Roy Keane has claimed Nuno Espirito Santo can have no complaints about his dismissal from Nottingham Forest, insisting the Portuguese coach was well aware of the pressures that came with working under owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Nuno’s 21-month spell at the City Ground ended on Monday night, with Forest swiftly appointing former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou as his replacement.
The decision came just weeks after Nuno admitted his relationship with Marinakis had broken down, effectively sealing his fate.
Speaking on ITV, former Forest midfielder Keane said the departure was inevitable.
Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked as Nottingham Forest manager on Monday night | PA“I’m not surprised,” he remarked. “Why should we be surprised about what happens at Nottingham Forest?
"I think we know what the owner’s like. No surprises.
"And I’ve no sympathy for any manager, either, that goes to Forest.
"Listen, you’re going to be under pressure with the owner there. So I certainly wasn’t surprised when they moved him on. Yeah, it’s tough.”
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Postecoglou, 60, arrives in the East Midlands just three months after his own dismissal from Tottenham.
Despite guiding Spurs to Europa League glory in May — the club’s first major silverware in 17 years — he was removed after a disastrous league campaign that ended in 17th place.
Forest’s hierarchy believe his trophy record makes him the ideal figure to take the club forward.
Marinakis said: “We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies.
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Ange Postecoglou is the new manager of Nottingham Forest following Nuno Espirito Santo's departure
| PA"His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.
“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies.
"Ange has the credentials and the track record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”
Postecoglou becomes Forest’s eighth permanent manager since Marinakis took ownership in 2017.
He will begin his reign with a daunting fixture on Saturday away at Arsenal, who are expected to mount another title challenge this season.
Nuno's departure came following a difficult start for Forest.
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Roy Keane made 114 appearances for Nottingham Forest during his playing days
|PA
Their season commenced well enough, with the Reds beating Bretford 3-1.
However, they were then held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace on matchday two.
And Nuno's last game was one to forget, with Forest battered 3-0 by West Ham at the City Ground following goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.