Socceroos Legend Mark Bosnich Urges Ange Postecoglou to Take Break After Historic Nottingham Forest Axing

Socceroos legend Mark Bosnich has urged Ange Postecoglou to take an extended break and reassess his managerial career following his historic dismissal by Nottingham Forest.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager — who had already been sacked by Spurs earlier this year — saw his short spell at Forest brutally cut short after a 3–0 home defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Postecoglou’s tenure lasted just 39 days, making it the shortest full-time managerial reign in Premier League history. His departure follows a miserable run of results since replacing Nuno Espírito Santo, with the Australian failing to secure a single win in eight matches.

The writing had long been on the wall for the 58-year-old coach, who had faced boos and calls for his dismissal from the Forest faithful even before the loss to Chelsea. Despite insisting that he needed time to implement his attacking philosophy, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis acted swiftly to remove him less than 20 minutes after the final whistle.

Bosnich: ‘Not a Surprise at All’

Bosnich, speaking to SEN Radio, said he expected Postecoglou’s sacking given Marinakis’ ruthless reputation and the clash of footballing styles between the coach and his inherited squad.

“If he lost heavily, yes, I did expect this,” Bosnich said. “3–0 is 3–0, the crowd started leaving 20 minutes before the end. This did not surprise me at all.
The team Ange inherited is the antithesis of the style he plays, and he didn’t have the luxury of time or a transfer window.

You have to look at who his boss is — a very successful businessman. Ange was his eighth manager in eight years at Forest. We know from that and the way he runs clubs that he doesn’t mess around. Marinakis didn’t have too much pride to say ‘enough is enough’. It’s not good news obviously, and the thing now for Ange is: where to next?”

Bosnich added that he does not expect Postecoglou to receive another Premier League opportunity soon. The Australian has just one win from his last 17 matches with both Spurs and Forest combined, despite winning the Europa League with Tottenham earlier this year. Even that triumph could not overshadow Spurs’ dismal 17th-placed finish last season.

“It’s not a good record,” Bosnich added. “Maybe it’s time to sit back and have a look at where things are going. Right now, the EPL is not the place for him. I expected him to have a sabbatical after Spurs and maybe make a return in January.

I think he takes a break now and then looks for opportunities in January or the start of next season. Other options will arise around Europe. The fact he won the Europa League will always count in his favour.”

Mixed Reaction Across the Football World

Speaking after the defeat, Forest captain Ryan Yates admitted the sacking was not a “massive surprise” given the club’s poor form.

Reactions across the football world, however, have been divided. Many observers argued that Postecoglou deserved more time to implement his attacking approach. Forest dominated large spells of their match against Chelsea but failed to convert a series of clear chances — a recurring issue during his brief reign.

While there were early signs that the team was beginning to adapt to Postecoglou’s style, the brutal reality of football is that results ultimately dictate a manager’s fate.

With his future now uncertain, the Australian coach faces a crucial period of reflection — and potential reinvention — before deciding his next move in European football.