Ange Postecoglou aims to bring trophies to Nottingham Forest, emphasizing his desire to create lasting moments for the fans. He replaces Nuno Espírito Santo and looks forward to fostering ‘true believers’ after departing Tottenham, seeing the move as a positive twist in his career.
Ange Postecoglou, the newly appointed head coach of Nottingham Forest, has set his sights on bringing silverware to the club and fostering a squad of 'true believers.' Walking through the City Ground tunnel, adorned with images of past glories, Postecoglou, dressed in a sharp blue suit and Paul Smith trainers, expressed his enthusiasm for his new role. His move to Forest disrupted his 60th birthday celebrations, but he embraced the change, stating, "Things happen for a reason."
Postecoglou's arrival at Nottingham Forest comes after a somewhat abrupt departure from Tottenham Hotspur, despite leading them to a Europa League title. The Europa League trophy parade outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May was his final mic-drop moment where he declared that season three always eclipses season two in the best TV series. Replacing Nuno Espírito Santo three games into the Premier League season, provided quite the plot twist.
"If you’re talking about my career, this is season 28, so it’s a long-running series and it’s done really well in different countries," he said with a smile. "It’s still going, it’s picked up a few awards.”
During his initial days at the club, Postecoglou has already engaged with Forest legends. Former striker Tony Woodcock, a 1979 European Cup winner, was a neighbor of Postecoglou’s in north London and the captain of that revered team lent a hand at training. “John McGovern was running around chasing balls today and I’m going: ‘What are you doing, John? You’re a legend, you don’t have to do that,’” Postecoglou said.
Postecoglou humorously suggested he might need to win the Europa League again to satisfy Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. However, his true motivation lies in bringing joy to the fans. "The joy for me coming to this club is to win a trophy here, not because it’s going to help me keep my job [but] because I know how it’s going to make people feel," he explained. "Hopefully, when I finish my tenure here I can come back and somewhere on the walls there is something that says I was here. That is what drives me on a daily basis. Can I create a moment that will outlast my presence in any kind of organisation?”
He fondly recalled his admiration for Brian Clough, a managerial icon who inspired him during his upbringing in Australia. "At the time, the only stuff that got broadcast was the English First Division. I used to run to the newsagent to get three-month-old Shoot! magazines the day they came out, even though it was three months out of date.
“I loved the legendary figures of the game; it is what inspired me to be a manager. People like Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, then you get somebody like Brian Clough … I knew that team, how they played and to see a club like Nottingham Forest win two European Cups was incredible.”
When questioned about his dismissal from Spurs despite securing a trophy, Postecoglou remained philosophical. "It was never going to derail me … maybe things happen for a reason and it has landed me here with the opportunity to do something special at this club.”
Postecoglou also addressed the situation he inherited from Nuno, who had succeeded Steve Cooper. He emphasized the importance of convincing everyone at the club of his vision while maintaining competitiveness. "I’ve got to convince every person in the building about what we’re trying to do on the back of them doing something a certain way and having success that way,” Postecoglou said.
"It is fair to say it’s not going to happen overnight, it’s a process that will take a little bit of time, but never at the expense of competitiveness. None of my beliefs are going to get in the way of us making sure the team is prepared to win on a Saturday.”
In closing, Postecoglou shared a lighthearted anecdote about his birthday being interrupted by the Forest job offer. "My wife kept asking and everybody had asked about what I wanted for my birthday. I said: ‘Just a job’ and somebody delivered.”