Nottingham Forest: Sean Dyche frontrunner to become head coach but Roberto Mancini also in frame

Sean Dyche is in advanced talks with Nottingham Forest about the prospect of becoming their new head coach - but other candidates have not yet been ruled out.

Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has held positive talks about replacing Ange Postecoglou, who was brutally sacked 18 minutes after Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Forest bosses have also shown interest in Italian coach Luciano Spalletti, who was sounded out about the role but, according to Sky in Italy, he is no longer in contention.

Ex-Olympiakos head coach Pedro Martins, the Portuguese currently working in Qatar, was considered, but will not be taking over at Forest.

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While Mancini is not yet out of the running, Sky Sports News has been told that Dyche is very much the front-runner, and could be appointed quickly if owner Evangelos Marinakis finally decides he is the right man to replace Postecoglou.

The Australian, who failed to win any of his eight games in charge at Forest, was sacked within 18 minutes of the defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday lunchtime.

The decision over finding a replacement for Postecoglou lies entirely with Marinakis, who is looking for his third head coach of the season at Forest.

He knows this next managerial appointment is key in trying to produce some stability and belief in the dressing room and amongst the supporter base after a damaging period for the club.

In that regard, Forest's hierarchy currently believe Dyche is the best man to steady the ship, organise and motivate the players, and crucially keep the club in the Premier League despite having ambitions of finishing further up the table.

Another key demand from the owner is for whoever takes over to maximise the significant investment that was made in the playing squad in the summer.

Forest spent more than £180m in the transfer window, and £130m of that talent wasn't in the matchday squad against Chelsea. This was another area of dispute between the owner and Postecoglu, Sky Sports News has been told.

Despite the importance of the appointment, Forest's bosses are keen to move quickly, with the Europa League game against Porto to come on Thursday.

Dyche's Forest connection

Speaking to Sky Sports in December 2023, Dyche explained his connection to Nottingham Forest...

"There was a big group of us," Dyche said with a broad smile when asked about his time as a youth team player at Forest.

"We used to run around Nottingham now and again, have a couple of beers, like you do after a game."

The then-Everton boss chuckled, perhaps at the memories he doesn't reveal of those nights out with team-mates such as Roy Keane. "They were good times, without a doubt."

Dyche never made a first-team appearance for Forest, but it is clear the club played an influential role in his formation as a footballer and as a person. "They were important years for me," he said.

Dyche, a youth team player at Forest before going on to forge his career elsewhere, was struck by the "tenacity" of Keane, whom he lived with for a period and who would go on to command a British-record transfer fee before captaining Manchester United. "His desire was very powerful."

And of course, with Brian Clough at the helm, this was an iconic period for the club.

"Everyone knew the way the team played," Dyche said about Clough's work. "Everyone knew the expectation of how to play. It was kind of ingrained in the whole club. That's a valuable thing to have if you can build it. But of course, nowadays, people want to change a lot. So it takes some doing when you've got to build a whole club."

Dyche's coaching staff at Burnley and Everton had Forest connections, too. His assistant, Ian Woan, spent 10 years there as a player. His first-team coach, Steve Stone, helped them win their previous promotion to the Premier League in 1998.

He is still in contact with former midfielder Tony Loughlan, who coached with Dyche at Burnley, and defender Gary Charles. There are occasional dinners with Keane to reminisce. "We have a bit of a laugh at old times and life back then."

Nottingham Forest's upcoming fixtures

• October 23 - Porto, Europa League
• October 26 - Bournemouth, Premier League
• November 1 - Man Utd, Premier League
• November 6 - Sturm Graz, Europa League
• Nobember 9 - Leeds Utd, Premier League

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Nottingham Forest: Sean Dyche frontrunner to become head coach but Roberto Mancini also in frame