Fans taunt Ange Postecoglou with chants after going winless in his first eight games as Nottingham Forest boss.
Things looked positive in the first half against Chelsea, some suggesting it was the best 45 minutes of Ange his reign, he was stood clapping and encouraging his players before Forest were applauded off with the scoreline 0-0 at half time.
Nick Mashiter (BBC Sport football news reporter at the City Ground): “Nottingham Forest are applauded off, the supporters appreciating a positive first-half performance. Taiwo Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White had their best chances but they are missing a goal. Chelsea were sloppy and poor and will be expected to improve in the second half so Forest need to maintain their levels.”
But come the second half, they collapsed, with Chelsea in front on 49 minutes. 19-year-old Josh Acheampong burying a header beyond the reach of Matz Sels following a beautiful delivery by Pedro Neto.
It was 2-0 Chelsea on 52 minutes, Pedro Neto straight from a free-kick, sending the ball through a hole in the Forest wall, and beats the diving keeper.
Josh Acheampong bags his first goal for Chelsea 🔥
The Blues lead at the City Ground…@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/kie1JWKoAK
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 18, 2025
Pedro Neto strikes from a free-kick 🎯
In the blink of an eye Nottingham Forest are 2-0 down…@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/hd7VZGUl2P
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 18, 2025
Nick Mashiter (BBC Sport football news): The first dissent comes from the Nottingham Forest fans. Boos come before “you don’t know what you’re doing,” as some question the decision to replace Douglas Luiz with Callum Hudson-Odoi. Chelsea fans join in with “you’re getting sacked in the morning”.
Lee Blakeman (Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live at the City Ground): “We’ve just heard the inevitable chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, they are coming from the away fans. The Forest fans have just gone quiet since the first goal, they’re not really doing anything. They are probably thinking ‘here we go again’ that’s certainly the look on the faces sitting around us here.”
Lucy Ward (Former Leeds striker on TNT Sports at City Ground): “There was whispers of him [Evangelos Marinakis] talking to other managers over the international break and that doesn’t help Ange Postecoglou.”
Reece James made it 3-0 on 82 minutes to seal the points, a corner sent into the Forest box and Matz Sels’ punched clearance landed at James’ feet. Thousands of home fans made their way for the exits.
Then on 85 minutes, Chelsea had a sending off, Malo Gusto, who has already been booked, picks up a second yellow card. A fifth sending off in six league and cup matches for the Blues.
Ange Postecoglou stood alone in the middle of the pitch while applauding the fans after the game.
Marking his 200th appearance with a goal 🔥
Chelsea captain Reece James makes it 3-0…@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/1FgRQxdTOT
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 18, 2025
Nottingham Forest fans have seen enough, thousands of them are leaving the stadium early…
Taxi for Ange? 🫣 pic.twitter.com/717d9y5DLr
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) October 18, 2025
Nice to see that Marniakis left early to beat the traffic! pic.twitter.com/g0FgGmfyGi
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) October 18, 2025
Less than 20 minutes after the final whistle blew, Nottingham Forest have confirmed the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.
A club statement read: Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect. The Club will make no further comment at this time.”
Sean Dyche now the 4/5 fav to takeover at Nottingham Forest.
Alan Shearer: “Ultimately the results haven’t been good enough and that is on Ange. But the owner has to take some responsibility too. He chose Ange, it was his appointment.
“How can you go from a manager in Nuno with one style of play to someone like Ange who everyone knows wants his teams to play in a completely different way?”
Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect.
The Club will make no further comment at this time.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) October 18, 2025
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, speaking to TNT Sports: “Disappointed. We can only look at ourselves in this situation. The most frustrating part is we’re playing so well. We are not taking those final chances that we’re getting. Frustration all around the group. It is disappointing, but in these moments you have got to stay together as a group and a club and get through this storm and rough patch that we’re going through.
“It is a difficult period but one we will get out of.
“The game wasn’t a 3-0 game. He is just really frustrated – the fact were creating chances and not putting them away. Then we’re conceding silly goals. He is frustrated as much as anybody in the dressing room. He is trying so hard to put things right. It is on us to change it and to get that winning feeling back in the group.
“Lack of confidence, bad luck, you can say whatever you want to say, but it is down to us.”
“We train every single day to prepare for a game, and we train to win. I get their frustration. We take it on the chin as they deserve more.”
Nottingham Forest’s Ryan Yates gave TNT his reaction to Ange Postecoglou’s sacking: “We are just generally disappointed with recent results. We haven’t mingled enough. We have to look at ourselves individually and collectively. We owe it to the fans to do better, to get better results. It’s a tough period. I am used to quite a lot of change in manager. We have to regroup as quickly as we can. We have a really together dressing room. We’ve got a massive Europa League game on Thursday at home and we owe it to fans and everyone connected to the club to get a result.”
