Ange Postecoglou can empathise with Nuno Espirito Santo. Both were unceremoniously shown the exit door after leading their club to a historic high. One ending a 17-year wait for silverware, the other delivering European qualification to a club that 12 months prior were in the midst of a relegation battle.
But empathy can only get you so far. Employment is the priority.
Postecoglou will take the reins at Nottingham Forest following Nuno’s dismissal, one which followed an explosive fallout between the Portuguese manager and ever-volatile owner Evangelos Marinakis. Their relationship collapsed as a rift between Nuno and Forest’s new head of football Edu Gaspar grew bigger, which acted as the catalyst for Marinakis to sanction the axing.
Just as Postecoglou’s loss was Thomas Frank’s gain in N17, Nuno’s loss is very much Postecoglou’s gain in Nottingham. The Aussie has been eager for an immediate return to management in the English top-flight as he looks to continue the restoration of his reputation, a redemption arc that began rather than finished with his Europa League triumph.
But football has not forgotten the nine months that preceded that famous night in Bilbao. Postecoglou was the unenviable poster boy of Tottenham’s disaster season, one that saw them record their lowest-ever points tally in a Premier League season (38) as they finished a laughable 17th. Failing to even breach the famous 40-point safety barrier, such a dire points haul would have seen them relegated in past seasons gone by, such as the 2010/11 campaign which saw Blackpool and Birmingham City – two sides who haven’t seen the light of the top-flight since – both go down with 39 points.
So appalling was Spurs’ 2024/25 season that even the club’s holy grail, a major trophy, could not save his job. He may have written himself into Tottenham folklore – fans still high off Bilbao were admittedly gutted to see their hero of the day given the boot just 16 days hence of the final – but the immediate reinvigoration seen under Frank has all but justified the board’s decision to stick to its guns.
Postecoglou now embarks on his second chance in the Premier League. Marinakis’ “all guns blazing” approach to ownership has opened the door to another opportunity in England’s top flight for the Aussie, which could allow him to rectify mistakes of old and complete his redemption. However, he’ll be required to completely shift the tactical tides at the City Ground if he is to have any success.
Forest’s players have spent the last 21 months adapting to Nuno-ball; the risk-averse playing style that thrives on keeping players behind the ball before counter-attacking with pace, utilising rapid wingers and a potent target man. They now face an ideology shift equivalent to rewriting the laws of gravity as Ange-ball, with an emphasis on high-energy attacking overloads and positional fluidity, becomes the prevailing teaching. Overnight, the entire tactical foundation of Forest’s newfound success has been uprooted.
It would be naive to expect philosophical compromise from Postecoglou. “It’s who we are, mate” was the phrase that provided endless ammunition for critics to blast Postecoglou’s stubborn mentality, refusing to give up on the system that he has poured so much into. The same inflexibility has been seen within the psyche of flailing Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, who continues to opt against playing his best players in their best position in favour of sticking to his beloved 3-4-3 game-plan that, as of yet, has only delivered humiliation.
Whether Forest can adapt to Postecoglou with perhaps less resources than he had at his disposal at Spurs will be the key to whether or not he succeeds.
But what Postecoglou does have going for him from the outset is charisma. He is a stellar motivator and one that can get the best out of his players in the truly big moments. His Aussie charm may also come in handy behind the scenes, with Marinakis no doubt hopeful for a less frosty relationship between his new manager and right-hand man Edu.
Results, though, will of course be paramount. Marinakis appoints the 60-year-old with an eye for the Europa League – a competition Forest are only in thanks to FA Cup winners Crystal Palace’s multi-ownership infraction. Rather than regressing to a 17th-place finish, Postecoglou will be tasked with emulating his European exploits and proving Forest’s right to be in the continent’s second-tier competition, all in the name of avenging last year’s Champions League near-miss.
There is a fairytale feeling to this appointment, one of redemption and “finishing the story”. That sentiment is heightened by the fact he will begin his Forest tenure back in North London away to Arsenal, the arch-rivals of his former employers. Postecoglou never emerged victorious in his four meetings with the Gunners, drawing one and losing three. Perhaps now, without the pressure of derby stakes, Postecoglou can break the curse.
His appointment nevertheless is huge roll of the dice from Marinakis. The rarely conceited Greek billionaire is hardly adverse to taking gambles – his penchant for breaking the bank to the point of sanction does not scream pragmatic. But if this latest stormy shake-up pays off, it could well and truly transform Marinakis from football business bogeyman to box office.
