Cover image by Reuters/Heute licensed under CC-BY-4.0
After punching above their weight in the Premier League last season, Nottingham Forest suffered a drop-off in fortunes at the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Managers Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou were dismissed by the club in quick succession, opening the door for Sean Dyche to take up the reins. The Englishman will be eager to demonstrate why he is one of the most underrated managers in the country, and Forest are the right vehicle for him to prove his worth.
Forest will provide Dyche with the funds to succeed
Dyche initially put his name on the map by twice guiding Burnley into the Premier League and taking them into Europe, all on a very meagre budget. When he arrived at Everton after his ten-year stint at Turf Moor, the club was in a period of austerity, with former chairman Farhad Moshiri accused of being unwilling to invest enough money in the team. Nevertheless, Dyche managed to stave off relegation for the Toffees against all odds in his first season, albeit only after a 1-0 win over Bournemouth on the final day of the season.
The following season, Everton were hit with a ten point deduction for breaches of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. Despite keeping the club outsiode of the relegation zone, Dyche was relieved of his duties in January 2025.
After operating with a limited budget at his previous clubs, Dyche can expect no such money problems at free-spending Forest. With Forest’s funding, Dyche has the perfect platform to establish a strong squad and show everyone why he is a top manager.
Forest’s squad is tailor-made for Dyche
Postecoglou struggled in his short stint at Forest because the transfer team did not construct a squad to handle his gung-ho, ultra-attacking football. The squad had been built for the more pragmatic Nuno, who is stylistically similar to Dyche. The Midlands outfit are therefore tailor-made for the 54-year-old.
For a start, Dyche once again has New Zealand international striker Chris Wood to lead the line. The pair have previously worked together at Burnley. Boasting 20 Premier League goals last season (joint fourth in the league), Wood is a talented and experienced marksman capable of giving Dyche’s side a cutting edge. It would be unwise to bet against him delivering at least double-digit goals when he hits his stride.
Betting platforms such as bet365 New Zealand will be inundated with wagers backing him to find his form, as he builds momentum towards captaining the Kiwis at the 2026 World Cup. The odds are stacked against the tiny Oceania nation, but Wood could be a good outside bet to win the Golden Boot at next summer’s tournament.
Dyche, whose teams generally thrive on counter-attacking football, can call upon quick players such as Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa. Forest also have a solid backline which provides the foundation for the rest of the team to shine, and a handful of impressive midfield operators, ideal for Dyche’s style of football. He will be looking to maximise the tools at his disposal and build a compact, hard-running unit capable of grinding out results and unsettling even the league’s biggest sides.
Dyche has a stable project to develop
One of the most compelling reasons Forest is the ideal proving ground for Dyche is the stability the club can now offer after years of upheaval. Forest have spent heavily on infrastructure, recruitment, data and player development since returning to the Premier League. Dyche has inherited a squad with resale value, a coherent recruitment department and a clear ambition to climb the table rather than merely survive.
The club’s hierarchical structure allows managers to focus on coaching rather than firefighting behind the scenes, something Dyche rarely enjoyed in his previous roles. This environment gives him the breathing room to implement his principles, evolve stylistically and build a team without the threat of financial collapse or existential panic hanging over him.
For a manager who has spent most of his career battling against the tide, Forest finally offers Dyche a platform built for growth, stability and genuine progression. The City Ground is the perfect setting to show he belongs among the Premier League’s elite.