Sky Sports

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

New Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has joked that he will have to win a trophy in his first year in charge to remain in the job.

At Tottenham, Postecoglou famously declared that he "always wins things" in his second year, and he delivered on his promise as he led the club to Europa League glory last season.

But despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought, Postecoglou was sacked after the club's worst-ever Premier League season as they finished 17th.

Angeball is back - but can it work at Forest?

Forest appoint Ange as new head coach

Forest news & transfers🔴⚪ | Forest fixtures & scores

Three months on from his dismissal, Postecoglou has replaced the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis believes the Australian is the man to bring trophies to the club.

Asked about winning silverware in his second season, Postecoglou interjected: "I've won a couple in my first [season] as well. [At] Celtic, I won a double in my first year so…"

Questioned whether he was going to win one in his first year, he replied: "Yeah, of course I can. I may have to, to have a second year here, mate."

Postecoglou will be aiming to end Forest's 35-year trophy drought and has a chance to defend his Europa League title at the club, with Forest part of this season's competition.

"I want to win trophies," he said. "That's what I've done my whole career.

"Looking at the opportunity here, every club wants to be successful for sure, but what I've seen over the last few years, those ambitions are backed up with actions. That's perfect conditions for me."

'I knew Spurs sacking was coming before Europa League final'

The 60-year-old is set for a swift return to north London as Forest visit Tottenham's rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Winning Spurs' first European trophy in 41 years was not enough to keep him in the job as he was sacked 16 days after the victory in Bilbao.

But Postecoglou revealed he knew "a fair way before" the Europa League final that he was going to be sacked.

He said: "I knew it was coming, so it wasn't a surprise.

"I knew it was coming a fair way before the final. But we won it, we had the parade, so it was a great three days, and I didn't want it to tarnish that, but after that, I kind of knew it was done.

"From my perspective, I had the chance to process that. Whether I feel it was unjust, other people make those decisions and determinations, that's up to them, and you have to ask their reasoning for it.

"What I do know is that I had two years that were very, very challenging, but I worked with some fantastic people in the football department.

"The supporters, we put them through some tough times, but there isn't a Spurs supporter that I don't come across now that doesn't want to hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must've done something right.

"I'm very proud of what we achieved there, and it will always take a special place in my heart.

"How it ended, I don't really think about it a lot. And to be fair, I left Celtic and Yokohama - and I'm sure they were both disappointed - so you understand that's part of the business we're in.

"But that's allowed me to move into this and maybe these things happen for a reason."

Ange on style: I've played just about every system there is

Postecoglou's arrival at Forest is likely to see him introduce a polarising style to his predecessor, Nuno.

The pragmatic Portuguese boss built his team on defensive solidity during his 21 months in charge, but Postecoglou prefers attacking football known as 'Angeball'.

The ex-Celtic boss, however, believes he is adaptable and can play any system.

He said: "I do love my teams to attack. I do love my teams to score goals.

"But the one constant in my career is everywhere I've been I've won things.

"Sometimes that's done in a slightly different way. The principles are the same, but I've played just about every system there is. I've played three at the back, five at the back, three in midfield, three strikers, two strikers. I've done 4-4-2 for a whole season.

"There used to be a melting pot of different ideas and different opinions. There tends to be a melting pot of the same ideas these days sometimes and it would be nice if people just took a step back.

"If you look at my two years at Spurs, we finished fifth the first year, just missed a Champions League spot, and we were really aggressive with our football.

"Last year was different and I had to adjust things, but it brought success.

"But I'm never going to go away from: I want my teams to play football that's exciting and gets people talking."

He added: "The fans are not going to love me from the first day, I've got to earn their respect. It's a unique club where if you get that momentum, great things can happen."

'You can't be compared to Clough'

If Postecoglou can deliver success at Forest, he would follow in the footsteps of Brian Clough, who is revered at the City Ground.

He did not want to be compared to the man who won two European Cups and a league title at the club, but wants to make his own legacy.

"He's a standalone legend. He's one of these figures you cannot compare to," Postecoglou said.

"He's one of the most legendary figures going around, he did it at a football club where no one expected that.

"He's a standalone figure. If I can bring similar joy to this club and this city, I'll be a very happy man.

