Micah Richard's thinks Forest shouldn't have been so hasty in sacking Ange Postecoglou
Oliver Radcliffe GAU Writer
10:53, 20 Oct 2025
Micah Richards looks on
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Micah Richards says he feels it was harsh for Forest to sack Ange Postecoglou so quickly(Image: (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images))
Former Manchester City defender turned pundit Micah Richards has defended Ange Postecoglou during his time at Nottingham Forest, and calls his sacking after just 39 days “ridiculous”.
Richards, speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day, made clear that he believed Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, and the club’s hierarchy had shown a lack of patience and was worried to see where trends like this would leave the game in the future.
The Australian was given the sack almost immediately after Forest’s 3-0 defeat against Chelsea, with the club taking only 20 minutes to make up their minds after the result.
Richards began: “Five games, 39 days in the Premier League, and he’s getting sacked, it’s just ridiculous to me.
Nottingham Forest sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou following the Premier League match against Chelsea
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Nottingham Forest sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou following the Premier League match against Chelsea
“I don’t know where we're going in football, I understand the results have not been great, but in terms of a manager trying to get his philosophy over - we knew in Nuno they were a defensive style team, but Ange likes to put his team on the front foot.”
Richards added: “I think it was [inevitable] for the owner in terms of his standards for the club.
“I remember last season, he thought they were going into the Champions League, but it didn't work out, got into Europe, and it wasn't good enough. Obviously, Nuno gets sacked after that.
“We always talk about giving managers time to put their input on what the team wants to do. And for him to get five games in the Premier League.”
Ange Postecoglou the head coach / manager of Nottingham Forest with Douglas Luiz
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After only 39 days Ange Postecoglou has made history with one of the shortest stints in Premier League history
Postecoglou's sacking now puts him in the history books as one of the shortest periods in time of a Premier League club, sitting just behind Sam Allardyce’s 30-day tenure at Leeds in 2023.
With Postecoglou gone, Forest now find themselves hunting for a third manager in a matter of months, and Richards warned that the club risked becoming a case study in short-termism. “The interesting thing now is: are they going for a short-term fix or a long-term plan?” he asked.
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