Nottingham Forest’s chaotic season reached a new low after Ange Postecoglou was dismissed just 18 minutes after a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea. The decision brought an abrupt end to his 40-day tenure, one of the shortest in Premier League history, leaving the club in turmoil and their rebuild under Evangelos Marinakis in jeopardy.
Only five months ago, Forest were on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League. Now, they find themselves battling to stay in the top flight. The decline has been swift and severe. Postecoglou’s record—two draws and six defeats in eight matches—spoke volumes about the team’s struggles. Forest conceded 18 goals and failed to keep a single clean sheet, while scoring only once in their last five league outings.
Postecoglou’s dismissal came as no surprise. The Forest owner, Marinakis, reportedly made up his mind during the defeat to Chelsea, leaving his seat early and departing the stadium before the final whistle. His swift decision highlighted growing frustrations within the club hierarchy and among supporters, who had grown disillusioned with the team’s lack of progress.
The seeds of instability were sown earlier in the summer when Edu was appointed as global head of football for Marinakis’s network of clubs. His strained relationship with former manager Nuno Espírito Santo led to a split that left the club directionless. Postecoglou’s arrival was intended to steady the ship, but his attacking philosophy quickly unravelled amid defensive frailties and a loss of confidence throughout the squad.
Early cup exits and league defeats further eroded faith in the project. A humiliating Carabao Cup collapse at Swansea and a damaging Europa League loss to Midtjylland exposed the team’s mental fragility. Even the dressing room’s optimism, expressed by captain Morgan Gibbs-White and striker Chris Wood, could not mask the glaring problems on the pitch.
With Forest now entrenched in a relegation fight, Marinakis faces a defining decision. The club has begun sounding out replacements, with names like Sean Dyche and Marco Silva under consideration. Whoever steps in must not only rescue Forest’s season but also restore stability to a club that has lost its way after years of ambitious rebuilding. Marinakis cannot afford another misstep—his next appointment may decide the club’s future.