"For the most part, what you see is what you get. I'm just very passionate about what I do.

"I love creating things that are lasting. Every club I've been to, I'd like to think I'd be welcome back because I've left a mark.

"If I set my mind to do something, I'll see it through. Hopefully I can bring some special times to this club."

Can 'Angeball' work at Forest?

Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, and interviews you never wanted to end. Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear, given their shared heritage - plus the fact that the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:

🔷 Fernandez's runs reminiscent of Lampard

⚪ Why Kudus is thriving under Frank

🔥 Everton's new-found attacking flair

🔍 A player to watch this weekend

Fernandez channelling Lampard?

Enzo Fernandez rarely misses a game for club or country but his suspension from Argentina's fixtures against Venezuela and Ecuador gave him some time off during the international break. It could prove precious given the demands of his role at Chelsea. He showed signs of fatigue during their 2-0 win over Fulham.

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺

The 24-year-old shoulders a heavy workload in terms of the running he is asked to get through as well as the volume of minutes he plays. Premier League tracking data since the start of last season shows he covers more ground than any other Chelsea player.

It is a consequence of a positional change last term, when he was pushed further forward and asked to contribute at both ends of the pitch. His box-to-box industry has helped maintain balance in Chelsea's midfield. It has also become an offensive weapon.

Fernandez is Chelsea's top scorer and top assister since January with a combined 18 goal involvements. One of his most recent, the close-range strike in Chelsea's 5-1 thrashing of West Ham, highlighted a key attribute he has brought to his new role.

The goal, dispatched from Estevao's cut-back, came from one of 22 runs making Fernandez an option for a cross this season.

No other Premier League player has made more than 15 such runs in the opening three games of the campaign, with Fernandez's new team-mate Joao Pedro next in the rankings. The numbers highlight a talent for arriving in the box at the right time in the style of another player who wore Chelsea's No 8 shirt in Frank Lampard.

Fernandez almost scored a second goal in similar style against West Ham, when, early in the second half at the London Stadium, he blazed a shot over from 12 yards out having accelerated away from James Ward-Prowse to latch onto Pedro Neto's square pass.

Fernandez has a long way to go to reach the heights of Lampard, of course. But his late runs into the box, like those of the Chelsea legend, are made more difficult to defend against by the fact they often start from as far away from goal as the halfway line.

They require intelligence as well as athleticism.

In the example below, during Chelsea's win over Fulham, Fernandez anticipates Estevao's first-time flick to release Joao Pedro on the right, beginning his sprint towards goal before it even happens and bursting beyond Fulham's midfield line untracked to take up a dangerous position for the subsequent cross.

The trigger for Fernandez's runs is usually one of Chelsea's wingers receiving the ball in a wide position, as in the example below against Crystal Palace, when Fernandez darts towards the centre of the box as Estevao runs onto a through-ball near the left-hand touchline.

The cross never came on that occasion, with Estevao instead checking back onto his right foot, but Fernandez makes his runs knowing they will not always be found and they are not unique to this season. Last term, he ranked behind only Raul Jimenez and Dominic Solanke in the Premier League for cross option runs.

They have become an established feature of his game, in other words, helping to vindicate Enzo Maresca's decision to give him more attacking licence as opponents struggle to get to grips with them.

Expect to see more of the same when Fernandez, refreshed from some rare time off, faces Brentford live on Sky Sports on Saturday.

Stability helping Kudus thrive

While Chelsea increasingly look to Fernandez for attacking inspiration, their London rivals Spurs have two new outlets in Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. The latter could make his debut for the club live on Sky Sports against West Ham on Saturday; the former has already shown what he can bring.

Kudus can expect a hot reception at the London Stadium having become the first player to move between the two clubs since Scott Parker in 2011 but he returns to his former club having made a bright start for Spurs, who paid £55m for his signature.

At a time of upheaval off the pitch with the departure of Daniel Levy as chairman, Kudus has benefitted from some stability on it, playing exclusively on the right flank in his first three appearances having been used in a dizzying array of roles by West Ham last term.

Kudus felt his form suffered as a result of the changes to his position under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter at West Ham. But following a strong pre-season with Spurs, he has already become a key part of the side's attack, adding a new dimension with his one-on-one ability and creativity on their right flank.

