Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Sean Dyche after just 114 days and 17 matches in charge.
The decision was made shortly after Forest’s 0-0 draw with Wolves on Wednesday night. The news broke at around 12.30am on Thursday, roughly three hours after the final whistle.
Dyche becomes the third manager Forest have sacked this season, following Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou lasted only 39 days at the City Ground.
Forest decided to remove Dyche after a three-game winless run in the Premier League. That run included draws against Crystal Palace and Wolves, and a damaging 3-1 defeat to Leeds, who are also fighting relegation.
Despite having 35 shots against Wolves, Forest failed to score, which added to growing frustration at the club.
Dyche leaves with Forest three points above the relegation zone, with 12 league matches still to play.
Forest now have a seven-day break before their next match, which is a Europa League play-off away to Fenerbahce next Thursday. Players have been given Thursday off, and no club activity is expected until then.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is believed to be unhappy with the team’s poor finishing, especially considering the attacking players available. He is also frustrated that the club have not been able to move further away from the relegation places.
Forest spent £180m in the summer, and also signed players in January. Much of that money was spent on attackers, yet Forest have scored only 25 goals in 26 league matches this season.
Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui said Dyche was hired not only to keep Forest in the Premier League, but also to push the team up the table. However, after failing to beat Wolves, who look likely to be relegated, Dyche’s position became impossible to defend.
Toloui also said Forest’s recent run of games against struggling sides should have helped them pull clear of danger. Instead, they picked up only two points from matches against Palace, Leeds and Wolves, leaving the club stuck just above the bottom three.
Forest have talented attacking players such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson, but they have continued to struggle to score.
Dyche’s final game in charge will now be remembered for missed chances and a lack of cutting edge.
After the match against Wolves, Dyche spoke about his future and admitted he understood how quickly things can change in modern football. He said the owner had been fair to him, but accepted that if the club wanted to make a change, that was simply part of the game. He described himself as a realist and said he was aware the mood around the club had shifted in recent weeks.
Forest now face a major week ahead, with a trip to Turkey to play Fenerbahce in the Europa League, followed by a home match against Liverpool in the Premier League.
