Ange Postecoglou will now have the chance to face Tottenham Hotspur twice this season, after becoming the new Nottingham Forest boss.
Tottenham Hotspur axed Ange Postecoglou in June, despite the Australian ending the club’s trophy drought by winning the Europa League.
Postecoglou’s exit divided opinion, as Tottenham were dreadful in the Premier League last season, but ended the campaign with a trophy.
The Australian is now back in English football after Nottingham Forest axed Nuno Espirito Santo in the first managerial sacking of the Premier League season.
Evangelos Marinakis is a big fan of Postecoglou and has now appointed him as the new Forest boss with immediate effect.
Matt Wells’ future at Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou’s move to Nottingham Forest
As luck would have it, Postecoglou’s first game will come against Arsenal this weekend.
The Australian will hope to spring a real surprise at the Emirates Stadium, though there are bound to be teething problems.
Postecoglou’s style of play is completely different to Nuno’s, meaning his approach will need to change, or the Forest squad will need to adapt to a new philosophy.
Strong coaching will be needed in order to deliver Postecoglou’s ideas on the training pitch, and reports suggest that Mile Jedinak and Nick Montgomery will join Forest.
However, The Telegraph claim that Spurs coach Matt Wells is considered unlikely to follow Postecoglou to the City Ground.
Wells was a key part of Tottenham’s coaching staff under Postecoglou and took the lead on defensive coaching at Spurs.
Postecoglou rated Wells highly at Tottenham, but the 36-year-old’s next move could be as a head coach elsewhere.
That potential next step is ‘one of the reasons’ why Wells is expected to stay at Tottenham and overlook the chance to reunite with Postecoglou.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Matt Wells may eye EFL job
Wells is already a key part of Tottenham’s coaching staff, and he would be forgiven for feeling that a move to Forest would be a sideways step right now.
Instead, Wells may look to continue his work with Tottenham and then target a head coaching role.
Chris Davies left Tottenham to become Birmingham City boss last summer, before Ryan Mason moved on to West Bromwich Albion.
That means two highly-rated Tottenham coaches have secured EFL jobs, and Wells may see a similar pathway for himself.
Enfield-born Wells is still young and doesn’t seem to be agitating for a move away from Spurs, but head coaching opportunities may well arrive in the near future, especially with Davies and Mason thriving.