The 25-year-old has attempted more dribbles than anyone else in the Premier League so far this season. There were two assists in the 3-0 win over Burnley and he also ranks top among Spurs players for chances created, expected assists and fouls won.

Spurs hope Simons will help share the creative load. But Kudus is also benefitting from working with a manager in Thomas Frank and technical director in Johan Lange who have built up a detailed knowledge of his game since his time in Denmark with Nordsjaelland.

"We have known him for many, many years," said Lange in a recent interview with the Spurs website. "We knew this player has all the attributes to be a fantastic offensive player in the Premier League. We have already seen him having a great impact in the team, so let's just cross our fingers this will continue."

Are Everton the new entertainers?

Kudus is not the only in-form attacker facing his former side this weekend. Elsewhere on Saturday, Jack Grealish comes up against boyhood club Aston Villa having contributed four assists in Everton's back-to-back victories over Wolves and Brighton.

He appears to have rediscovered the form that set him apart at Aston Villa but the Manchester City loanee is just one part of a style transformation taking place under David Moyes.

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler Dibling also added to an attack which already features the maverick brilliance of Iliman Ndiaye, Everton suddenly have an abundance of attacking flair.

It characterised their displays against Brighton and Wolves, both of which featured slick team goals involving all three of Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, and it can be seen in the numbers too.

Everton are scoring more goals, attempting more dribbles and making more final third passes this season. They have gone from making the fewest through-balls in the division to the third most.

It all adds up to a level of attacking threat far beyond last season's. It promises plenty of entertainment in the campaign ahead too.

Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on

Marcus Tavernier was mostly used as a winger in his first three seasons at Bournemouth but continues to shine in central midfield having been moved by Andoni Iraola at the end of last term. Will his good form continue against Brighton on Saturday?

Live Radar: What's on Sky this weekend?

Saturday brings a double header as West Ham host Tottenham in the 5.30pm kick-off before Brentford's meeting with Chelsea at 8pm. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm.

On Super Sunday, Burnley host Liverpool at 2pm with Alexander Isak expected to make his debut, before Manchester City take on Manchester United at 4.30pm. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event, with coverage starting at 1pm.

Read the last Radar column

The last column before the international break was ahead of the curve, outlining Dominik Szoboszlai's importance to Arne Slot before he went on to show it with his match-winning display for Liverpool against Arsenal.

Sky Sports showing 215 live Premier League games this season

Starting this season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage is increasing from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season will be shown live on Sky Sports.

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

Tottenham Hotspur's majority owners, the Lewis family, could invest more money in the club to make sure they can challenge consistently for major honours.

Tottenham are one of the most profitable clubs in the Premier League and they have one of the best stadiums in the world, but in the past 25 years they have only won two trophies - the League Cup in 2008 and the Europa League in May.

Executive chairman Daniel Levy was asked to step down after almost 25 years last week. He has left behind an impressive legacy but his departure presents the club with an opportunity for a fresh start - and a renewed focus on winning more major trophies.

NFL owners interested in £4bn-valued Spurs after 'not for sale' statement

Spurs Q&A: Why was Levy told to go? Who's in charge?

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Tottenham news & transfers⚪

Spurs fixtures & scores | FREE highlights▶️

Tottenham's wages to turnover ratio of 42 per cent is the lowest in the Premier League and they have not spent as much on transfers as their rivals. That could be set to change - but only if the new leadership team decide that is the best way of delivering on-pitch success.

The Lewis family are totally committed to Tottenham, despite the fact that there are now at least two groups of investors interested in buying the club.

The family have never taken any dividends out of the club and they have no need or desire to the sell the club they support and have owned for a quarter of a century.

The fact that senior members of the Lewis family are expected to attend Tottenham's game at West Ham on Saturday will be seen as sign of their long-term commitment to owning the club.

Tuesday's appointment of Adam Gardiner as the club's new chief marketing officer is significant as well. Gardiner has spent the past five years working as Arsenal's marketing director. He will be part of a new executive team who have been tasked with delivering success on and off the pitch.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham's interview on Monday with Tottenham's in-house media channels was a first step in showing that the new leadership will try to be more open going forward. Vivienne and Charles Lewis, the senior members of the Lewis Family Trust, are expected to be more involved in overseeing the running of the club.

