Premier League
Sean Dyche Vows To Bring Attacking Freedom To Nottingham Forest After Taking Charge
Sean Dyche stated that he will grant Nottingham Forest the freedom to play attacking football after taking over as the club’s third head coach of the season.
The former Burnley manager has replaced Ange Postcoglou after the Australian’s calamitous 40-day tenure.
Sean Dyche has signed a contract with Nottingham Forest until 2027, returning to the City Ground where he began his career as a youth player.
Although he never made the first team, his connection to the club runs deep. Dyche has reunited Forest legends Ian Woan and Steve Stone as part of his backroom staff.
The club appointed him for his reputation for building defensively strong teams at Burnley and Everton, though he also plans to make the most of Forest’s attacking talent.
“The basics have always got to be in place,” Dyche told Forest’s media channels.
“Strong, fit, and organised is always a good place to start, but I want the players to have the freedom to go and play.
”There’s some real talent here, so our job now is to find that balance between the risk and reward of going forward to score goals and excite the crowd, but equally the solid base which has been such a big weapon for the club, particularly last season. Finding that balance will be key.
“It’s been important to familiarise ourselves with the players, get a feel for them, and for them to get a feel for us but more importantly, we want to get them going again and bring that vibrancy back among them.”
Dyche and his coaching team, including Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Tony Loughlan, and Billy Mercer, led training on Tuesday.
The former Everton coach has been out of work since his dismissal in January after two years at Goodison Park. He will take charge of his first match at the City Ground when Forest face Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.
“There was a nice edge to them in our first session, and we want to keep that going and take those plans into the schedule,” he said.
“We’ve reminded them how good they are, what they’ve already achieved, and how we can build on that to bring consistency.”
However, Nottingham Forest ultimately chose Sean Dyche for his Premier League experience and proven track record.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis had shown a strong interest in reuniting with Silva, but negotiating his release from Fulham mid-season proved too complicated.
Behind the scenes, global head of football Edu Gaspar and technical director George Syrianos conducted extensive due diligence on potential candidates.
Dyche and Mancini were identified as the best fits for the current squad. Forest’s hierarchy was particularly impressed by the clarity and conviction shown by Dyche and his staff during the interviews.
A Forest statement said, “Dyche brings the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen, and proven achievement to guide the club through its next chapter.
”Having managed more than 330 Premier League matches in his career to date, Dyche has built teams defined by defensive organisation, resilience, and strength from set pieces qualities that align closely with the current squad’s attributes and the club’s footballing identity.
”As a former Forest youth player who lives locally, Dyche also has a deep understanding of the values and pride of Forest and its supporters.”
Dyche takes charge of a side sitting 18th in the Premier League with five points from eight games after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, in Postecoglou’s final match.
Forest’s tumultuous season follows Nuno guiding them back into Europe with a seventh-placed finish last term.
