Sean Dyche was appointed Nottingham Forest’s third manager of the season on Tuesday, returning to the Premier League for the first time in almost a year.
The former Burnley and Everton coach will replace Ange Postecoglou. fired in a merciless manner It came about 20 minutes after Forest lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea on Saturday, sending the team into the relegation zone.
Postecoglou had only been in office for 39 days. fired Nuno It turned out to be a mistaken appointment by Espirito Santo forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Forest, who won back-to-back European titles in 1979 and 1980, enjoyed their best season in a generation last season, challenging for Champions League qualification before collapsing in the final stages, but still returned to European competition in seventh place in the Premier League.
Forest’s feel-good factor has disappeared after just two months of this season, with the team sitting third-last with five points from eight games. Forest have won only one of their 11 competitive games, the season opener against Brentford, and have lost their last four.
Dyche, whose first time in charge will be against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, takes over a team that may have lost its sense of direction, having already played under two different tactical approaches so far this season. Initially Nuno’s more pragmatic and direct style, Postecoglou brought with him an attacking mindset that did not suit the players in Forest’s squad.
Dyche is similar to Nuno in the way he builds teams, as evidenced by his long spell at Burnley from 2012 to 2022 and his two years at Everton before being sacked in January. He should bring further stability and organization to Forest, particularly in defending set pieces, a major weakness for Postecoglou’s side.
“A respected and experienced manager in the Premier League, Dyche brings the perfect combination of personality, tactical acumen and track record to lead the club into its next chapter,” Forest said in a statement.
“Dyche, who has managed over 330 Premier League games in his career to date, has built a team defined by defensive organization, resilience and strength from set-pieces. These qualities align closely with the current team attributes and the club’s footballing identity.”
Bonds of the forest
The 54-year-old Dyche, who is under contract until the summer of 2027, was a former Forest youth team player but never made any first-team appearances for the club. He still lives near Nottingham, and his long-time backroom staffers Ian Warne and Steve Stone are both former Forest players.
Dyche is one of the most charismatic managers in the Premier League, with his raspy voice and phrasing.
He recently announced the launch of his podcast “Utter Nonsense!” –That may have to be put on hold now that he’s back in management.
“As a former Forest youth player who lives locally, Dyche also has a deep understanding of the values and pride of Forest and its supporters,” Forrest said. “His appointment, with his personality, tactical acumen and people management skills, gives us the best chance of having a successful and competitive season in both domestic and European competitions.”
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