Ange Postecoglou holds aloft the Europa League trophy. Picture: Justin Tallis / AFP
Former England international Chris Sutton has tipped Ange Postecoglou to take a “slowly, slowly” approach in transforming Nottingham Forest into a team that plays the attacking style of football he prefers.
Three months after Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham despite leading them to Europa League glory, the former Socceroos coach is back in the English Premier League after being named as the replacement at Forest for the axed Nuno Espirito Santo.
Under Espirito Santo. Forest finished seventh last season and secured a 2025-26 Europa League berth playing a low-risk, counter-attacking style of football, which is in contrast to Postecoglou’s preference for a high-intensity style that involves constant pressing and all-out attack.
Britain Soccer Forest Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou is back in the English Premier League with Nottingham Forest. Picture: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Forest players suited to Espirito Santo’s less adventurous tactics must now adapt to the way Postecoglou’s likes his teams to play.
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However, Sutton, a long-time supporter of Postecoglou’s methods, believes the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach will be patient with implementing his style at Forest.
“He’s taking over a successful Nottingham Forest team and the job Nuno did last season, seventh place in the Premier League,” Sutton, now a prominent football commentator, told BBC Sport.
“It’s about building on that and possibly winning a trophy.
“In regards to the way that they play, he did tweak things at the end of last season at Tottenham … but he does have his principles.
“If you’re a Nottingham Forest fan, you might be slightly nervous because of the way Nuno played, and Nottingham Forest fans bought into that, the low-medium block and more counter-attack football.
“It will be different under Ange in that they’ll play with greater intensity and press higher, but everybody’s focusing too much on this high-line thing. I think it will be slowly, slowly at first from Ange Postecoglou.”
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Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said Postecoglou had the “credentials” and “track record” to help the club “challenge for trophies” despite Tottenham finishing 17th in the Premier League last season.
“We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said.
“His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions,” Marinakis said.
“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies.
“Ange has the credentials and the track record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”