Even though there is so much interest in buying English football clubs, there are good reasons to hold on to an asset as valuable as an established Premier League club. Tottenham are profitable, they play in the most-watched sports league in the world, they are in the Champions League, they have a new manager and a state-of the-art multi-purpose stadium.

Nottingham Forest have appointed ex-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach to replace the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo.

Sky Sports News understands the Australian has signed a two-year deal at the City Ground.

Postecoglou returns to management just three months after being sacked by Spurs, despite leading them to Europa League glory last season.

How Edu caused rift between Nuno and Marinakis

Why was Nuno sacked?

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Forest fixtures & scores | FREE Forest PL highlights▶️

Postecoglou succeeds Nuno, who was sacked late on Monday night following a breakdown in his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis, and it is understood he wanted to be dismissed.

Greek Marinakis has been an admirer of Postecoglou, whose family are of Greek origin, for some time, and he was quickly identified as the leading candidate to take over from Nuno.

Marinakis said of Postecoglou's appointment: "We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies.

"His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.

"After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies.

"Ange has the credentials and the track record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey."

Ange to face Arsenal away in first Forest game

Marinakis has given Postecoglou another crack at the Premier League and European football.

The 60-year-old is set for a swift return to north London as Forest visit Tottenham's rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Postecoglou's first four games in charge at Forest are all away, with his first home match not until September 27 against Sunderland, live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports News understands Postecoglou wants Mile Jedinak, Sergio Reimundo, Nick Montgomery and Rob Burch as part of his backroom staff.

The ex-Celtic boss spent two seasons at Spurs and ended their 17-year trophy drought last season by winning the Europa League.

But 16 days after leading Tottenham to their first European trophy in 41 years, Postecoglou was sacked following the club's worst-ever Premier League season as they finished 17th with 22 defeats from 38 games.

Just over a month after his sacking, Marinakis presented Postecoglou with a special award in Greece for being the first coach of Greek origin to win a European trophy in the men's game.

He said: "Ange has spoken many times about Greece. It is very important for a person to be proud and shout about his origins.

"He achieved it with a team that was not winning titles and was struggling. With this success with Tottenham, he made Greece proud.

"He is a very good coach and wherever he goes, he will make Greece proud."

Can Ange make Forest more dynamic?

Latest from Sky Sports News' Anton Toloui:

"It's clear Evangelos Marinakis wants Nottingham Forest 3.0 in the Premier League.

"Steve Cooper got them up, Nuno took them to Europe, and now Ange Postecoglou is in charge of making this team more dynamic and successful.

"Forest have spent big on attackers in the summer, it's now up to the former Tottenham boss to unlock their potential.

"£35m was spent on Omari Hutchinson, a similar fee also splashed out on Dan Ndoye and Dylane Bakwe, plus James McAtee came in for up to £30m, £25m went to Rennes for Arnaud Kalimuendo and Igor Jesus wasn't cheap from Botofogo.

"They've also given big contracts to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White.

"Forest can easily name three different front-three capable of competing in the Premier and Europe, it's down to Postecoglou to unleash them.

"Forest missed out on the Champions League by just a point despite only having the ball for 40 per cent on average in games last season. To put that into context, only Everton and Ipswich had less possession on average.

"It's going to be a complete sea change in the way that we're going to see Forest play because at Tottenham, Postecoglou didn't really want to change the way that he set up for anybody.

"Even when results weren't going his way, he was dogmatic with his system; he wanted it to continue even though obviously the fans wanted to see a more pragmatic approach.

"Postecoglou's got to solve the puzzle, which is how to make the most of all the attacking talent at Forest.

"Also, ignore the lazy narrative about club owner Marinakis wanting Postecoglou because he was born in Athens.

"To paraphrase the words of Forest hero Brian Clough, Marinakis 'wants to win but wants to win it better'. He believes he's found the man to do just that."

'Writing was on the wall' - How Edu caused rift between Nuno and Marinakis

Sky Sports News' Rob Dorsett:

Nuno has got his wish, in the end. Even though he denied it, he wanted to be sacked.

