Ange Postecoglou Believed He Deserved More Time to Fix Nottingham Forest Before Sudden Sacking
According to recent reports, Ange Postecoglou was fully confident that the Nottingham Forest board would provide him with the necessary window to reverse the club’s sliding fortunes before they ultimately pulled the trigger on his dismissal.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was brought in to replace Nuno Espirito Santo just three matches into the current season. However, his time at the City Ground proved to be a historical disappointment, lasting only 39 days. During that brief stint, Postecoglou failed to secure a single victory across eight competitive fixtures. Following a demoralizing streak of four consecutive losses in October, the club leadership decided to terminate his contract, leaving the Australian coach without a role since.
The struggle for stability at Forest has continued under his successor, Sean Dyche. Dyche is reportedly facing intense scrutiny as the “Reds” remain locked in a desperate battle to maintain their Premier League status, proving that the club’s issues may run deeper than the man in the dugout.
Nick Montgomery, who served as one of Postecoglou’s trusted assistants during that volatile period at Forest, has recently been working in China with BJ Guoan. In a candid discussion with former professional defender Steven Caulker, Montgomery provided a behind-the-scenes look at the manager’s current mindset and his perspective on the failed tenure.
Sharing those insights with talkSPORT, Caulker explained that Postecoglou is currently “taking a breather” while reflecting on his next career move. According to the account, the coaching staff entered the Forest project with the expectation of longevity, given the club’s recent history of competing on the European stage. They believed the hierarchy understood that a massive turnaround would require patience, yet that time never materialized. Caulker also noted that the managerial change hasn’t served as a “silver bullet” for Nottingham Forest, as they continue to languish near the bottom of the table under Dyche’s leadership.
On paper, Postecoglou’s record was undeniably poor, consisting of six defeats and two draws. Since taking the reins, Dyche has experienced a roller-coaster of results, balancing domestic struggles with challenges on the European front.
The pressure is now reaching a boiling point as the Reds prepare to host Wolverhampton Wanderers this Wednesday in a critical encounter at the City Ground. Forest currently sits just three points clear of the relegation zone. The stakes are heightened by the fact that 18th-placed West Ham United could pull level with them on points if they manage to defeat Manchester United on Tuesday evening.
Reflecting on a recent 3-1 setback against Leeds United, Dyche remained characteristically stoic. He pointed out that when he inherited the squad, they were two points deep in the relegation mire, whereas they now hold a six-point cushion (relative to their starting position).
Dyche insisted that his approach remains level-headed, stating that he didn’t let the hype of 3-0 wins over giants like Liverpool and Tottenham cloud his judgment. He maintained that the “work is still the work” and emphasized that survival isn’t determined by a single result, but by the standings at the end of the final matchday of the season.
