The swift, brutal dismissal of Ange Postecoglou by Nottingham Forest has been branded “ridiculous” by Micah Richards, who admits the decision plunged him into an unusual state of despair over the current direction of modern football.
The Shortest Reign in Premier League History
Postecoglou was axed on a recent Saturday, mere 20 minutes after Forest succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. Shockingly, the Australian-Greek manager had been given just five Premier League games to stamp his authority on the team.
His full tenure lasted only 39 days and comprised eight matches in all competitions, resulting in two draws (against Burnley and Real Betis) and six losses, which included surprising defeats by Swansea City and Midtjylland. This abysmal stint now stands as the shortest of any permanent manager in Premier League history.
While Sam Allardyce’s 30-day, four-game spell at Leeds in 2023 was technically briefer, he was only ever appointed for the final matches of the season. Frank de Boer managed four Premier League matches at Crystal Palace, but the grace of a summer appointment in 2017 meant he lasted 77 days.
Richards’ Fury and The Philosophy Problem
Speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day, the usually jovial Richards didn’t mince words, expressing deep concern about the lack of patience in the game.
“In terms of football, five games, 39 days in the Premier League, and you’re getting sacked. It’s just ridiculous to me,” Richards declared. He acknowledged that the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, has exceptionally high standards, which he felt made the decision “inevitable… in terms of his standards for the club.”
“I don’t know where they’re going as football,” he lamented. Richards zeroed in on the core issue: a lack of time for Postecoglou to shift the team’s style. “I understand the results haven’t been great, but in terms of a manager trying to get his philosophy over… we knew with Nuno [Espirito Santo] it was a defensive-style team, now we know Ange likes to go on the front foot.”
Richards stressed the hypocrisy, adding: “We always talk about giving managers time to put their input on what the team wants to do. And for him to get five games in the Premier League…”
Five Managers Nottingham Forest Need to Look at to Replace Ange Postecoglou
Owner Culpability and The Rules of the Game
Fellow pundit Alan Shearer was quick to back up Richards, pointing the finger squarely at the Forest hierarchy.
“I do have sympathy for him. The owner has to accept his share of the blame,” Shearer asserted. “He went out and chose this manager knowing he had a completely different system to what the previous manager had got.”
The initial decision to sack the popular Nuno, who had secured a Europa Conference League spot, and replace him with Postecoglou a manager with a completely different tactical outlook always looked confusing, setting the new boss up for failure from the start. Postecoglou arrived after a spell at Tottenham, where he won the Europa League but had also overseen a 17th-place Premier League finish the campaign before. His win rate in his last 50 top-flight games sits at just 26%, with 31 losses.
Despite the sympathy, Shearer offered a stark reminder of the realities facing managers:
“Five Premier League games, you absolutely have sympathy for him. But [Enzo] Maresca said it, you know the rules in football: if you don’t get results immediately, unfortunately you’re going to lose your job.”
The club is reportedly looking at names like Roberto Mancini, Sean Dyche, and Marco Silva as potential replacements.
