Nottingham Forest and Ange Postecoglou have gone their separate ways after a terrible 39-day period. This saw the club set the record for the shortest managerial tenure in Premier League history.
The Australian manager joined Forest last month after being fired from Tottenham Hotspur. He lost all eight of his games in charge, making him the first manager in the club’s long history to start without a win.
City Ground’s Record-Breaking Failure
Postecoglou was fired right after Saturday’s humiliating 3-0 loss to Chelsea at home. The owner of the club, Evangelos Marinakis, left his seat before the final whistle. Fans were so angry that they were leaving, further indicating displeasure. After the loss, Forest dropped to 17th place in the Premier League table, which is dangerously close to the relegation zone.
The ex-Tottenham manager took over for Nuno Espírito Santo just three games into the season. However, things quickly fell apart for him. Forest only got one point from five Premier League games under his management. They only scored once, in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
Club Issues Statement on Dismissal
A short statement from the club confirmed the decision: “Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Ange Postecoglou has been fired as head coach with immediate effect after a string of disappointing results and performances.” At this time, the club will not say anything else.
Postecoglou has been fired twice in a row. Last season, Tottenham fired him after a terrible season in which the Spurs finished 17th, even though they won the Europa League.
Look for a Third Manager This Season
As of now, Forest is looking for their third manager of the season. Sean Dyche, who used to be the manager of Burnley and Everton, is now the top choice to take over at the City Ground.
The club controversially fired the popular Nuno Espírito Santo after only three games this season. Even though he had led Forest back into European competition last season. Reports say that he left because his relationship with owner Marinakis had gotten very bad.
Failed Tactical Revolution
Postecoglou was hired on a two-year contract with the goal of making the team’s style of play more aggressive and forward-thinking. But his tactical approach didn’t work. Calls for his firing grew stronger after a loss in the Europa League to the Danish team Midtjylland.
After losing 2-0 to Newcastle before the international break, the pressure reached a breaking point. There were even rumors that Forest was already looking for possible replacements. Forest lost to Chelsea on Saturday, which was the last straw. They missed early chances and then gave up two goals in quick succession after halftime.
