Ange Postecoglou is back in management.
The ex-Celtic manager has taken over from Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest, in a quickfire managerial change made over the international break.
Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham at the end of last season, following a conflicted season which saw them finish 17th in the Premier League but still secure a historic Europa League win.
He joins Forest after Nuno led them to their best league finish of the 21st century, qualifying for the tournament Postecoglou is a reigning holder of. Nuno himself was sacked after a breakdown in relations with the club’s higher management.
And speaking for the first time since his appointment, Postecoglou had words to say about his infamous preference for attacking football.
I play this way to win says Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou’s arrival will signal a radical shift in Forest’s style, from one of the deepest defending teams in the Premier League to the opposite.
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Ange Postecoglou
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Well aware of the attention that his tactical approach will draw, the 60-year-old had to be hesitant when speaking to the club’s official media channels.
He said: “I’ve got to be careful what I say, because everyone’s kind of pigeon-holed me pretty much through my whole career.
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“I love winning, I love winning things, it’s what I’ve done. I want the fans to be excited about watching their team play. There’s already an existing mentality within the group of working hard for one another, and I want to tap into that.
“And from my perspective it’s about now putting my own ideas across – it’s no secret that I like my teams to attack and I like my teams to score goals. That’s sometimes misconstrued as me just playing my way, but the reason I like my teams to play that way is because I like winning things.”
These are promises that Postecoglou has kept in previous roles – Forest fans will be hoping that this is the case again.
How will Ange Postecoglou’s football look at Nottingham Forest?
Postecoglou has often been a manager who likes players to adapt to his system, rather than vice-versa.
His current trademark system, marked by a high line and inverted full-backs similar to Greg Taylor, is a far cry from the way that Forest looked under Nuno.
His first match will be back in North London on Saturday, when Forest travel to Arsenal.
There is little time to lose for the Australian, with a hectic schedule ahead to implement ‘Angeball’ with his new squad.