Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Nottingham Forest and here's where his catastrophic reign ranks among the shortest in Premier League history with our top 10
Neil Docking
16:55, 18 Oct 2025Updated 16:58, 18 Oct 2025
Ange Postecoglou's time in charge of Nottingham Forest was a disaster
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Ange Postecoglou's time in charge of Nottingham Forest was a disaster(Image: PA)
Ange Postecoglou has been axed from his position as Nottingham Forest boss after overseeing just five Premier League matches.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager was only handed the Forest role on September 9 - but merely 39 days later he found himself unemployed, as owner Evangelos Marinakis sacked him barely 20 minutes after the 3-0 thrashing by Chelsea at the City Ground, which proved to be the final straw after one draw and four defeats.
Postecoglou replaced fan favourite Nuno Espirito Santo, who was dismissed only three games into the season after falling out with Marinakis over transfers, despite a brilliant campaign last year that saw Forest finish seventh - their highest finish since 1994-95 - and qualify for Europe for the first time in three decades.
Postcoglou was an unpopular appointment from the start, having been sacked by Spurs in the summer, after capturing their first trophy in 17 years, the Europa League, but finishing 17th in the league. But where does he rank in the 10 shortest managerial tenures in Premier League history?
10th, Colin Todd, Derby County - 98 days
Colin Todd is loved by Derby fans but it didn't work out for him as Rams manager
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Colin Todd is loved by Derby fans but it didn't work out for him as Rams manager(Image: Sport & Politics in Focus)
Todd is still seen as a legend at Pride Park, but his time as manager is something Rams fans would rather forget.
Taking over when Derby were second-bottom with a mere five points three months into the season in 2001, Todd faced a monumental challenge.
His tenure lasted just three months, with the final straw being Derby's FA Cup elimination by fourth-tier Bristol Rovers in 2002.
9th, Nathan Jones, Southampton - 94 days
Nathan Jones had a torrid time in charge of Southampton
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Nathan Jones had a torrid time in charge of Southampton(Image: Getty Images)
Southampton sacked Nathan Jones after seven defeats in eight Premier League games in charge.
Jones was appointed in December 2022 to turn around the Saints' fortunes after Ralph Hasenhuttl was given the boot. But the south coast club found themselves bottom of the table with 16 games left.
A 2-1 defeat at home to Wolves proved to be the final straw for owners Sport Republic, who called time on Jones' three-and-a-half year contract after just two months.
He became the shortest serving non-caretaker manager in Southampton's history.
Joint 8th, Terry Connor, Wolves - 91 days
Terry Connor looks on during the match between Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light on April 14, 2012
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Terry Connor disappointed as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty )
Best known as Mick McCarthy's right-hand man, Connor found himself in the spotlight at Molineux when he took over from his close friend.
His appointment was somewhat unexpected, especially since CEO Jez Moxey had publicly stated the club was seeking an experienced successor.
Connor ended the 2011-21 season as Wolves boss, finishing the campaign with a club record low of 25 points.
Thirteen matches produced nine losses and four draws before Connor was surprisingly relegated back to his assistant manager position and subsequently departed the club entirely several months later.
Joint 8th, Quique Sanchez Flores, Watford - 91 days
Watford sacked manager Quique Sanchez Flores
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Watford sacked manager Quique Sanchez Flores(Image: Marc Atkins)
Quique Sanchez Flores made his comeback to Vicarage Road for another attempt at managing Watford in 2019, just months after Javi Gracia had steered the Hornets to an FA Cup final.
The second stint proved even more disastrous than his initial tenure, with the Spaniard lasting merely three months before getting the boot.
Despite previously steering Watford to a respectable mid-table position prior to Gracia's arrival, Flores couldn't replicate such form - securing victory just once throughout his return.
His brief reign is most notably remembered for suffering an 8-0 thrashing from eventual champions Manchester City.
6th, Bob Bradley, Swansea City - 84 days
Bob Bradley
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(Image: X01095)
Bradley remains the sole American manager to accept a Premier League position - a distinction that would ultimately expose him to mockery from supporters.
The New Jersey-born tactician frequently described away matches as "road games", drawing criticism from fans who accused the club's American ownership of appointing him purely based on shared nationality.
