Sean Dyche was often spotted at the City Ground while out of work. The Nottingham Forest job has been of interest to him for a long time, and not only because he lives close by. The circumstances in which the role has become available are not ideal for an incoming head coach but his appointment is the pragmatic choice in ludicrous circumstances.
Ange Postecoglou was never the right man, inheriting a squad that did not suit his style and did not adapt quickly enough, though it did not help that he told the players their previous achievements meant nothing. His tenure will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. Dyche, on the other hand, has plenty of respect for what was achieved at Forest under Nuno Espírito Santo and is far more aligned with that conservatism than with what was witnessed under Postecoglou.
Forest needed someone who will not require time to assess what they are working with, and Dyche knows this squad well, having watched on from near and far. He had been thought about at the club for a while because of his record in the Premier League with Burnley and Everton. Forest were impressed by his work at Everton, where in 2024 he would have finished level with Brighton and Bournemouth, two lauded clubs, but for a points deduction. It showed he was getting the best from the squad and not being distracted by off‑field matters.
Unlike when Postecoglou was brought in, full due diligence was done on Dyche before it was decided he was the best fit for the squad from the available managers. About £200m was spent on 13 summer signings to try to ensure Forest had the capabilities to compete in the Premier League and Europe. The recruitment made this the best Forest squad of the 21st century, one the club think should finish in the top 10 again, but they sit in the relegation zone with five points from eight games.
Dyche has never known such riches. Burnley’s squad never experienced much turnover and rarely involved high expenditure; at Everton finances were tight. At Forest he will have a team capable of competing at the highest level.
At Burnley and Everton his successes were based on a strong defensive unit, marshalled by two centre-backs. Ben Mee and James Tarkowski were the foundation at Turf Moor, and the team conceded relatively few goals for one regularly in a relegation battle. Dyche also achieved a seventh-placed finish with Burnley through meticulous planning and by creating a strong work ethic. Bringing the squad together will be imperative because some of the players found Postecoglou grating, but Dyche has worked on unity before.
Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo were, under Nuno, one of the best centre-back pairings in England and, with Dyche’s attention to detail at the back, they potentially can be again. The club wanted someone who can fix the defence and even those who question Dyche’s style could not dispute his credentials as a defensive coach. In 2023-24 his Everton team conceded 51 goals – only the top three let in fewer. Postecoglou could not organise Forest for set pieces and the team became quickly porous. Dyche will not stand for that.
The appointment will also bring counterattacking back to Forest, something that was instilled by Nuno and is why the club have invested heavily in wingers in recent years. Dan Ndoye, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson and Dilane Bakwa form an impressive group if Dyche can harness their attributes. It was a priority for Forest to get a manager who will work well with a squad that shines in transitions and has the speed and athleticism to scare opponents.
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It will be interesting to see how Dyche uses Morgan Gibbs-White because he has rarely been able to call upon a high-quality No 10. There is confidence at Forest that if the defence can be rebuilt the forwards will look after themselves, considering Dyche can also call upon Chris Wood, who he worked with at Burnley, and has Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi as options, depending on how he wants to play. Dyche showed when bringing Iliman Ndiaye to Everton that he is open to working with more creative players.
The Forest legends Ian Woan and Steve Stone being part of the Dyche package will be popular with most fans. Dyche was a youth player at Forest during the Brian Clough era and bringing a little bit of that period back will add a nostalgic tint.
Marco Silva was the manager the Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, wanted but it was too difficult to prise him away from Fulham mid-season for various reasons. Roberto Mancini was also under consideration but his personality has brought tension to previous jobs and considering the egos at the City Ground his arrival might have resulted in another combustion. Dyche likes to stay out of club politics, focusing on the running of the team, although whether it is possible to do so at Forest remains to be seen.
Unity is craved by the club and gave them great strength under Nuno. Dyche is there to bring calm and camaraderie and to shut out the noise, which is often of their own making. Things are rarely quiet at the City Ground but gruff notes of contentment, rather than the smashing of TV screens and chants for a sacking, are all that is wanted.
