Newly-appointed head coach Ange Postecoglou will have little time to find his feet at Nottingham Forest as he is set to be thrown straight in at the deep end.
The season may be only three games old with a long way to go, but the Reds have a hectic period coming up. When they return from the international break, they face a run of five games in the space of 15 days.
A baptism of fire by anyone’s standards. To top it off, first up is a return to the capital and a meeting with Arsenal for ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Postecoglou.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has set out what he expects from his new man. The Greek businessman wants silverware - and who knows whether he would settle for that coming in Postecoglou’s second season, as is the template the 60-year-old has previously set.
“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,” Marinakis said when the appointment was announced. “Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey."
Postecoglou has a big - but exciting - task ahead of him. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at what will be in the head coach’s in-tray.
Get the players on board
Postecoglou will have to work quickly given it is only a matter of days before Forest return to action. To add to his challenge, a significant number of players have been travelling around the world on international duty.
Saturday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium (12.30pm kick-off) is a huge game. Some might view it as a free-hit for the new boss’ first one in the dugout, but the Reds will want to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham United last time out.
If Forest want to mix it with the Premier League big boys again and build on last term’s seventh-placed finish, they need to consistently pick up results. Postecoglou has a hugely talented group at his disposal, now it is about getting the best out of them.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
Win round the doubters
The Reds’ appointment of the former Spurs chief was not universally popular with supporters. Some have their doubts about whether he is the right fit.
Postecoglou is a winner and can point to last term’s Europa League triumph as a response to any critics, but there is also the small matter of Tottenham’s 17th-placed finish last term. Forest finished 27 points above the north London club.
Some fans also have reservations about whether Postecoglou’s high-line, all-out attack method is the right fit - and whether players’ hamstrings will cope. Most would appreciate an easier-on-the-eye style but the change from Nuno will see the Reds go from one extreme to the other.
In the end, Postecoglou will be judged on results. But he could do with quickly establishing a bond with fans as the backing Forest receive can make such a difference to matters on the pitch.
Establish a relationship with Edu
A fallout behind the scenes was at the heart of Nuno’s downfall. The fracture between the Portuguese and global head of football Edu could not be healed.
Marinakis viewed the capture of Edu earlier this year as a significant coup and a springboard for Forest to push on. Postecoglou’s predecessor paid the price for a rift with the Brazilian, so the new man would do well to forge a smooth working relationship from the start.
The transfer window is closed but January will soon come around, and for most clubs the work never stops on that front. It is no different at the City Ground. Postecoglou will need to get up to speed from the off.
Oversee results
Winning games will ultimately be the be-all and end-all for Postecoglou at Forest. He will be under scrutiny from the start given he has a hard act to follow and Marinakis has made his ambitions very clear.
The fixture list is jam-packed for the next few weeks - almost right up until the next international break in mid-October. Postecoglou will have to wait until the end of this month to introduce himself to the City Ground crowd, with his first home match not until September 27 when Sunderland come to town, but the aim will be to hit the ground running.
Looming quickly on the horizon is that trip to Spain for a clash with Real Betis in the Reds’ Europa League opener. This tournament is one Forest really want to be competitive in, having been away from European football for so long.
They will want to make their mark on the continent. It is now up to Postecoglou to do that.
What do you make of Forest appointing Postecoglou? Click HERE to have your say