Manager says it was a “bad decision” to take up the role at the City Ground
Ange Postecoglou has admitted he is to blame for the circumstances that led to him getting the sack after just 39 days in charge at Nottingham Forest, making him the manager with the shortest managerial spell in the history of the Premier League.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and replaced the Portuguese with Postecoglou, just two months after the Australian had been dismissed by Tottenham after winning the Europa League.
“The whole Forest situation was on me,” Postecoglou admitted to the Overlap podcast. “It was, I think, a case of being careful what you wish for.
“It was a bad decision by me to go in there, and I’ve got to take ownership of that. There’s no point blaming timing or circumstances – I should never have gone in. It was too soon after Tottenham.”
YOU REDS! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Hb5ioVIJpH
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 19, 2026
Postecoglou was heavily criticised by pundits for arriving at Forest midseason and trying to tear up the entire way they had been playing under Nuno. Nuno had created a defensively solid team that sat back and played on the counterattack. Postecoglou is well known for his gung ho style of attack, often at the expense of a solid defence.
“I went in at a time when they were used to doing things a certain way, and although I was always going to do things differently, I’ve got to cop that,” said Postecoglou. “It was my mistake. It’s no one else’s fault.”
“It was the first time I hadn’t worked in 20-odd years, and I was lost. In the off-season, you’re normally busy with transfers, pre-season, your mind is always ticking over. This time I wasn’t, and I felt lost.
“In the end, I have to take ownership. I made a decision based on not working and seeing a group of players I thought I could improve.
“That blinded me to the reality – it was never going to work long-term. Even if I’d won a few games, it wouldn’t have lasted.”
