‘That worries me’ – Nottingham Forest legend reacts instantly to Ange Postecoglou arrival
Ange Postecoglou’s impending appointment at Nottingham Forest has been questioned by a club legend due to his open style of play following the surprise sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Nottingham Forest‘s whirlwind last 12 months under Nuno Espirito Santo have come to a close after he was sacked on Monday (9 September) night due to recent fallouts with co-owner Evangelos Marinakis and new transfer chief Edu Gaspar.
He led the club to a stellar seventh-placed finish last season, but despite their success, he fuelled rumours of a potential exit last month by saying that his relationship with Marinakis was “not the same” as before, and admitting that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” in response to reports over his position as boss being uncertain.
Former scout Mick Brown revealed to Football Insider on Tuesday (26 August) that Nottingham Forest had considered sacking Nuno Espirito Santo following public bust-ups, and they did just that on Monday with a club statement that said that “recent circumstances” had led to the decision being taken.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday (9 September) morning that former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is set to be appointed Forest manager with an announcement expected imminently, but a City Ground hero is not sure that he is the right fit for the club right now.
Stuart Pearce unsure if Ange Postecoglou’s style is right for Nottingham Forest due to Nuno Espirito Santo contrast
Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham in May despite leading them to Europa League glory against Man United, after they came 17th in the Premier League for their lowest top-flight finish in 48 years.
He was very stubborn in sticking to his open, all-action style of play at Spurs, insisting that “it’s who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here,” when questioned as they struggled to win games in the league.
Such a style is very different to Nuno’s low-block, counter-attacking approach that has worked so well at Forest, and club legend Stuart Pearce admitted he is unsure if Postecoglou’s tactics will be a good fit at the City Ground when asked as much by Simon Jordan on talkSPORT on Tuesday (9 September, 10:30).
He said: “The only thing that worries me, Simon, is the style of play. I think there’s a group of players here that have got into a groove, and the style of play has brought them success.
“That counter attack, I think certainly the two centre-halves enjoy having people around them to cover them up a little bit to get the best out of them.
“If you’re going to play expansive and open, does that suit Forest with their counter-attacking method of play? That’s my question mark with Ange [Postecoglou].”
Postecoglou looks imminently set to be named as their head-coach soon, and his first game in charge could ironically be against Spurs’ main rivals as Forest travel to Arsenal on Saturday (12 September).
Postecoglou’s impressive credentials mean he deserves a chance at Nottingham Forest after Tottenham sacking
Football Insider verdict
Daniel Levy’s decision to sack Postecoglou did not go down well with many Spurs players and many fans, as he was believed to have built some credit in the bank for finally delivering a trophy to a club that had been starved of success for too long considering their size.
Regardless, his departure from the Lilywhites may have actually helped his future job prospects, as another poor domestic campaign this season likely would have clouded the success that he delivered last term.
Instead he left the club on a high, and Forest co-owner Marinakis will have the image of him holding the Europa League trophy aloft fresh in his mind while searching for a Nuno replacement.
| Games managed | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points-per-game (PPG) |
| 101 | 47 | 14 | 40 | 1.53 |
Postecoglou has not just delivered trophies to an English football club, having won silverware in his native Australia with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar, as well as the J1 League with Yokohama Marinos and numerous league and cup titles in his time at Celtic.
No matter the club or country, he is a serial winner, and that kind of pedigree is sure to have appealed to clubs across Europe and the wider footballing world, so Forest have clearly done the right thing in getting him signed up as soon as possible after Nuno’s exit.
There will obviously be question marks over his style of play and whether the Reds’ players can adapt to it quickly and effectively, but even if it is a struggle at first, it seems very likely that he will be given ample time to implement his tactics by Marinakis after such a surprise move to sack Nuno and hire him.