Did Sean Dyche deserve the sack by Nottingham Forest?

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After another manager sacking, have Nottingham Forest made the correct decision?

When Dyche was shortlisted for the January manager of the month award just a week ago, he would not have imagined that he would soon be out of work.

Author | Kieran M

Defeat by Leeds United and a goalless draw at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers proved enough for Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to bring Dyche’s four month spell to an abrupt end. The former Burnley and Everton manager could reasonably feel he has been treated harshly.

The nomination followed league victories over Brentford and West Ham United, a narrow defeat by third placed Aston Villa, and a creditable draw at home to leaders Arsenal.

A strange start to 2026

Forest were knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Championship side Wrexham, suffered a Europa League defeat against Sporting Braga, then produced an emphatic win over Ferencváros to secure a knockout phase play off place. Since the turn of the year, Forest’s form has been difficult to pin down.

Europa League | Nottingham Forest v Porto | View from the stands

Yet the broader numbers paint a steadier picture. In a table covering the 18 league matches since Dyche’s appointment on 21 October, Forest sit 12th in the Premier League. He leaves the City Ground having won six of those games, collecting 22 points, more than the club’s previous two managers managed between them over the same span.

Nottingham Forest sack Ange Postecoglou

A win rate of 33.3% represents the best top flight return of Dyche’s managerial career, comfortably exceeding his records at Burnley and Everton. By the same measure, he ranks third among Forest’s eight permanent Premier League managers, a statistic that suggests this dismissal may say as much about expectations as results.

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