Nottingham Forest are believed to be making contingency plans if they decide to sack manager Ange Postecoglou, which is still rumoured to be a possibility as Evangelos Marinakis weighs up his next move.
Ange Postecoglou's disastrous start at Nottingham Forest
Postecoglou’s tenure at Forest has been marked by a disastrous start, casting a shadow over the club’s hopes for progress this season.
Since taking the reins after Nuno Espírito Santo’s unceremonious departure, Postecoglou has struggled to find form, becoming the first permanent Forest manager in a century to fail to win any of his first six matches.
Arsenal 3-0 Forest
Premier League
Swansea 3-2 Forest
Carabao Cup
Burnley 1-1 Forest
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Real Betis 2-2 Forest
Europa League
Forest 0-1 Sunderland
Premier League
Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland
Europa League
Newcastle 2-0 Forest
Premier League
His attempts to implement a new playing philosophy — characterized by high-intensity pressing and open attacking football — have yet to yield any results, leaving the squad visibly unsettled and fans frustrated.
Chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ rang around the City Ground during Forest’s shock 3-2 defeat to Danish minnows FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, and discontent from supporters will only be piling pressure on Marinakis after his controversial decision to sack Nuno.
Reports suggest that Marinakis is furious with Forest’s current state behind-the-scenes and holds personal accountability for his role (TEAMtalk), and if results don’t improve soon, the Greek billionaire isn’t afraid to be ruthless and make another immediate managerial change (Sky Sports).
Should Forest decide to part ways with Postecoglou, several candidates have emerged as potential replacements.
Fulham’s Marco Silva is considered a leading contender, especially given his relationship with Marinakis following the pair’s time at Olympiacos together (talkSPORT).
Silva’s contract situation and success on a shoe-string budget at Craven Cottage makes him an attractive long-term target, while other names linked include Rafa Benitez and Oliver Glasner, both of whom bring proven experience managing in the Premier League.
Benitez was spotted close to Marinakis during a recent Olympiacos clash against Arsenal in the Champions League, whilst Glasner is reportedly emerging as a “prime candidate” for the Forest job if Postecoglou does leave.
Marco Silva expected to leave Fulham amid Nottingham Forest interest
Sharing an update on the prospect of Silva’s potential appointment, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook has urged Tricky Trees supporters to “keep an eye” on the Portuguese with his deal — said to include an £8 million release clause — due to expire in 2026.
Crook also says that he expects Silva to depart Fulham at the end of his contract amid Forest’s interest, but also states it’ll be tricky to convince the tactician to swap jobs immediately.
“One name to keep an eye on… Marco Silva at Fulham,” Crook said.
“Now, I think it’s difficult to get him out of Fulham mid-season, but his contract is up at the end of the season.
“I don’t expect him to stay at Craven Cottage, I think he’s been quite vocal about his unhappiness during most of the transfer windows he’s been in situ.
“He does have a good relationship with Marinakis, he was at Olympiacos when they won their 43rd league title, so I think if they do decide to change managers again, then he would be a genuine contender.”
The 48-year-old, who guided Fulham to Premier League promotion from the Championship, has since kept them afloat with solid mid-table finishes, and they briefly contended for Europe last season — despite underspending in comparison to their top flight rivals.
Ex-Hull City striker Evandro, who worked with Silva at the MKM Stadium, has branded Silva a “master” tactician.
“He printed out what he was going to do in training, and it was a similar formula to the one we had in Estoril. He is a master,” Evandro told Premier League Brasil.
“I like to put Marco Silva on the same level as Sampaoli, because he has a management model that I also look up to. Marco Silva has an excellent way of managing the group and his greatest characteristic is being rational and not emotional.
“I believe that in this role as a coach, if you let emotions take over, things get lost easily, because in football you have to deal with fans and the press.”
