Nottingham Forest have confirmed that Sean Dyche is their new manager, with the experienced coaching signing a contract until the summer of 2027.
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Dyche, 54, was last in work at Everton as he kept them up twice amid serious financial problems but was fired midway through last season. He replaces Ange Postecoglou who was fired after just eight games and 39 days in charge of Forest after he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in September.
In a statement Forest lauded Dyche’s defensive organization as they clearly aim to return to the counter-attacking style Nuno had such great success with last season, as they overachieved massively by qualifying for the Europa League instead of being in a relegation scrap.
Dyche was a former Forest youth team player and lives in Nottingham, while his assistant coaches are Steve Stone and Ian Woan who are both Nottingham Forest legends. His first game in charge is in the Europa League against FC Porto on Thursday at the City Ground before heading to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Nottingham Forest statement on Sean Dyche
“A respected and experienced Premier League manager, Dyche brings the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen and proven achievement to guide the Club through its next chapter.
“Having managed more than 330 Premier League matches in his career to date, Dyche has built teams defined by defensive organization, resilience, and strength from set pieces — qualities that align closely with the current squad’s attributes and the Club’s footballing identity.
“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. With his character, tactical acumen and man-management skills, his appointment represents the best opportunity for a successful and competitive season across both domestic and European competitions.”
Why Dyche seems like the perfect fit for Forest
This squad of players aligns perfectly with Dyche-ball and is a clear admission by owner Evangelos Marinakis, head of football Edu Gaspar and technical director George Syrianos that they got it wrong with hiring Postecoglou.
This group of players were recruited to play for Nuno Espirito Santo and Dyche’s tactics and philosophy align very closely with Nuno’s, so this makes perfect sense. Hiring Postecoglou was the wrong move because the players Forest have just weren’t the right fit for how he likes to play. At least Forest have rectified that mistake as quickly as possible.
Dyche will get Forest back to being solid to beat and dangerous on the counter and that plays to the strengths of most of their players and their fans will get on board with that. He gets the fanbase, will calm things down and is a solid, reliable operator.
Given their poor start to the season in the league and Europe, Dyche’s main aim this season is to keep them in the Premier League and push to make the Europa League knockout rounds. That should be easily attainable with this squad of players who showed everyone what they’re capable of when they get the basics right.
After being fired by Everton Dyche needs this to go well, and Forest need Dyche to turn them into a full Dychian team. This is the perfect fit.
