Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as new Reds head coach Sean Dyche makes a winning start with victory over Porto
22:30, 23 Oct 2025
Sarah Clapson is Nottingham Forest correspondent for NottinghamshireLive and the Nottingham Post. She has covered the Reds since 2015, having joined the Post the previous year. Being involved in the coverage of everything from Evangelos Marinakis’ takeover of the club to Forest winning promotion at Wembley, she has followed the team up and down the country, as well as abroad, to report on the latest goings-on.
Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Nottingham Forest, celebrates his team's second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Nottingham Forest FC and FC Porto at City Ground
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Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Nottingham Forest, celebrates his team's second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Nottingham Forest FC and FC Porto at City Ground
The City Ground was alive with noise as it was lift-off for the Sean Dyche era at the first time of asking for Nottingham Forest.
‘We’ve got our Forest back’ rang around the stadium as the Reds claimed a 2-0 Europa League victory over Porto. The final whistle felt like both a release and a relief.
This is what Forest have been waiting for. After all the drama of recent weeks, it was back to the moments that matter.
When European football returned to the banks of the Trent earlier this month, for the first time in almost 30 years, all had not exactly gone to plan. What should have been an occasion to savour was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The 3-2 defeat to FC Midtjylland and the dissent from the stands proved to be the beginning of the end for Ange Postecoglou. He survived for a further two games after that, but it always felt like he was a dead man walking.
This then was a fresh start all round. For fans, players and club as a whole.
Dyche had said all the right things in his pre-match press conference; coming across as the very antithesis of Postecoglou. But what always matters is how things go on the pitch.
And in that sense, it was much better from the Reds. There are things to work on, of course, but there was a significant improvement. Owner Evangelos Marinakis seemed to enjoy it as he applauded the first goal and then leapt out of his seat to celebrate the second.
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Players and fans seemed to enjoy themselves. It was like a cloud above the City Ground had been lifted.
Forest will hope this proves to be a turning point; that this is where there season really starts. The feelgood factor was certainly back Trentside, and now it is all about how they build on this.
Dyche had received a terrific reception when he walked out to the dugout ahead of the game. The roar that greeted the final whistle was even louder. A first win in any competition since the opening day of the season for the Reds, and how they needed it. The wait made it all the sweeter.
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