Nottingham Forest

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  1. 'A lack of ambition' or 'exactly what Forest need'?published at 11:32 BST 21 October

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    Sean DycheImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your views on Nottingham Forest announcing Sean Dyche as the club's new head coach.

    Some of you are thrilled:

    Martin: Spot on - should have hired him straight after Nuno. Will get us organised and bring out the best in the star players - and the new players, who must be wondering what they signed up to!!

    Patrick: Dyche is a solid appointment given where we are and the other options out there were not great. We have played the 'sexy football' card already with Ange and it turned us into a complete mess. You cannot keep gambling, Forest need to stay in the Premier League.

    Amol: Sean Dyche will offer stability that Nottingham Forest need. But, their fans might miss out on the success and the style of football they enjoyed under Nuno.

    Chris: Whilst it's not a great appointment. I think it's exactly what Forest need right now to sort the team out and give them the confidence back.

    Others are no so happy:

    Ben: Will Dyche be the manager to propel Forest on to more than we achieved last year? No. Is he going to steady the ship enough and manage the relationship with the fans better so that we don't have an absolute calamity of a season? I really hope so.

    Bill: Sean Dyche is an adequate Premier League manager but his appointment shows a lack of ambition at Forest who are likely to remain a bottom half of the table team under him.

    Rob: They must be desperate. Dyche is the most boring manager ever. Nobody else would work for Marinakis.

    David: What a joke football is now, especially the Premier league. Managers circulate from club to club. We will never have a Robson or Ferguson again because they never get a chance to bed in and make their mark. The fear of a lack of success is so great.

  2. Forest are 'the most owner-defined club since Abramovich's Chelsea'published at 11:32 BST 21 October

    Media caption,

    Nottingham Forest are "the most owner-defined club since Abramovich's Chelsea," said Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

    "Loyalty of the fans almost seems to skip the manager and is with Evangelos Marinakis because of everything he has done for the club.

    "By that I mean taking them up to the Premier League, keeping them up and pushing them back into Europe. You can see why they adore him so much.

    "But there is a price to pay for a man, who is used to getting his own way, being allowed to define the club by what he wants because this is when you do get a bit of managerial chaos."

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  3. Dyche appointed as new head coach - good choice?published at 09:05 BST 21 October

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    Sean DycheImage source, Getty Images

    Sean Dyche is Nottingham Forest's new head coach.

    He will be joined by his coaching team of Ian Woan and Steve Stone, who together made more than 400 appearances for the club in the 1990's.

    Dyche, who has overseen over 330 Premier League matches in his career to date, has signed a contract until the summer of 2027 and will take charge against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.

    Is Dyche the safe pair of hands that you wanted? And what do you make of the contract length?

    Get in touch with your views here

  4. Dyche 'is the safe pair of hands' needed - Warnockpublished at 08:20 BST 21 October

    The Express and Mirror lead their back pages on Dyche's imminent appointmentImage source, Express and Mirror
    Image caption,

    The Express and Mirror lead their back pages on Dyche's imminent appointment

    BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club are in agreement that the expected appointment of Sean Dyche would be a sensible choice for Nottingham Forest.

    "I think it is a great job for Dyche to walk into," said former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock. "When you look at the attacking players they have and the structure behind the scene, then I think he is the ideal manager.

    "He is the safe pair of hands. He will stabilize them and make sure they are OK for next year."

    Forest have five points from their opening 11 games and sit third from bottom after a poor start to the season.

    The Observer's Rory Smith added: "He will get a good squad at Forest and he has got an owner who will invest too, so I think it is an amazing opportunity for Dyche.

    "We think Fulham's Marco Silva is the one that they really like, so it might be that Evangelos Marinakis and Edu are looking at him as the long-term target but Dyche to stabilize the club.

    "I wouldn't have thought Dyche would only want to sign an eight-month contract, though? And what if he does really well? They can't then get rid of him."

    Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

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  5. Why Dyche should be a natural fit at Forestpublished at 11:15 BST 20 October

    Paul Birch
    BBC Sport journalist

    Media caption,

    Unlike Ange Postecoglou's appointment, Sean Dyche's arrival at Nottingham Forest makes sense as his side's style of play has historically been more tactically in tune with the brand Nuno Espirito Santo employed to bring European football back to the City Ground.

    With no pre-season for Postecoglou to impose his unique footballing ideologies, and with a slew of games coming thick and fast at the start of his tenure, the Australian struggled to stamp his authority on a squad so used to playing a certain way.

    The appointment of another pragmatic coach similar to Nuno should, on paper, steady the ship and suit Forest's players, who were defensively sound and proved to be devastating on the counter-attack in 2024-25.

    As the graphic below shows, both Nuno and Dyche teams are very happy to cede possession and allow the opposition the ball, before attacking at speed when they get it back.

    All of which contrasts hugely with how Postecoglou got his players to operate at Tottenham.

