Nottingham Forest hire Sean Dyche as their third manager this season

Sean Dyche became Nottingham Forest’s third manager of the season when he was hired on Tuesday, marking his return to the Premier League after almost a year away.

The former Burnley and Everton coach replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was brutally sacked on Saturday around 20 minutes after Forest’s 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea that left them in the relegation zone.

Postecoglou had only been in office for 39 days, having taken over from the dismissed Nuno Espirito Santo, in what turned out to be a misplaced appointment by forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Forest – consecutive European champions in 1979 and 1980 – enjoyed their best season in a generation last season. He challenged for Champions League qualification until a late collapse, but still managed to return to European competition via a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

The feel-good factor at Forest has disappeared after just two months of this season, with the side sitting in third and last place with five points from eight games. Forest have won just one of their 11 games in all competitions – the season opener against Brentford – and have lost their last four.

Dyche, whose first game in charge is against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, takes over a side that may be disoriented having played under two different tactical approaches so far this season. Initially it was Nuno’s more pragmatic and direct style, before Postecoglou brought his attacking mentality which did not suit the players in the Forest squad.

Dyche is more like Nuno in the way he builds his teams, as evidenced by his long spell at Burnley from 2012 to 2022 and again in his two years at Everton before being sacked in January. He should bring more stability and organization back to Forest, especially when defending set pieces – a major weakness in the team under Postecoglou.

“Dyche, a respected and experienced Premier League manager, brings the perfect blend of character, tactical insight and proven performance to guide the club through its next chapter,” Forest said in a statement.

“Having managed more than 330 Premier League games in his career to date, Dyche has built teams characterized by defensive organisation, resilience and strength from set pieces – qualities that closely reflect the characteristics of the current squad and the club’s football identity.”

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Dyche, 54, who has signed a contract until the summer of 2027, played in Forest’s youth team but never made a senior appearance for the club. He still lives near Nottingham and two of his old backroom staff – Ian Woan and Steve Stone – are former Forest players.

Dyche is one of the more charismatic Premier League managers with his gravelly voice and choice of words.

He recently announced the launch of a podcast – “Complete Bullshit!” – 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,” Forest said. “With his character, tactical insight and man-management skills, his appointment represents the best opportunity for a successful and competitive season in both domestic and European competitions.”

Published on October 21, 2025