Nottingham Forest are set to appoint Sean Dyche as their third manager of the season in just eight games – and the English gaffer will hope history with Chris Wood doesn’t repeat itself.
Nottingham Forest sacked Nuno Espirito Santo after just three games of the Premier League season after a fallout with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis, with Forest appointing Ange Postecoglou as his replacement.
The Greek-Australian gaffer fared even worse, lasting just 39 days in the job without a win before being sacked minutes after a 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday.
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Now, Sean Dyche has been appointed to the City Ground helm to steady the ship, having done so with Everton and Burnley. But the gaffer will be wary of his relationship with Chris Wood ending sourly at Turf Moor.
Sean Dyche managing Chris Wood at Burnley vs Fulham in the Premier League
Photo by David Shipman – CameraSport via Getty Images
Chris Wood left Sean Dyche’s Burnley to ‘get out of his comfort zone’
Burnley had just survived relegation for the first time in their Premier League history in the summer of 2017. Star striker Andre Gray had left the club for Watford, meaning a replacement was needed, and Chris Wood landed in at Burnley from Leeds United.
It’s fair to say that was a stroke of genius from Sean Dyche. Wood had recently scored 27 Championship goals for Leeds before departing for Turf Moor, and his four full seasons in Lancashire drew double figures in the Premier League each time.
46 goals in 127 games was an outstanding tally for Burnley, who finished seventh and tenth in two of those four years.
Season Premier League appearances Premier League goals
2017-18 24 10
2018-19 38 10
2019-20 32 14
2020-21 33 12
2021-22 17 3
Chris Wood’s Premier League record under Sean Dyche at Burnley
However, the New Zealand star had only managed three goals in 17 league games in the 2021-22 season, and when newly-rich Newcastle triggered Wood’s release clause, he departed for St. James’ Park.
However, that will have disappointed Dyche – instead, Wood’s following comments angered the Clarets faithful. He said upon his Tyneside move: “I was very comfortable, and very happy and settled there [Burnley].
“But when I look at myself, I think nothing ever great happens in your comfort zone. I’m under no illusion that this is going to be a big challenge for me.
Wood went on to feature at Newcastle for a year, but failed to make an impact with just four goals in 35.
He later moved to Nottingham Forest, and the rest is history, with a 14-goal haul in 2023-24 being met with a 20-goal tally last season, firing them into the Europa League.
Chris Wood playing for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Sean Dyche will want to patch up Chris Wood relationship ahead of Nottingham Forest debut
However, Dyche won’t want a repeat of that.
Burnley were in the relegation zone when Wood left, even though Newcastle were below them – and that saw Burnley relegated given that Wout Weghorst insufficiently replaced him.
If his comments about a ‘comfort zone’ resurface under his former boss, Dyche won’t want to have a helping hand in any relegation involving Wood again, with Forest currently occupying the bottom three in the Premier League table.
Wood, of course, will want to hit the form he was in under Dyche in the peak of his Burnley days.
But any comments about a potential comfort zone likely won’t sit well with the English boss and Wood may have some making up to do before Forest can scramble themselves out of the bottom half.
Dyche will also have an awkward meeting with Callum Hudson-Odoi, who he branded ‘shambolic’ after diving in a game against Burnley for Chelsea in 2019.