And Marinakis has now opted for a replacement head coach in his own image: Ange Postecoglou is a dominant man, headstrong, principled, who doesn't suffer fools gladly.

Nuno was never going to resign, but he'd had enough of life at the City Ground. As soon as Marinakis appointed Edu as his global head of football, the writing was on the wall.

Read more of Rob Dorsett's analysis of why Nuno was sacked here.

Another Ange rollercoaster ride in store at Forest?

Postecoglou took the Premier League by storm when he arrived at Spurs in July 2023.

His free-flowing 'Ange-ball' style saw Spurs go undefeated for the first 10 league games of the season, including a 2-1 home victory over Liverpool, which put them top of the table.

His first defeat came in a chaotic 4-1 home loss against Chelsea, where he drew criticism for refusing to adapt his style of play even when reduced to nine men. It led him to famously say: "It's just who we are, mate."

Despite early-season promise, the campaign finished disappointingly as Spurs lost five of their last seven games to finish fifth and miss out on the Champions League.

Following a difficult start to his second season and a north London derby home defeat to Arsenal in September, Postecoglou defiantly said: "I always win things in my second year."

This promise kept Postecoglou afloat as Spurs struggled domestically, leading to huge pressure at the end of January after a woeful 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened Leicester.

Injuries admittedly hampered Postecoglou, who put all of his eggs in the Europa League basket in an attempt to end Spurs' 17-year trophy drought.

And he delivered as Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final in Bilbao.

But ultimately Tottenham's dreadful Premier League campaign, which saw them finish 17th on a record low 38 points, ended Postecoglou's turbulent time at Spurs.

Postecoglou had expressed his desire to stay another year, telling fans at the Europa League victory parade that "season three is better than season two."

Ange Postecoglou has agreed a deal to become the next Nottingham Forest head coach.

The contract will last until the summer of 2027 and an announcement could come as soon as Tuesday.

The first game for the former Tottenham Hotspur boss is set to be away to Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou, who wants Mile Jedinak, Sergio Raimundo, Nick Montgomery and Rob Burch as past of his backroom staff at Forest, was identified as the leading candidate to succeed Nuno Espirito Santo and talks accelerated on Tuesday morning.

Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis has been an admirer of the former Celtic and Spurs head coach, whose family are of Greek origin, for some time.

In July, Marinakis presented Postecoglou with a special award in Greece for being the first coach of Greek origin to win a European trophy in the men's game.

"Ange has spoken many times about Greece," said Marinakis. "It is very important for a person to be proud and shout about his origins.

"He achieved it with a team that was not winning titles and was struggling. With this success with Tottenham, he made Greece proud.

"He is a very good coach and wherever he goes, he will make Greece proud."

Postecoglou has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in June, just 16 days after leading them to Europa League glory.

The 60-year-old spent two seasons at Spurs and ended their trophy drought last season, but did so at the expense of the league, where they finished 17th.

Nuno was relieved of his duties on Monday night after publicly falling out with Marinakis this summer.

The 51-year-old was given a new contract in June after guiding Forest into the Europa League, their first European qualification since 1995, but cracks were beginning to show behind the scenes.

Nuno had a poor working relationship with global head of football Edu Gaspar and his bond with Marinakis suffered as a result.

He questioned the club's transfer business ahead of the new season and then pre-empted his own sacking by saying "where there's smoke, there's fire" when asked about his future at the club.

He was set for peace talks with Marinakis during the international break, but the Greek businessman pulled the trigger without them happening.

Forest said in a statement: "Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach.

"The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club.

"As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey."

Strains in the Nuno-Marinakis relationship began to show in mid-August when Nuno criticised Forest's summer transfer activity and expressed concern for the season ahead.

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very close," the Portuguese said. "This season, not so well. No, it's not [good].

"I don't know exactly, but I'm being honest with you. I cannot say that is the same, because it's not the same. The reason behind it, I don't know.

"I always believe that dialogue and what you say or your opinion, is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relations have changed.

"The reality is that is not what it used to be. What it used to be was a good, respectful relationship, but was more based on trust and sharing opinions and now it's not so good."

Why has Marinakis chosen Postecoglou?

Latest from Sky Sports News' Anton Toloui:

"It's clear Evangelos Marinakis wants Nottingham Forest 3.0 in the Premier League.

