The idea of Nuno Espirito Santo being sacked is one that Nottingham Forest fans wouldn’t have predicted to happen this season.
The Portuguese manager brought European football back to the City Ground for the first time since the mid-1990s and has become a beloved figure among supporters.
However, on Friday, the possible sacking of Nuno became a reality amid reported tensions between Espirito Santo and Evangelos Marinakis.
At the moment, it seems we have not yet reached the point where the 51-year-old manager leaves the club, as Marinakis wants to try to unify everyone at Forest before making that decision.
Although, that hasn’t stopped potential candidates for Nuno’s job from emerging, and Ange Postecoglou is one name on the shortlist.
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Ange Postecoglou is interested in Nottingham Forest job
Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is interested in taking the Nottingham Forest job should Nuno Espirito Santo be dismissed, according to the Guardian.
The report says the Australian is a ‘leading candidate’ and is ‘thought to be interested in the role’.
Postecoglou is out of a job after being let go by Tottenham despite winning the Europa League with the Lilywhites.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
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He is a manager who divides opinion, with his style of play often both criticised and applauded. The Australian is a risk-taker, leaving an extremely high line but also providing exciting attacking football.
However, it already seems Forest fans do not want Ange managing their club, and if he were hired, he would be starting off on bad footing.
Ange Postecoglou’s style of play would not fit the current Nottingham Forest squad
While Ange’s style of play can be exciting, in order for it to work, it needs specific profiles of players.
It was clear during his last year at Tottenham that even when one or two players got injured and he didn’t have sufficient backups, the flaws were amplified.
Nottingham Forest have just spent big on eight new players, and those signings were not bought with Ange’s style in mind.
The differences between Nuno and Postecoglou’s philosophies are stark, and the players in the squad are built for the Portuguese manager’s more disciplined way of playing football.
For instance, defenders such as Nikola Milenković and Murillo are excellent at their roles, but that wouldn’t be the case if they were asked to consistently defend on the transition.
Marinakis may be tempted by the excitement of Ange Postecoglou if he feels Nuno’s time has come to an end, but it would be a huge mistake, after all the money he has spent, to bring someone in who does not fit the squad.