    Dyche's similar style to Nuno
Average per Premier League game
Metric           Nuno's Forest           Dyche's Everton           Ange's Spurs
Possession           41.4%                         39.5%                          58.5%
Passes                   359                              349                                 536
Passes played long 13.8%                  17.5%                             6.3%
Goals from set pieces  26%                 44%                              16.5%
PPDA                   15.5                             14.3                                  9.4
Direct speed       2m/s                        1.95m/s                        1.77m/sImage source, Opta

    PPDA is passes allowed per defensive action. It measures how often teams wait until interrupting a spell of opposition possession – whether that's winning the ball back or getting a foot in to concede a throw-in/corner. Teams aggressively trying to win the ball back will have a lower figure – teams prepared to soak up pressure will have a higher figure.

    Direct speed is how quickly the ball moves towards the opponents' goal during a sequence of possession, measured in metres per second

  6. Next Forest boss 'has to fit' the club and 'be the right guy' - Earnshawpublished at 10:02 BST 20 October

    Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis getting up in the stands to leave during the game against ChelseaImage source, PA Media

    Former Nottingham Forest striker Robert Earnshaw says the next managerial appointment has to be someone who is "ruthless" and will just get on with the job.

    However, he has concerns that potential candidates may be put off the job because they "will not fancy" working under Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis.

    "I feel really sorry for Ange Postecoglou because I think he's a fantastic manager. but it just seemed like he didn't fit," said Earnshaw to BBC Sport. "And his words were correct.

    "His face didn't fit the building. The next one has to fit and it has to be the right guy.

    "The next boss is going to need an instant reaction. You haven't got 20 games to get it right. You've got the first few games and get on with it.

    "That's going to be the ruthless nature of how you play and how you manage Nottingham Forest."

  7. 'Dyche a sensible choice' but is Forest a 'poisoned chalice'?published at 09:06 BST 20 October

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    Media caption,

    We asked you who the next Nottingham Forest manager should be.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Kevin: Sean Dyche is a sensible choice as he knows the club, fits more with Nuno's style which was successful, and would steady the ship. I'd like to have him until the end of the season then get Marco Silva on a free.

    Peter: As a lifelong Forest supporter it pains me to say it, but Forest are currently a poisoned chalice. What manager in his right mind would want to take this on with the ever present hovering Marinakis axe permanently poised? However, I am sure some brave soul will take on the job but I don't envy them in the slightest. I can only pray some sort of miracle may occur both on the pitch and in the boardroom.

    Scott: Sean Dyche. We are in a relegation fight and it's best to be honest and safe, than dreamy and relegated. Dyche, Steve Stone and Ian Woan will bring a settling and passionate approach to the club and fan base.

    Rich: How about Steve Cooper on a 12-month contract to bring the team and supporters together?

    Chris: Surely Roberto Mancini's poor man-management skills alone rule him out? Dyche deserves a chance at a club with ambition, and having Woan and Stone alongside him means he will be granted more time with the home crowd.

    Mark: Marco Silva has to be our main target. I would also like Oliver Glasner but Crystal Palace would probably not read the email. Dyche would steady the ship, but I feel Evangelos Marinakis would expect more than that. Mancini has been out of club football for too long, and is likely to rub the big man up the wrong way. Any chance we could persuade a certain Jurgen Klopp back to the Premier League?

    Bettsy: Andoni Iraola has to be first choice. If not him then Oliver Glasner. Not Dyche or Mancini. We need to move forward - not get relegated.

  8. 'What's the strategy here?'published at 09:05 BST 20 October

    Pat Riddell
    Fan writer

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    Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos MarinakisImage source, Getty Images

    Somehow everyone but the Nottingham Forest owner knew the appointment of Ange Postecoglou was doomed to failure.

    After the best season in 30 years, and what should have been a season to top that, Evangelos Marinakis couldn't find a way to please the manager who had delivered that - and promptly brought in the man with one of the worst records in the Premier League last year.

    Eight games without a win - and still protesting that he always wins a trophy -Ange Postecoglou had to win the trust of the fans quickly and failed miserably. Despite a couple of halves of decent football, Forest conceded goals at an alarming rate and couldn't take the chances they were presented.

    So what now? Many pundits talked about the change in style between Nuno Espirito Santo and Postecoglou, but the Reds were already moving towards a more possession-based game. The squad was developed with that in mind over the summer and it's far too simplistic to compare a low-block, counterattacking style with a high-line, pressing game. Tottenham won the Europa League playing the former rather than the latter.

    Marco Silva has been discussed and should have been under serious consideration after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked. But he is under contract with Fulham until next summer and it seems we are reluctant to spend money on compensation for in-work managers.

    So that leaves the two prominent names - Sean Dyche and Roberto Mancini.

    Dyche was a trainee at Forest, lives locally and would likely bring Forest old-boys Steven Stone and Ian Woan as coaches. Now that the Reds are in the bottom three, Dyche would be an easy option and would command respect from most fans as a short-term option. Of course, if he did well - and he has never had the greatest of resources available - then Silva might have to look elsewhere next summer.

    Mancini would also be a popular appointment, given his years of experience in top-flight football. But what's the strategy here? Are we simply talking to available managers? What is our style and where do we want to go?

    There has been a culture of short-termism at the club for years and it seems that is likely to continue - even if we're winning.

    Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

  9. Who should be Forest's next boss?published at 10:47 BST 19 October

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    We all know football moves at a fast pace, so who replaces Ange Postecoglou as Nottingham Forest's new boss is Sunday's focus-point.

    Former Everton manager Sean Dyche and ex-Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini are early contenders due to them being out of work and available for free, but owner Evangelos Marinakis could look elsewhere.

    Who do you want? Is it about steadying the ship or long-term promise?

    Get in touch with your views here

  10. Reaction to Postecoglou's sackingpublished at 09:47 BST 19 October

    Media caption,

    Postecoglou only getting five games is 'ridiculous' - Richards

    Plenty of names in the footballing world are chiming in with their thoughts on Ange Postecoglou's sacking.

    Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer said to BBC Sport: "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. 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?"

    Former England and Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle said on TNT Sports: To leave his [Evangelos Marinakis] seat after 60 minutes that was a statement in itself. I'm surprised he has done it so quickly after the game. Eight games they've not gone well, but after eight matches as a manager, it's no time at all. Surely he has got to be given more time than that?"

    BBC Radio 5 Live's Ian Dennis: "Given the speculation going into the game it was already in Marinakis' mind. This is not a knee-jerk reaction to the actual game. The speculation has been building, Sean Dyche's name has been heavily, heavily linked, and quite frankly they might need someone like him to go in there to steady the ship."

  11. Ange 'destroyed‘ a ‘talented‘ team - fan viewspublished at 19:29 BST 18 October

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    Ange Postecolgou managing Nottingham ForestImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your views on the sacking of Ange Postecoglou after just 39 days in charge.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Mark: It was the wrong appointment. The chairman should have sorted the situation out with Nuno. There's something wrong with the Forest players generally. They don't take their chances. Is that the coach’s fault? There's a lack of leadership on the pitch. The great Brian Clough was sacked after 44 days at Leeds United and we know the history after that. All the best Ange.

    Ziggy: Disappointed that he's not really been given a proper chance to do the job. I'm sure his comments didn't help him but really he had literally no time.

    Jeffery: Even to any football supporter he was not the man for Forest and that was proven with his team selection and tactics. Destroyed a very gifted and talented team in less than six weeks.

    Gavin: To sack a manager after 39 days is a disgrace. Who would want that job? It's time players were held to account.

    Luke: The only thing wrong with the decision is that it didn't come 10 days ago. Unfortunately it was just never right from the start with Ange, who surely now must be considered not good enough for the Premier League. Get the next appointment right and there is still enough time left in the season to get things back on track.

    Simon: Can someone explain to Marinakis that this isn't how the manager of the month works!

  12. Who next for Forest?published at 18:46 BST 18 October

    Sami Mokbel
    Senior football correspondent

    Roberto Mancini, Marco Silva and Sean DycheImage source, Getty Images

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

    BBC Sport understands Forest have made early contact with former Everton manager Sean Dyche with a view to replacing Postecoglou, while ex-Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is another contender.

    Dyche has been out of work since being sacked by the Toffees in January, while Macini's last role was in charge of Saudi Arabia's national side.

    Mancini has Premier League experience, having led City to the Premier League title in 2012.

    While talks have been held with Dyche, sources indicate that an agreement is not a foregone conclusion.

    There is also major internal support for Fulham manager Marco Silva, but he is understood to have a 'significant' release clause in his contract which provides an obstacle for Forest.

    Importantly, Mancini and Dyche are out of work and available without the need to pay for their release.

  13. 39 days in charge at Forest - what next for Ange?published at 17:24 BST 18 October

    A graphic showing the shortest managerial reigns in Premier in League history.
Sam Allardyce at Leeds - 30 days
Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest - 39 days
Javi Gracia at Watford - 69 days
Rene Muelensteen at Fulham - 75 days
Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace - 77 daysImage source, Getty Images

    Ange Postecoglou was not far from from having the shortest managerial reign in Premier League history.

    The Australian lasted just 39 days, or eight games in charge at the City Ground, in which the Reds won zero matches across three competitions.

    Will this be the last time we ever see Postecoglou manage in the English top-flight?

  14. Postecoglou sacked - what do you think?published at 17:24 BST 18 October

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    Ange Postecoglou managing Nottingham ForestImage source, Getty Images

    Less than an hour after the full-time whistle blew at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest announced the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

    His reign as Forest boss is one of the shortest ever seen in the Premier League, resulting in zero victories for the Austrailan manager.

    What do you make of the decision, Forest fans? Did Postecoglou deserve more time in charge? Or was it the right choice from the board?

    Get in touch with your views here

  15. Nottingham Forest 0-3 Chelsea: What Yates saidpublished at 17:24 BST 18 October

    Media caption,

    Listen to his interview with Match of the Day here

    Ryan Yates spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live after Nottingham Forest's defeast against Chelsea: "I'll be honest. 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.

    "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. That's what we are going to be thinking about."

    On if he is saying that the players are to blame: "No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying partly we are to blame because we are the guys going out on to the pitch and trying to get results. As I just said things in football can change very quickly, with a good result on Thursday night we can get that good feeling back and we kick in."

    On what he would say if the manager could hear him in that moment: "I've got nothing to say right now."