Ange Postecoglou says he is determined to take Nottingham Forest back to “its rightful place” in English football. Postecoglou sealed a rapid return to the Premier League on Tuesday when he was appointed as Nuno Espírito Santo’s successor at the City Ground – only four months since being sacked by Tottenham.
Spurs parted company with Postecoglou despite a first trophy for the club in 17 years with Europa League success in May, and with the two-time European Cup winners Forest back in a continental competition for the first time in three decades the 60-year-old is full of excitement about the challenge ahead.
“I love winning things. That’s what I’ve done,” Postecoglou said in an in-house interview. “From my perspective now it’s about implementing my own ideas. It’s no secret I like my teams to attack, I love my teams to score goals.
“That is sometimes misconstrued as me just playing one way, but the reason I want my team to play that way is because I love winning things and that is what I want to do here. When you look at what the club has achieved in recent times, it’s an outstanding feat to be where we are right now.
“Other clubs that have won promotion have struggled to stay in the league, but in a short space of time we’re back in Europe and competing for honours, which is a great credit to everyone involved.
“I get a sense that the club wants more and that’s certainly what I want, so I think it’s a really exciting time. I’m honoured and I’m humbled, but more importantly I’m determined to make sure this football club takes its rightful place.”
Postecoglou, who has regularly discussed watching European Cup finals as a boy with his father in Australia, knows the responsibility on his shoulders at a club steeped in history, especially the golden era under Brian Clough.
“It’s a fantastic football club with great history and, even in recent times, it has done really well,” Postecoglou said. “You bear that responsibility, but I’m excited and I’m looking forward to it and I’m really happy to be here.”
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Postecoglou has swiftly reunited with four of his staff from Tottenham, with Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo installed as assistant coaches and Rob Burch named as goalkeeper coach.
Spurs finished 17th in Postecoglou’s second season in charge, after a horrendous list of injuries, but placed fifth in the 2023-24 campaign.
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