Nottingham Forest has announced the hiring of Sean Dyche as their new head coach, with the former manager of Burnley and Everton agreeing to an 18-month contract at The City Ground.

At 54, Dyche will collaborate with longtime associates Ian Woan and Steve Stone, who will join his coaching team. His first match in charge will be the Europa League showdown against Porto at the City Ground on Thursday.

Dyche steps into the role following the abrupt dismissal of Ange Postecoglou, who was removed after a mere 39 days without securing a victory in any of his eight games. The team currently sits in the Premier League’s relegation zone.

In a statement, the club expressed confidence in Dyche, describing him as “a respected and experienced Premier League manager” who possesses the ideal mix of personality, strategic insight, and a history of success to navigate the club’s future.

The club highlighted Dyche’s impressive resume, which includes managing over 330 Premier League games. Known for fostering teams with strong defensive setups and resilience, his approach aligns well with the current squad’s strengths and the club’s football philosophy.

Sean Dyche has been appointed as Nottingham Forest’s manager on a n 18-month deal

He succeeds Ange Postecoglou, who lasted just 39 days in the hot seat at the City Ground

‘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. With his character, tactical acumen and manmanagement skills, his appointment represents the best opportunity for a successful and competitive season across both domestic and European competitions.’

The club added that Dyche was appointed after a ‘thorough recruitment process’ led by Global Head of Football, Edu, and the club’s Global Technical Director, George Syrianos. 

Dyche, 54, will bring with him long-term allies Ian Woan and Steve Stone as part of his coaching staff. Both played for Forest in the 1990s, while Dyche was a youth team player at the City Ground under Brian Clough but never made a first-team appearance. 

The Englishman, who it’s thought had been living in the Nottingham area after his Everton sacking, becomes the Tricky Trees’ third manager of the season. 

Following a falling out with Evangelos Marinakis ahead of the new season, Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed having taken charge of just three fixtures of this campaign after leading Forest back to Europe last season. 

The club’s ruthless Greek owner then turned to Postecoglou, who joined on the back of winning the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season. 

The 60-year-old’s reign was however a short and not so sweet one. He was mercilessly dismissed moments after his side slumped to a 3-0 home loss to Chelsea on the weekend. 

His reign at the City Ground was the shortest of any permanent Premier League boss to leave a club during a season. Only a day earlier, Postecoglou had launched an impassioned defence of his position.

‘I guess from my perspective, I just don’t fit. Not here. Just in general,’ he said on Friday.

‘If you look at it through the prism of: I’m a failed manager who is lucky to get this job – I know you’re smirking at me and that’s what’s being said and I can find the print where that’s being said – then of course it looks like this manager is under pressure. 

Dyche brings a wealth of Premier League experience to Forest after spells at Everton and Burnley

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has already dismissed both Nuno Espirito Santo and Postecoglou this term

The Tricky Trees have not won a single game in any competition since the opening day of the Premier League season 

‘I took over Spurs, who finished eighth. No European football. Massive club who can’t have two years without European football. We finished fifth in my first year. And every time Harry Kane scores a goal, I wish he’d just stayed one more year. It would have been handy to have him after finishing fifth. 

‘But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books. In fact, it was used as a reason for me losing my job because even Tottenham decided to exclude the first 10 games because they were an anomaly apparently. Although the first 10 games here are very important, apparently.

‘We finished fifth, I got them back into European football where Tottenham should be. I was in meetings and people still at that club were in those meetings where I was told winning a trophy is everything for a football club. That’s fine.

‘We win a trophy. We shed the tag of being ‘Spursy’. It’s Champions League football, which brings some rewards, the opportunity to bring in better players. But all I’ve heard since I finished at Tottenham is I finished 17th last year.

‘Maybe I’m a manager where if given time, the story always ends the same. At all my previous clubs it ends the same: me with a trophy.’

Yet a little over 24 hours later, when Marinakis left his seat in the stands at the City Ground after just an hour of his side’s clash with the Blues, the writing was all but on the wall for Postecoglou.