Ange Postecoglou admits Nottingham Forest move was a mistake and came too soon after Spurs exit

• Ange Postecoglou says he regrets taking the Nottingham Forest job so soon after leaving Tottenham.
• The Australian coach was dismissed after a 39-day winless run at the City Ground.
• He accepts full responsibility and believes the move was never going to work long term.

Ange Postecoglou has admitted he made a major error by accepting the head coach role at Nottingham Forest this season, conceding the decision came far too soon after his departure from Tottenham Hotspur.

Postecoglou was dismissed by Spurs last summer despite ending the club’s 17–year wait for silverware by lifting the Europa League trophy. He quickly returned to management at Forest but endured a turbulent spell, eventually being sacked following a 39-day winless run.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Postecoglou reflected openly on the decision and accepted full responsibility for what followed.

“The whole Forest situation was on me. It was a bad decision by me to go in there and I have got to take ownership of that. I should never have gone in. It was too soon after Tottenham,” he said.

“It was the first time I had not worked in over 20 years and I was lost. Normally your mind is ticking over with transfers and preseason plans. This time I did not have that and I felt lost.”

Forest have since appointed two further managers, with Vitor Pereira replacing Sean Dyche to become the club’s fourth permanent head coach of the season, a Premier League record. The club now sit just three points above the relegation zone, despite the perceived quality within the squad.

Postecoglou said he quickly sensed the environment he had entered was not conducive to long term success.

“Usually when you go into a club they want change, but I do not think they really wanted what I had to offer. Strategically it was never going to work,” he explained.

“By the time we started playing competitive games, we never got traction. It is no wonder the supporters never connected with me. Even the players were a bit distant.”

The 59 year–old was eventually dismissed just 19 minutes after a fourth straight defeat, this time against Chelsea, a moment he now views as inevitable.

“In the end, I have to take ownership. Even if I had won a few games, it would not have lasted,” he said. “I should have had more extensive discussions before taking the job. I made a decision based on emotion rather than reality.”

Postecoglou also acknowledged the demands of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, admitting that the expectation for immediate results left little room for patience or development.

“Every manager needs to go through a sticky patch. That is how you learn about people and build something lasting,” he added. “At Spurs, we lived through that and got the reward. Looking back, I do not know what I was thinking.”

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.

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