"Steve Cooper got them up, Nuno took them to Europe and now Ange Postecoglou is in charge of making this team more dynamic and successful.

"Forest have spent big on attackers in the summer, it's now up to the former Tottenham boss to unlock their potential.

"£35m was spent on Omari Hutchinson, a similar fee also splashed out on Dan Ndoye and Dylane Bakwe, plus James McAtee came in for up to £30m, £25m went to Rennes for Arnaud Kalimuendo and Igor Jesus wasn't cheap from Botofogo.

"They've also given big contracts to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White.

"Forest can easily name three different front-three capable of competing in the Premier and Europe, it's down to Postecoglou to unleash them.

"Forest missed out on the Champions League by just a point despite only having the ball for 40 per cent on average in games last season. To put that into context, only Everton and Ipswich had less possession on average.

"Ignore the lazy narrative about club owner Marinakis wanting Postecoglou because he was born in Athens.

"To paraphrase the words of Forest hero Brian Clough, Marinakis 'wants to win but wants to win it better'. He believes he's found the man to do just that."

Forest's next 10 fixtures

September 13: Arsenal (A), Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm

September 17: Swansea (A), Carabao Cup third round, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports

September 20: Burnley (A), Premier League, kick-off 3pm

September 24: Real Betis (A), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

September 27: Sunderland (H), Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

October 2: Midtjylland (H), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

October 5: Newcastle (A), Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports

October 18: Chelsea (H), Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm

October 23: FC Porto (H), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

Ange Postecoglou has agreed a deal to become the next Nottingham Forest head coach.

The contract will last until the summer of 2027 and an announcement could come as soon as Tuesday.

The first game for the former Tottenham Hotspur boss is set to be away to Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou was identified as the leading candidate to succeed Nuno Espirito Santo and talks accelerated on Tuesday morning.

Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis has been an admirer of the former Celtic and Spurs head coach, whose family are of Greek origin, for some time.

In July, Marinakis presented Postecoglou with a special award in Greece for being the first coach of Greek origin to win a European trophy in the men's game.

"Ange has spoken many times about Greece," said Marinakis. "It is very important for a person to be proud and shout about his origins.

"He achieved it with a team that was not winning titles and was struggling. With this success with Tottenham, he made Greece proud.

"He is a very good coach and wherever he goes, he will make Greece proud."

Postecoglou has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in June, just 16 days after leading them to Europa League glory.

The 60-year-old spent two seasons at Spurs and ended their trophy drought last season, but did so at the expense of the league, where they finished 17th.

Nuno was relieved of his duties on Monday night after publicly falling out with Marinakis this summer.

The 51-year-old was given a new contract in June after guiding Forest into the Europa League, their first European qualification since 1995, but cracks were beginning to show behind the scenes.

Nuno had a poor working relationship with global head of football Edu Gaspar and his bond with Marinakis suffered as a result.

He questioned the club's transfer business ahead of the new season and then pre-empted his own sacking by saying "where there's smoke, there's fire" when asked about his future at the club.

He was set for peace talks with Marinakis during the international break, but the Greek businessman pulled the trigger without them happening.

Forest said in a statement: "Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach.

"The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club.

"As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey."

Strains in the Nuno-Marinakis relationship began to show in mid-August when Nuno criticised Forest's summer transfer activity and expressed concern for the season ahead.

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very close," the Portuguese said. "This season, not so well. No, it's not [good].

"I don't know exactly, but I'm being honest with you. I cannot say that is the same, because it's not the same. The reason behind it, I don't know.

"I always believe that dialogue and what you say or your opinion, is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relations have changed.

"The reality is that is not what it used to be. What it used to be was a good, respectful relationship, but was more based on trust and sharing opinions and now it's not so good."

Forest's next 10 fixtures

September 13: Arsenal (A), Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm

September 17: Swansea (A), Carabao Cup third round, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports

September 20: Burnley (A), Premier League, kick-off 3pm

September 24: Real Betis (A), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

September 27: Sunderland (H), Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

October 2: Midtjylland (H), Europa League, kick-off 8pm

October 5: Newcastle (A), Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports

October 18: Chelsea (H), Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm

October 23: FC Porto (H), Europa League, kick-off 8pm