Ange Postecoglou has played down talk of an immediate shift in philosophy at Nottingham Forest and insists it will be evolution rather than revolution at the City Ground.
Postecoglou was named the successor to the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo on Tuesday and takes charge of Forest for the first time on Saturday when they visit Arsenal.
It will be a swift return to North London for the Australian who was dismissed by Tottenham in June, 16 days after leading them to the Europa League title.
No quick transition to ‘Angeball’
Postecoglou is renown for an all-out attacking style, characterised by a high press and high defensive line, in stark contrast to the more pragmatic Nuno.
On the face of it, Forest don’t possess the players to implement Postecoglou’s tactics straight away and the former Celtic boss accepts it will take time to get his ideas across.
He said: “It’s familiar territory for me. Similar when I took over at Spurs…but three games in. It’ll be a gradual process. Nuno was transitioning into something different. But we’re all different. It’s just a matter of making it as smooth as possible.”
Postecoglou said the opportunity to manage Forest was too good to turn down, adding: “I’m excited. Not really sure when the next opportunity will arise. It happened and I’m excited. It’s great to be back in the Premier League and in charge of a club with a storied history who I firmly believe are on the way up.
“It developed over the weekend but came to a head on the Monday. My staff were in different parts of the world. We had to make some quick decisions. They got me at a good time, I’d just done the school run. From my perspective, once we’d got into discussions over the weekend, it didn’t take too much for me to realise it was a great opportunity.
“It presented itself because of the work I’ve done. That’s opened doors for me. I feel pretty humble and blessed to be given another opportunity to manage in the greatest league in the world.
“For anyone who comes from Australia, we realise how far away we are from this world. People think I only started coaching two years ago at Spurs. We love being the underdog and we love being written off. I surpassed my dreams 20 years ago.”
Postecoglou targets trophies
Postecoglou made a rod for his own back at Spurs by declaring he “always wins trophies in his second year”, although he was ultimately proved right after Spurs beat Manchester United in Bilbao.
He didn’t repeat the claim at his Forest presentation but he did admit to targeting silverware.
“I’ve said already I want to win trophies and that’s what I’ve done my whole career and that’s what I’ll do here,” he said. “Every club wants to be successful but what I’ve seen over the last few years, those ambitions are backed up with actions.”
His dismissal at Tottenham came as a surprise, claims Postecoglou, despite a woeful Premier League season in 2025/25 that saw the club finish just one place outside the relegation places.
“It was unusual because it’s never happened to me before,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve been sacked. It’s the first time I’ve had an off-season off. You wonder about the next opportunity. What I did know was I was really keen to go to a club that would give me the platform to continue what I’ve been doing in my career.
“You certainly don’t know when these things come to an end. I certainly didn’t think I would finish up after winning a trophy.”
Postecoglou inherits strong Forest team
Forest finished seventh last season and Postecoglou will get the chance to work with a strong squad that includes new England star Elliot Anderson, Douglas Luiz and striker Chris Wood.
He said: “I really like the squad. Think it’s got great balance and able to cover most positions for the rotations you need. It has different demands on you in the Premier League and the cup competitions too. It’s a squad I think is ready to compete and is also robust enough.”
It is not an easy start for Postecoglou as he locks horns once again with former North London sparring partner Mikel Arteta.
“It is what it is. First four games are away so I got a good look at the stadium today,” he joked. “Every Premier League fixture is challenging. It’s a great game. Mikel has got them off to a good start. They’ve strengthened over the summer.”
