Nottingham Forest since hired Ange Postecoglou, after Nuno Espírito Santo was fired. Perhaps more interesting was their decision to fire the manager following an unexpectedly poor start to the English Premier League season. Now, they find themselves in 10th place. This modification is a big step for the club. Espírito Santo was the seventh manager that Evangelos Marinakis has appointed since taking charge as majority shareholder in 2017.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s short time as the club’s manager was under siege almost from the doorstep. Having led Nottingham Forest to the Europa League at the end of last season, Cooper had signed a new contract in June. His relationship with Marinakis deteriorated. A criticism of the club’s summer transfer activity warmed up those tensions. Fans were tepid on the moves to sign players such as James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Douglas Luiz. At the end of last season, that frustration boiled over for Marinakis after a 2-2 home draw with Leicester City. He himself was caught on video looking very angry with Espírito Santo, further escalating it.
Espírito Santo’s exit after only three matches of the new Premier League campaign. The 42-year-old enjoyed stellar success last season to become the club’s most successful manager since Frank Clark. He quickly found himself in conflict with the owner.
“What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years.” – Evangelos Marinakis
Marinakis also recently presented Postecoglou with an award recognizing him as the first Greek to win the Europa League, signaling the club’s intention to foster a positive atmosphere moving forward. Nottingham Forest hope this marquee appointment will help kickstart their Premier League campaign. Of course, to keep the momentum going from last season’s huge wins.
With the new leadership, the club is re-stabilizing. Next, all attention turns to Postecoglou as he faces far tougher tests to come and scrambles to ensure Nottingham Forest remains in the Premier League’s top ten. The expectation is that he will bring a fresh perspective and strategy to a team that has experienced ups and downs in recent seasons.