On what Postecoglou said in the dressing room after the game: “He was extremely disappointed with the result like us of all really. I went out to do some running and came back into the dressing room and a few of the boys said he had gone.”
On who told him the news: “Not sure, a few of the staff.”
On who was in the meeting with players after the announcement: “The leadership group, a few people from upstairs who make big decisions. We have a fantastic connection from the dressing room all the way up to Mr Marinakis. He values our opinions, but at the end of the day it’s always his decision. We need to dust ourselves down. Whatever the club do moving forward they have the full backing of us players in the dressing room that’s for sure.”
On what Marinakis said in the meeting: “He wasn’t there.”
On what was said in meeting: “It was a collective of all the players, but some things I can’t say. They have our full backing and we will do everything we can to change it round.”
On if players feel they let Ange down: “I feel like we have. It’s not just one individual, it’s a collective. Everyone has to take responsibility, everyone has to look n the mirror. We have had tougher periods here over the years and it’s another chance to stand up and be counted and give everything for the badge.”
Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates told BBC Sport: “We’re all extremely disappointed with how recent results are going. It’s down to us individually to look at ourselves in the mirror and do everything we can to turn it around.
“That’s the nature of football. Results have not been good enough. As players we have to take massive responsibility, collectively as a group we have to do more. We have to get on the training pitch look for the 1%, the fine margins. We owe it to the fans to put in a good performance on Thursday.”
Asked if Ange Postecoglou came into the changing room after the game: “He did yeah. He spoke about the game. He was extremely disappointed like us all. I did some running. Came back in and the news was out.
“When you’re having such bad results it’s never a massive surprise. It’s disappointing for us as players. We can do more, we can do better.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to TNT Sports on Ange Postecoglou’s sacking: “I feel really sorry. It’s always a shame. But we say many times this is a business where you need to win games. For all of us it’s the same consequence.
“First half they were very good, they tried to play their game. Second half we were much-improved and deserved to win the game.
“Second half we were better, we changed something tactically and overall, again, I think we deserved to win the game.”
On Josh Acheampong’s goal: “I am very happy for him. People will think you trust a player only if he plays and you don’t trust if you don’t play. I’ve trusted Josh from the start of last season. He’s a fantastic player and will be the future of this club.
“Reece James is very important. Hopefully he can be fit for more games. Since I’ve arrived we’ve been trying to manage him. He’s had problems in the past but now he’s looking much better.”
On being Premier League top scorers: “That means the team are very good. We try to give the players the tools.”
On Malo Gusto’s red card: “For sure it’s a mistake because it’s 3-0, almost 90 minutes. We do not need to make a foul. But also it shows Malo doesn’t want to lose that dual. Yes it’s not good, but the desire to win games is important.”
Before the game, Ange Postecoglou gave quite a memorable press conference where he discussed his future.
How important is it to get a win on Saturday?
“It’s always important to win the next game irrespective of what’s happened previously. It’s no different tomorrow.
“We’re facing a very good opponent but we’re here at home which is good and looking forward to the challenge of it. A good couple of weeks training with the guys who were with us here. We had a few on international duty but they came back in good condition and ready to play.”
Did the talks with Marinakis happen during the break?
“No. We are just getting on with it.”
Does Chelsea feel like a big game because of the noise and the pressure?
“I guess from my perspective, I just don’t fit. Not [talking about] here. Just in general.
“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.
“There is an alternative story. I came to the Premier League two years ago, I took over Tottenham – ‘Spursy Tottenham’. I was told by the chairman at the time: ‘This club has to win a trophy. We’ve tried to bring winners in, Jose [Mourinho] and Antonio [Conte] and it hasn’t worked, we need something different.’
“I was slightly offended by that as I see myself as a winner.
“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. So if you look at it from that prism of we finished 17th, then yeah, I’m a failed manager who is lucky to get another opportunity.
“But if I have to explain why we finished 17th, it doesn’t have to be too in-depth. Just look at the last five or six different team sheets in the league last year to see who I prioritised, who was on the bench and who I was playing. The last game against Brighton, the players were out for two days partying – which I sanctioned because I felt they deserved to.
“So we finished 17th, if people think that’s a reflection of me and my coaching, then people are looking at it through the prism of: I just don’t fit.
“So we get to the current space where there’s a different story to tell that maybe I’m maybe not a failed manager who was lucky to get this job – but 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.
“So just to finish up – and it’s a longwinded answer which probably won’t get any coverage but that’s okay – you can look at these first five weeks and say ‘he is under pressure because he was lucky to get this job’.
“Or you can look at it and say there has been a major change. I am trying to change the way we play. The players are adapting but there’s been inconsistency in there for sure. But some will look at the weeds, I will look at what’s growing.
“The flip side is I’m really still excited about the opportunity here. That’s how I’m embracing it. I have a group of young players who are willing to change, that’s the first thing. I’m heading down that road.
