- Another change in the City Ground dugout
- Nuno relieved of his duties on Trentside
- Postecoglou working under colourful owner
Former Liverpool and England defender Carragher has been casting an eye over events at Nottingham Forest. There has been another change in the dugout on Trentside, with Nuno Espirito Santo – who helped to deliver European qualification at the City Ground – being relieved of his managerial duties.
Reins have been passed to Australian tactician Postecoglou, who brought Tottenham‘s 17-year wait for major silverware to a close in the Europa League last season but also oversaw a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.
Carragher has said in his column for The Telegraph of Postecoglou returning to English football amid questions of his tactical blueprint: “Some might say Ange Postecoglou is sipping from a poisoned chalice making his comeback working for such a combustible owner. He is more likely grateful to get such an opportunity.
“He should be. Postecoglou is fortunate to get another chance in the Premier League so soon after his Tottenham Hotspur sacking.
“That has nothing to do with Postecoglou’s style of football, even though it is strange to shift so far from one extreme to another. First and foremost, Postecoglou can be considered lucky on the strength of his Premier League record. He lost 34 of his last 56 league games at Spurs. No amount of spin on his behalf, or rationalising how and why it went wrong last season, can disguise the reality: he arrives in Nottingham with much to prove.”
The “combustible owner” that Carragher alludes to is Greek billionaire Marinakis – a man that has generated plenty of headlines across his tenure in Nottingham. Carragher added on a larger-than-life character that likes to ruffle a few feathers: “Nottingham Forest were once one of the most liked clubs in the country because of the charisma and success of their legendary manager Brian Clough.
“Today, they are one of the most disliked because of the behaviour of their owner, Evangelos Marinakis. The Premier League has a new pantomime villain. Marinakis is a walking hand grenade.
“Football is not a popularity contest, and the game is more colourful when different personalities adopt contrasting approaches to get where they need to be, so long as it’s within the rules. All the best dramas have their saints and sinners, and a cocktail is more interesting than a glass of water.”
Marinakis and Co will care little about what any detractors think, with Forest building towards what they hope will be an even brighter future. Postecoglou now forms part of that project, with his first game at the helm set to be back in north London when his new employers take in a visit to Arsenal on Saturday.
