Three decisions Sean Dyche got spot-on in first Nottingham Forest game vs Porto
Sean Dyche managed to immediately win the hearts of Nottingham Forest supporters during his first game in charge against Porto.
Dyche plays a similar style to Nuno Espirito Santo, and due to how well the Reds did under the new West Ham boss’ leadership, Keith Wyness told Football Insider that it likely gave him the edge.
From the penalty spot, Morgan Gibbs-White scored his first goal since netting against the Hammers in May last season, with Igor Jesus doubling their lead, once again from the 12-yard spot.
It was not long ago that Forest fans were chanting for Ange Postecoglou to be sacked after losing to Midtjylland in their previous Europa League game, but it was night and day between the displays.
Sean Dyche switches formation immediately vs Porto
Postecoglou lasted 39 days in charge at the City Ground before being relieved of his duties, and none of his performances managed to create any sense of hope or togetherness.
One of the biggest surprises about Evangelos Marinakis hiring the former Tottenham figure was his inclination to play with a back-three formation. That turned out to be a woeful decision.
Resorting to three centre-backs also meant one less figure in midfield, and it also leads very nicely onto the second point that Dyche got so right against the in-form Portuguese giants.
Morato is dropped to the bench at the City Ground
Morato has struggled since signing for Forest, and with Dyche being appointed, it was only a matter of time before the slow, bulky centre-half was axed from the starting lineup.
He is almost an accident waiting to happen with the number of cautions he picks up, and it is utterly clear just how much better Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic are than the 24-year-old.
If the Reds want to return to their same successes from last season, it will be vital that he doesn’t touch the pitch, unless as a late substitute to consolidate a win, and even replace him in January.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was an absolute menace for Nottingham Forest
Another strange decision that Postecoglou kept making was benching Callum Hudson-Odoi on consecutive occasions, and the winger instantly proved him wrong against Porto.
| Callum Hudson-Odoi vs Porto | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Passing accuracy | 93% (28/30) |
| Shots (On target) | 3 (1) |
| Successful dribbles | 2 |
| Ground duels won | 4 |
| Fouls won | 2 |
Whenever the 24-year-old picked up the ball, he was charging in behind Porto’s backline, wreaking havoc at the City Ground, and should feel unlucky not to add a goal contribution to his record.
Fans could feel that something was about to happen when the ball landed at his feet, and while several players were key to the victory, his reinstatement to the starting lineup made a huge difference.