“The rest of it? I’m not going to waste my time or my energy worrying about that. Whether it’s internal or external I couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, I will do what I think is the right thing to do to bring success to this football club and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Are you under pressure?
“Of course there’s pressure. There’s pressure anyway. So if we win on the weekend, the pressure is there. There’s always pressure.
“There’s a difference between pressure and saying that somebody should lose their job after five weeks. I mean, I only just found an apartment to move into, which may be a bad decision on my behalf.
“I should have stayed in temporary digs. That’s how early it is. So there’s a difference.
“We haven’t won a game and I’m as disappointed as anyone. No one likes not winning games of football. But within that context, if you look at those games and suggest to me that we were in a position to win any of those, then that’s a different story as well.
“The pressure’s there, it’s always there. Pressure is part of managing at this level. And we’re all judged by our results. And at the moment, the results are suggesting I’m not doing a good job.
“That’s a far cry from people saying I should lose my job. Or speculating I should lose my job after five weeks. That’s a different end of the spectrum. But when you’re coming in this early on someone like me, as I said, you’re looking at it through the prism that I’m really fortunate.”
Are you frustrated about the noise?
“I’m not frustrated. I guess from my perspective, I don’t know how to address it. I’m not going to sit there and try and justify it.
“If people have already made up their minds after five weeks about it – particularly as I’m not a newcomer, I have a history – how do I address that? Do I do what I did today, try and explain it? Maybe I’m not great at PR around myself.
“Maybe I need to get people [rooting] for me. But again, I don’t think that’s the way to go. So it’s not frustration.
“It’s just, like I said, I’m not really sure how to address it other than just to try and emphasise the fact that it doesn’t affect my day-to-day, what I’m trying to achieve at this football club and the fact that I’m really excited about the opportunity here.”
Is the noise taking away from the game on Saturday?
“Yeah, it’s not helpful. Again, it’s just something we have to deal with and try and insulate the players from. As I said, they’ve been great since I’ve come in. We’ve obviously changed a lot of things, the way we train, the way we play.
“We’re seeing underlying improvement in that. Some of the physical metrics are getting closer, but we’re still well off where we need to be.
“But the guys are getting to a physical base that they haven’t been to before, which is great for us.
“Some other underlying metrics show that we’re heading in the right direction in terms of style. The ultimate metric of winning a game is what’s eluding us at the moment. I guess that encourages me that the players are not too distracted by what’s going on.
“But I guess all that stuff is not helpful. I’m sure they read the same stuff that everyone else does.”
How do you get the fans onside?
“It depends on the prism in which you work at. If people don’t think I fit just because of who I am before I even started, they can’t change that.
“My feeling towards supporters has always been the same. They’re allowed to express whatever opinion and emotion they need.
“There’s always a caveat to it. They’re allowed to change. Usually, results will change. So I don’t take that stuff personally.
“For me, I’m sure there will be a supporter out there who’s not desperate for us to win tomorrow, whether they like me or not. That’s the key thing.
“From my perspective, it’s about trying to focus on that. Giving them something to be encouraged with, to get behind the team. It helps us play our own games.
“I don’t get the sense that supporters are not behind the team. I think they are. They can create a special atmosphere. Whatever sort of issues surrounding me or my appointment there may be, they can easily be overcome. Again, wins on the board. That’s what we focus on.”
Have you done anything different during the break?
“I think [international breaks] are an opportunity to assess, reassess. Training was important, because we haven’t had a lot of training time since we got here. We had less than four weeks from the moment I got appointed to the start of the next break, we had seven games, so we didn’t have a lot of training time.
“The opportunity to have some training time with the guys that were here was important. Obviously there’s no games, no press conferences, so it gives you a chance to sit down and reflect on what’s been happening, even on a personal front, just do the things that normal human beings do. So from that point of view, it’s been good.”
What’s the most difficult part of the job right now?
“Firstly, it’s to ignore everything that’s going on, because it’s of no concern to me, and I can’t control it.
“Again, I’ve dealt with this in the last four months at Spurs, but every week I get questions about my future. Didn’t stop me bring success to that club.
“I’m pretty comfortable in embracing the challenges before me. I think the biggest thing for me is to make sure that we don’t lose track of what we set out to do, part of that was change the way we play, use the kind of underlying metrics that we need to hit, from a physical perspective, from a football perspective.
“I firmly believe that if we do that, the results will come for us, and they’ll come on a regular basis, and not try to look for some magical solution to change the current climate.
“Because as I said, if we win tomorrow, then it’ll be about Thursday, and then if we win Thursday, it’ll be about the next game, so that will always be the noise.
“The narrative around me, again, I can’t change. If people have seen the two years I’ve been in the Premier League as somebody who needs to prove himself and fail, then I can’t change that. If people have made up their minds, so be it.”
