By Martin Graham
Seven days after being shortlisted for the January manager of the month award, Sean Dyche found himself out of a job. Two results were decisive: a defeat to Leeds United and a goalless stalemate against the bottom club Wolves on Wednesday night.
Those results persuaded owner Evangelos Marinakis to end Dyche’s four-month spell at the City Ground. From Dyche’s perspective, the timing felt harsh, especially given a recent run that had included encouraging league performances.
The nomination followed wins over Brentford and a struggling West Ham United, a narrow defeat to third-placed Aston Villa and a home draw with leaders Arsenal. The momentum, at least on paper, hadn’t completely disappeared.
beyond the league, The one of the forest calendar since the new year reflected inconsistency rather than collapse. FA Cup elimination on penalties against Championship side Wrexham was followed by a Europa League defeat to Sporting Braga, before a strong win over Ferencváros secured a place in the knockout stage play-offs.
Numbers that offered some protection
Through the 18 league games Dyche has overseen since his arrival on October 21, Forest sit 12th in a form table. Six wins and 22 points represented a stronger return than the club’s previous two managers combined in the same period.
A 33.3% success rate stood out as the highest of Dyche’s Premier League career, bettering his records at both Burnley and Everton. Within Forest’s recent top-flight history, that ratio ranked him third among the club’s eight permanent managers.
Despite those figures, Forest remained in 17th when Dyche left, just one place better than when he took over. Home form was a sticking point, with just three league wins at the City Ground and none since mid-December.
The fans’ frustration had been building, becoming audible during the defeat at Braga when the traveling fans jeered at full-time. Results away from Nottingham had offered balance, but patience inside the stadium was wearing thin.
Lost goals, thinned patience
A persistent punctuation problem shaped much of the criticism. Forest’s League record 25 goals left them ahead of only Wolves in the division’s goalscoring charts.
Chris Wood, the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer, was unavailable during Dyche’s tenure after picking up a knee injury in the final game under predecessor Ange Postecoglou. His absence put extra strain on an attack that struggled for efficiency.
Wednesday’s draw with Wolves highlighted the problem clearly. Forest attempted 35 efforts without finding the net, the highest figure by any side in almost ten years.
Whoever becomes the club’s fourth permanent manager of the campaign will inherit the same challenge: turning possession and pressure into goals.
Locker room doubts and an early finish
While the statistical indicators suggested Dyche broadly met expectations, questions remained about the durability of his approach. He maintained that selections and tactics were dictated by the tools available, and until recently the results had justified this position.
Still, with the likes of Murillo, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi at their disposal, greater attacking fluidity was expected. Internally, some methods felt that they leaned too much towards physical attributes.
Dyche initially struck a chord with supporters by referencing the club’s heritage, evoking memories of Brian Clough and his dog Del-Boy and recalling races along the River Trent from his youth team days. The lift was real, but it turned out to be temporary.
Behind the scenes, sources indicated difficulties in establishing rapport with sections of the team. The players questioned training routines and tactical plans, and their views were sought after the defeat at Leeds. Full support did not arrive.
At that stage, alternatives were already under review, with Vitor Pereira identified as a front-runner before the Elland Road setback. Discussions continued and paved the way for Dyche’s sacking in the early hours of Thursday.
The decision was not taken lightly, but his appointment had been marked by urgency following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo and the short stay of Postecoglou. If the change proves decisive, Marinakis will now be scrutinized as Forest look for stability once again.
