Ange Postecoglou has been discussing his time at Nottingham Forest after he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo
Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
11:56, 25 Mar 2026
Ange Postecoglou during his final Nottingham Forest game
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Ange Postecoglou during his final Nottingham Forest game(Image: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)
Ange Postecoglou admits his ill-fated tenure as Nottingham Forest boss might have hurt his reputation in the Premier League and that he rejected advice not to take on the City Ground role.
The Australian lasted just 39 days as Reds head coach and failed to win any of the eight games for which he was in charge.
The axe finally swung after they had been beaten 3-0 by Chelsea, Postecoglou's second sacking in a matter of months after losing his job despite leading Tottenham Hotspur to the Europa League title.
“If I were younger, it probably would have (hurt), but it didn’t hurt me because in the end I take responsibility for it,” he told SEN Radio, via Fox Sports Australia.
“There were enough people around me saying it’s probably not a good idea. I thought it was a challenge. I didn’t like not working ... it almost looked like it wasn’t going to be a good fit for me right from the beginning.
“It didn’t work out. It’s probably hurt me reputationally, probably here in the EPL for sure, but I don’t worry about that. It didn’t leave any marks on me as a person or a football manager.
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“If anything, it allowed me to know that next time, I will seek some counsel before I bite off more than I can chew.”
Indeed the one lesson he has learned is that his methods are probably best implemented in the close season, rather than on the hoof once the Premier League has started.
“Jumping in mid-season, especially in the Premier League but in most leagues, is just probably too much of a challenge for the way I do things,” he said.
“That’s what I’m holding out for. Where that is and what it looks like is hard to say at the moment, but I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I want to do over here yet and the impact I want to make, the football I want to play.
“You can’t always be flying high and successful. Sometimes you need to cop a couple of whacks. I still feel like what I do still has an impact at this level.
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“I want to win things still. I know whatever it is going to be, I have this thing in my head that this will be the best one I’ve done yet because the recent experiences – maybe I needed them.”
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