Has Ange Postecoglou caught the pragmatism bug? His ‘first’ big decision at Nottingham Forest shows clear signs of growth post-Tottenham Hotspur…
The significant step to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, following the harshest of sackings, with Postecoglou is typical of overbearing owner Evangelos Marinakis, who is intent on turning Nottm Forest into one of the best teams in the Premier League.
Nuno was always likely to be sacrificed during this journey amid his pragmatic approach, though he would have lasted a bit longer had it not been for his widely reported falling-out with Marinakis and transfer supremo Edu.
But the return of chaos at the City Ground has allowed Marinakis to usher in a seismic change with the appointment of Postecoglou.
Nuno and Postecoglou could not be further apart in terms of footballing philosophies, with this appointment making it clear that Marinakis wants an entertaining and more fluid brand of football, as well as the possibility of winning silverware with a self-professed trophy specialist.
Though it is a bold move to bring in Postecoglou at a time when Forest’s squad is very much catered towards a head coach in the mould of Nuno, so early teething issues, at the very least, are to be expected until the club evolves to fit the former Spurs and Celtic boss.
READ: Six Tottenham, Celtic stars reassigned to Nottingham Forest post-Postecoglou replacing Nuno
So, it is reassuring that Postecoglou’s ‘first’ big decision regarding his ‘playing style’, according to The Daily Mail, shows that he is willing to adapt.
The report claimed:
‘Daily Mail Sport understands that at least initially, Postecoglou is unlikely to overhaul the playing style completely, though there will necessarily be certain tweaks.
‘It would be quite a risk to ask Forest to play totally differently at Emirates Stadium, yet the intensity is thought to have gone up a couple of notches in the initial training drills, with plenty of ball work.’
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Postecoglou cannot be expected to fully divert from his preferred approach, especially as this is one reason for his appointment, but he is at least showing self-awareness and a willingness to adapt with a gradual implementation of his playing style.
Ruben Amorim has shown at Man Utd how badly it can go when a head coach attempts to make drastic changes overnight after being appointed mid-season, so Postecoglou is wise to avoid a similar mistake at Forest.
This decision also indicates that he has learned from his spell at Tottenham and is looking to kick on from perhaps his finest managerial achievement: winning last season’s Europa League.
In the Premier League, Spurs were a shambles and their 17th-place finish was all that they deserved, with their severe injury crisis only partly to blame.
However, Postecoglou knew that their priority was the Europa League at the end of the campaign, and he put all of his focus on that competition.
This paid off as Spurs ended their trophy drought by beating a very poor Man Utd side to clinch the Europa League, with Postecoglou’s adaptability one of the most impressive aspects of that final as he masterfully did a job on Amorim’s team.
Such versatility will be required to weather the storm at Forest before we get Ange-ball in full effect…