In a dramatic and sudden turn of events, Nottingham Forest have dismissed Ange Postecoglou just minutes after their 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.
This ended his short 39-day tenure at the club, during which he did not win any of the eight games he was in charge of.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect. The Club will make no further comment at this time.” A statement from the club reads.
The Build-up: A High‐Profile Appointment
On September 9, 2025, Nottingham Forest announced that Ange Postecoglou would take over from Nuno Espírito Santo. This was seen as a bold but risky move by many.
Postecoglou had just finished a successful time at Tottenham Hotspur, where he won the Europa League. However, his domestic form had not been good, and leaving Spurs added more pressure.
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner, said in public that Forest was hiring “a coach…with a proven and consistent record of winning trophies.”
The expectations were high because Forest had done well the season before under Nuno and had qualified for European competition. The club wanted to keep that momentum going. But in the end, Postecoglou’s time in charge never took off.
A Turbulent Gun: 8 games, 0 Wins
Results did not show up from the start. Before the Chelsea game, Postecoglou’s Forest lost eight games in all competitions (six losses and two draws).
Postecoglou’s reign at Nottingham started with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Then came a shocking loss to Swansea in the Carabao Cup.
In five Premier League games, they only got one point, which put them dangerously close to the relegation zone. The fans were getting more and more impatient. Fans were already upset after a Europa League draw and a string of bad results. Chants and rumors in the press about Postecoglou’s future grew stronger.
The Decisive Fixture — Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Nottingham Forest played Chelsea at The City Ground on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The home team lost the game 3-0, which led to the club’s decision to fire Postecoglou right away.
Owner Marinakis got up from his seat during the game, which was a bad sign that he was unhappy. The club said that Postecoglou was fired just 18 to 20 minutes after the game ended.
The timing is terrible: Forest didn’t score in three straight home Premier League games while he was in charge (the first time since October 1998), and they also gave up a lot of goals from set pieces, which is another big problem.
Why it went wrong: Reasons for the firing
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Unacceptable results, no wins – The stark fact is zero victories in eight outings undermined any long-term vision.
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Unsteady defence & set‐piece vulnerability – Forest conceded 11 goals from set-pieces under Postecoglou — more than twice as many as any other Premier League side in that period.
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Disjointed identity and fan buy-in – Postecoglou attempted to instill an attacking philosophy, but this might have clashed with a squad built under previous regimes. Some insiders questioned whether the players were suited to the style or whether the change was too rapid.
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Owner’s impatience – Marinakis has shown little hesitation in changing managers when expectations aren’t met. The early departure suggests the club deemed the risk of continuing higher than the disruption of a change.
What it means for the forest
Nottingham Forest is now looking for their third head coach in just a few months. Nuno left in early September, and Postecoglou left in October. That kind of instability is a warning sign for any team that wants to play in the Premier League and Europe.
Postecoglou’s early exit sets a record: his 39-day term is now one of the shortest for a permanent manager in Premier League history.
To avoid getting into a relegation battle, Forest will need to find a manager who can stabilize the team, get back in touch with the players, and get results quickly.
The bigger picture: the stress managers face in today’s football
The Postecoglou story at Forest shows two bigger truths about top-level football today: New managers have very little room for error, especially at clubs that expect a lot from them and have put a lot of money into them.
In the short term, results often matter more than vision. Even coaches with a lot of experience are judged on how well their teams do right away, and they don’t always have time to work on long-term projects.
People who follow the game closely won’t be surprised by the Forest board’s decision. The Premier League is tough, and owners sometimes act quickly when things don’t seem to be going as planned.
Conclusion
Ange Postecoglou came to Nottingham Forest with a lot of experience and the belief that he could take them to new heights. But his time there was short-lived. He leaves after just over five weeks on the job without a win, and fans are unhappy, the team isn’t doing well, and morale is low.
The decision to cut ties quickly may seem like the right one for Forest, but it also makes people wonder about the club’s stability and long-term plans.
For Postecoglou, this is another sudden end to a year full of highs and lows. There is no doubt that the 3-0 loss to Chelsea will be remembered as the end of the Forest experiment and the start of a new one.
