MANY people anticipated the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as Nottingham Forest’s coach would not work, from both sides of the equation. It simply didn’t look like a natural fit given both were, to some extent entering into a marriage of convenience.
Forest had disposed of Nuno Espirito Santo after he revealed his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated since last season. This was a strange incident, but it did leave those on the outside wondering just why he decided to speak out in that way. Had Forest become a bad gig almost overnight?
As for Postecoglou, he had endured a weekly run-of-the-gauntlet at Spurs before winning the Europa League and then being rewarded with the sack. Now, after another dismissal, so quickly after his Spurs exit, Postecoglou have come to the conclusion English football doesn’t really suit him after all.
Have Forest acted hastily, given Postecoglou had a mere 39 days to settle in? When he was installed, owner Evangelos Marinakis called his new coach someone with a “proven and consistent record of winning trophies” who had “the credentials and the track record” the club needed to compete with the very best. Postecoglou’s record was played eight, lost six, drawn two, a poor return but what exactly did Forest expect, did they believe the new man would hit the ground running and transform the team in just over a month?
Increasingly, it seems that clubs are hiring managers they do not know enough about. Postecogclou is 60 years old, he had arguably peaked as a coach, just as most people do in almost any profession. He appears to be an honest broker, straight-talking and pragmatic, but he’s no whizz kid and doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary. Forest’s squad was turned over substantially in the close season with something like £ 160 million spent on a bundle of players. Only one of the big signings, Dan Ndoye, who joined for £ 34.5 million from Bologna, has played regularly – the starting line-up in Postecoglou’s last game against Chelsea was very similar to the side that played in Forest’s final fixture of the Premier campaign in 2024-25.
Marinakis may now be questioning himself over the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo, especially as the club are playing in Europe this season and have not started their Europa League campaign very well. Furthermore, they are looking for their ninth full-time boss since Marinakis took over. Forest managers have averaged 46 games under the Greek businessman’s ownership.
Who would want such a precarious position? There is talk of Sean Dyche or Roberto Mancini being hired, but what are Forest really looking for? At present, they want to steer clear of the relegation zone, but they will surely also be looking to make their mark in Europe this season, which could add some pressure on a squad unused to fighting on multiple fronts. After finishing seventh in 2024-25, expectations were probably consolidation as a top half side and that is still a possibility; Forest have played eight games, so it is too early to talk of relegation, but there is no guarantee they can repeat last season’s success. They have had two managers already this term, so their next hiring has to be their last in 2025-26. The problem is, they are not going to attract a magician, a truly top-line manager who is aware his job could turn out to be **very** temporary if results do not keep the man from Pireaus happy. Above all, they need to determine what type of coach they really want and set realistic targets for Forest to achieve.
Game of the People was founded in 2012 and is ranked among the 100 best football websites by various sources. The site consistently wins awards for its work, across a broad range of subjects. [View all posts by Neil Fredrik Jensen](https://gameofthepeople.com/author/georgefjord/)