Latest Nottingham Forest news as Sean Dyche's Reds prepare to face Everton in key Premier League clash
15:03, 04 Dec 2025
Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche
View Image
Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche(Image: Getty)
Sean Dyche insists he is not concerned about the type of reception he will get when he takes Nottingham Forest to former club Everton this weekend.
Dyche spent two years in charge of the Merseyside outfit before being axed in January of this year. He ensured the Toffees retained their Premier League status during a challenging time, including when they were docked points during the 2023/24 season for breaching financial rules.
However, Everton were struggling for form prior to his dismissal and David Moyes was tasked with improving their fortunes when he returned to the club as Dyche’s replacement. Now at the helm of Forest, the latter is purely focused on overseeing a positive result with the visitors when they travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
“The Toffees, they are a strong bunch. It might be good, bad or indifferent, I don’t know,” Dyche said when asked about how he might be greeted by the home crowd. “But deep down they know the work we did. I know that, because they have told me.
“What reception I get is not important. It is about how the team performs.
“But I did get to know a lot of good people there - people who worked very hard, people who I trust and who I know would trust me. We did a lot of good work through a very difficult period. The players also worked very hard during a difficult period when we were there.
“It was hard. I have said openly it was a very hard situation to manage and I was very proud of what we all did. Not just me as manager, but what we all did. There were so many people involved in making sure that club came through a really messy period on and off the pitch.
“We navigated a way through it. By the end the players were dwindling a little bit, the heat was coming on and I thought a change of face would work - and it has done.
“I worked hard there. I am very happy with the work I did there, along with many others. I left on good terms with everyone there.
“We move forwards - and we have done. My time there is done, now it is about Forest and that is all I am interested in.”
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
Dyche, though, has great respect for Moyes and his career as a manager. After leaving Everton in 2013, the Scot went on to occupy the dugout at Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham United before returning to the Toffees.
After losing at home to Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, Forest bounced back with a 1-0 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night. But Dyche knows they will be in for a tough challenge on Saturday.
“Moyesy with his history with the club and his knowledge of the Premier League is doing a good job - as I thought he would do,” Dyche said. “They have spent some money. They knew they needed to invest and they have done that.
“David Moyes knows I am a big fan of his, I have been open about that. He has done a good job over the years and his sides are always difficult - or rarely not difficult to play against.
“You need to be in good form when you go there, but I think we are. There is a good mood in the camp and a good energy in the side. I want to go there and deliver.
“I admire the job he (Moyes) has done at many different clubs. He did a brilliant job at West Ham, during his first time at Everton and Manchester United… who wanted to follow that one? Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably the best manager of all time? That is not an easy gig.
“He handled himself correctly and, while it did not go as planned, he was not given that much time, looking back. He is just a very good, very shrewd operator and knows the business.
Article continues below
“I called him the odd time in my younger days in the Premier League, to ask about the things he has learned and the things he can offer. I always try to see him after games.
“But he fights on the sidelines. When the whistle blows, we will both be getting on with it. But we are both old enough and wise enough to see each other after the game and crack on with it.”
How should Forest line up against Everton? Click HERE to have your say