese is just the sixth permanent manager to leave their post three games into a Premier League season.

Kenny Dalglish and Paul Sturrock were each replaced after only two matches and no manager has lost their job earlier in a Premier League season than Sturrock, who lasted nine days of the 2004-05 campaign at Southampton.

Tottenham manager Christian Gross was fired after three games in 1998 with the club’s then chairman Lord Alan Sugar blaming the media for destroying his reputation.

It is also worth noting that Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan both resigned, meaning that just four permanent managers have been sacked this early into a Premier League campaign.

Sean Byrne
Journalism Researcher

Image source, Getty Images

Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham last month about reports of him being sacked, and admitted he was surprised to see the stories.

He said: "I woke up at nine o'clock and I was surprised also.

"I didn't [hear] anything except from the press. Nothing has been said to me."

He also had this to say on what his emotions would be like on the day he did leave the club: "One of the things that, no matter where I went and I was working is - if something happens, and the day that I leave I look back and, are the players better now than when I arrived? I think honestly, this is the case."

I don't think many fans would disagree that the club are in a far greater position then when Nuno took charge in December 2023...

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Umir, in his comments, does hint at the possibility that Nottingham Forest could have been changing the structure of the squad throughout the summer with a view to refreshing their playing style - with or without the manager's consent

Maybe that shift from Nuno Espirito Santo's tactics to something different was already under way behind the scenes?

Needless to say, something changed in the Portuguese manager's outlook.

He was not a happy man towards the end, but did he see this move coming?