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins declared Bradley a "long-term appointment" who would "stabilise matters on and off the pitch" - yet the outcome proved completely opposite in 2016.
After shipping 29 goals across eleven fixtures, Bradley was dismissed and departed Wales for good, having secured just two victories during his spell with the Welsh side.
5th, Frank de Boer, Crystal Palace - 77 days
Frank de Boer
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FILE - SEPTEMBER 11, 2017: Crystal Palace have sacked manager Frank de Boer after 5 games and 77 days in charge. LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer looks on during a Pre Season Friendly between Crystal Palace and FC Schalke 04 at Selhurst Park on August 5, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)(Image: Mike Hewitt)
Frank de Boer's managerial CV makes for grim viewing at the very least, enduring just 162 days combined across spells at Inter Milan and Crystal Palace.
Whilst his tenure at the San Siro lasted eight days longer than his stint at Selhurst Park, both brought widespread mockery.
Four matches, four losses and zero goals netted - Eagles supremo Steve Parish swiftly wielded the axe and severed ties with the Dutchman in 2017.
In terms of fixtures overseen, De Boer holds the record for the briefest reign in Premier League history. And after he criticised Jose Mourinho while he was Manchester United boss, the Portuguese legend responded by labelling De Boer as the "worst manager in Premier League history".
4th, Rene Meulensteen, Fulham - 75 days
(FILE) Rene Meulensteen replaces sacked Martin Jol at Fulham
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Rene Meulensteen didn't last long at Fulham(Image: Ian Walton)
The second Fulham gaffer featured on this rundown, it's evident that time granted to reverse fortunes at Craven Cottage is limited.
Having built a solid reputation as a tactician whilst serving as assistant at Manchester United, Meulensteen sought to establish himself as a Premier League boss in his own capacity.
The alarm bells from his disastrous period overseeing Danish side Brondby went unnoticed by the Fulham hierarchy in 2013.
Meulensteen allegedly instructed players to "find their spirit animal" before matches, securing victory in just three of 13 fixtures prior to his sacking.
3rd, Javi Gracia, Leeds United - 69 days
Javi Gracia walked in and out of Leeds United in next to no time at all
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Javi Gracia walked in and out of Leeds United in next to no time at all(Image: PA)
Leeds United sacked manager Javi Gracia in 2023 after just 10 weeks and 12 games in charge at Elland Road, with the team slumped in 17th and staring relegation in the face.
Gracia had been appointed on a "flexible contract" that February - two weeks after the dismissal of former boss Jesse Marsch. He said he was "grateful for the opportunity" and "proud of the team" after a "very intense period", having won only three games and suffered a string of heavy defeats.
At the time of Gracia's exit, Leeds were only out of the bottom three on goal difference and his replacement - former England boss Sam Allardyce - had just four games try and avoid relegation. He failed.
Allardyce, who managed 30 days in charge, does not count as one of the shortest reigns, because he was only an interim appointment and left when his contract expired.
2nd, Les Reed, Charlton Athletic - 41 days
Les Reed
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Les Reed's time in charge of Charlton was miserable(Image: Getty Images)
Until now the shortest reign by a considerable margin, Reed's stint at Charlton could also claim the crown for most paradoxical managerial appointment in football history.
Reed, a manager who managed only one victory in six games before his dismissal, ironically co-authored 'The Official FA Guide to Basic Team Coaching' - a comprehensive guide on football management.
Labelled "Les Misérables" by the press due to his gloomy touchline presence, Reed had little to cheer about during his time with the Addicks in 2006.
1st, Ange Postecoglou, Nottingham Forest - 39 days
Ange Postecoglou speaking
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Ange Postecoglou has been sacked again(Image: Sky Sports)
'Big Ange' failed to win any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six defeats across all competitions.
His tenure was shorter than Forest’s iconic manager Brian Clough's infamously brief spell at Leeds in 1975 and even shorter than the time Liz Truss spent as Prime Minister, when she was outlasted by the Daily Star's lettuce.
It makes his disastrous reign the shortest in Premier League history.
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A short statement from Forest said: "Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect.
"The club will make no further comment at this time."