Nottingham Forest are struggling to appoint a new manager at the City Ground, with Sean Dyche “emerging as a leading candidate” (h/t The Athletic).
Forest’s hierarchy, including global director of football Edu Gaspar and global technical director George Syrianos, have held positive talks with Dyche.
They see Dyche as the most realistic and experienced option to steady the ship. Forest are in disarray after sacking Ange Postecoglou at the weekend, just eight games into his reign.
The Australian tactician failed to win a single game after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in September, leaving Forest 18th in the Premier League with just one win all season.
A 3-0 defeat against Chelsea was the final straw for owner Evangelos Marinakis, who is now desperate for stability.
Dyche brings almost a decade of Premier League experience from his time at Burnley and Everton. He kept Everton in the top flight despite two separate points deductions.
Meanwhile, his tenure at Burnley remains one of the most successful in the club’s history.
His pragmatic, no-nonsense approach will appeal to a Forest team clamoring for structure and identity after months of chaos.
It will also appeal to the hierarchy desperate to retain their place in the top flight.
Their Premier League record in 332 games is 93 wins, 91 draws and 148 losses.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes “his player management skills are second to none”.
Forest’s recruitment team are carrying out a thorough process to identify the right candidate, with Marco Silva unlikely to leave Fulham and Roberto Mancini ruled out.
Dyche is the clear favorite ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match against Porto.
However, even if Dyche is named, Forest’s scattershot approach has been absurd to witness.
From Nuno’s balanced ideals to Postecoglou’s ultra-attacking football, and now to Dyche’s rigid defensive philosophy. There is clearly no direction here.
Marinakis’ decision-making has become increasingly erratic, undoing the steady progress the club had made since returning to the Premier League.
Forest once had a clear project and an identity taking shape. Now it looks like chaos disguised as ambition.
Transfermarkt statistics.
