Sean Dyche has verbally agreed to take over at Nottingham Forest following the abrupt dismissal of Ange Postecoglou.
Forest’s search for stability has begun less than 48 hours after Postecoglou’s sacking, which came only 19 minutes after the club’s 3–0 defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday.
The Australian’s tenure lasted just 39 days and eight matches, during which he failed to record a single win in all competitions.
Postecoglou’s short reign was marked by a clash of footballing philosophies.
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His trademark high-pressing, attacking approach — successful at Celtic and at times during his spell in charge of Tottenham — contrasted sharply with the pragmatic, counterattacking style that defined Nuno Espirito Santo’s spell in charge.
With a squad built for the latter system, Forest’s hierarchy are now targeting a manager whose methods better suit their personnel.
Dyche, 54, is considered the leading candidate by the club’s senior football executives, global head of football Edu and technical director George Syrianos.
Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Nottingham Forest on Saturday, just 19 minutes after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea
|REUTERS
The former Burnley and Everton manager has a reputation for discipline, defensive organisation and a structured playing model that could offer Forest the immediate stability they crave.
According to Sky Sports, Dyche has now verbally agreed to take charge after talks were held with a series of different managers.
Roberto Mancini, who won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012, was briefly considered but is not expected to return to England.
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Sean Dyche has verbally agreed to become the next manager of Nottingham Forest
|PA
Fulham’s Marco Silva was also discussed but is unlikely to leave his role at Craven Cottage.
Forest’s leadership is under increasing pressure after the team slipped into the relegation zone at the weekend.
A 2–0 win for Burnley over Leeds compounded their misery, leaving them with just five points from seven league matches. Of those, only one — a 1–1 draw with Burnley — came under Postecoglou.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has faced sharp criticism for his decision to sack two managers in less than three months.
On BBC’s Match of the Day, former England defender Micah Richards called the move “ridiculous,” accusing the club of acting impulsively.
“I think it was inevitable for the owner in terms of his standards for the club,” Richards said.
Ange Postecoglou failed to win a single match during his time in charge of Nottingham Forest | REUTERS“I remember last season, he thought they were going into the Champions League.
“It didn’t work out, they got into Europe, and that wasn’t good enough. Obviously Nuno gets sacked after that.
“But in terms of football — five games, 39 days in the Premier League, and you’re getting sacked. It’s just ridiculous to me.
“I don’t know where they’re going in terms of football. I understand the results haven’t been great, but in terms of a manager trying to get his philosophy over — we knew with Nuno it was a defensive-style team, now we know Ange likes to go on the front foot.
“We always talk about giving managers time to put their input on what the team wants to do. And for him to get five games in the league…”
Forest now face a crucial week in their season. They host Porto in the Europa League on Thursday before travelling to Bournemouth at the weekend, and club officials hope to have a new manager in place before that trip.