Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou after just 40 days in charge, following Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.The result left Forest without a win under the Australian, who...
Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou after just 40 days in charge, following Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.
The result left Forest without a win under the Australian, who departs with his side one point and one place above the Premier League relegation zone.
His eight-game spell marks the shortest reign of any permanent manager in the club’s history and one of the briefest in Premier League history.
Postecoglou was appointed on 9 September to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, who left after guiding Forest to seventh place and European qualification last season.
Nuno has since joined West Ham United, while Postecoglou’s arrival was seen as a fresh start after his Europa League triumph with Tottenham Hotspur last May.
However, the Greek-born coach struggled to impose his methods at the City Ground. Forest collected just two points from five league matches and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Championship side Swansea City after surrendering a 2-0 lead in stoppage time.
They also made a disappointing return to European competition, drawing 2-2 with Real Betis and losing 3-2 to Midtjylland in their opening Europa League fixtures.
Supporters quickly turned against him, with chants of “sacked in the morning” ringing out during recent home defeats.
Those calls intensified after the Midtjylland loss and again during Saturday’s defeat to Chelsea, when Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen leaving his seat before full time.
Postecoglou’s record of six defeats and two draws from eight matches is the club’s worst managerial start in a century.
Forest confirmed his dismissal shortly after the final whistle, stating: “After a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect. The club will make no further comment at this time.”
The 60-year-old arrived with a reputation for attacking football, having previously won league titles with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan and Celtic in Scotland before his move to Tottenham.
Yet his commitment to an expansive style, combined with Forest’s defensive frailties, left the team exposed and short of results.
Postecoglou had remained defiant after last week’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United, insisting his side were “heading in the direction I want us to.”
But today’s loss to Chelsea proved the final blow, with Marinakis opting for swift action amid growing unrest among supporters.
Forest, who sit 17th in the table, will now turn their attention to Thursday’s Europa League trip to Porto as they begin the search for their third manager of the season.
Category: General Sports
