Nottingham Forest sacked manager Ange Postecoglou after just 39 days, despite internal praise for his attacking philosophy, highlighting the brutal demands of top-flight football management.
Postecoglou’s tenure was the second shortest in Premier League history, marked by two draws and six losses across eight games. He oversaw 20 training sessions, though only eight involved the full squad due to international breaks.
The club publicly announced his dismissal 18 minutes after a 3-0 loss to Chelsea. According to Sky Sports, Postecoglou and his coaching staff, which included Portuguese coach Sérgio Raimundo, were only officially informed hours later.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis made a swift decision based on results. However, a dressing room source told Sky Sports that 90 percent of the team “was really enjoying being a more dominant team” and playing “without fear.”
Despite this internal approval for his attacking style, Postecoglou reportedly felt increasingly isolated, lacking public support from both Marinakis and football director Edu Gaspar. Sources close to the coach indicated he was confident in building a long-term project but was not given enough time.
The brevity of his spell was underscored by personal circumstances; Postecoglou had only moved into his new home in Nottingham a week before his unexpected departure.
Postecoglou had joined Forest after leaving Tottenham, where he won the Europa League last season, replacing Nuno EspÃrito Santo. He has since been replaced by Sean Dyche.
Dyche begins his managerial role for what is effectively Nottingham Forest’s third cycle today, facing FC Porto in the Europa League. FC Porto, coached by Francesco Farioli, enters the match with an undefeated record this season, having secured 10 wins and one draw in 11 official games. The situation at Forest stands in contrast to the public backing afforded to managers like Ruben Amorim, or Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s vote of confidence in Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.