Micah Richards has condemned Nottingham Forest‘s swift dismissal of manager Ange Postecoglou as “absurd,” voicing his worries about the current trends in football management.
Postecoglou was relieved of his duties on Saturday, less than 30 minutes following his team’s 3-0 loss to Chelsea.
The Australian-Greek coach’s stint lasted only 39 days, during which he managed five Premier League fixtures.
Across all competitions, Forest failed to register a single victory under his leadership, ending with six defeats and two draws in eight matches.
Richards Criticizes Forest’s Leadership
During an appearance on BBC’s Match of the Day, Richards openly criticized the club’s lack of patience. “To be dismissed after just five Premier League games and 39 days in charge is utterly ridiculous,” he remarked. “It’s hard to tell where football is headed with decisions like this.”
Richards acknowledged the poor results but emphasized the importance of allowing a manager time to implement their style. “We knew Nuno’s approach was defensive, but Ange wanted to play an attacking brand of football,” he added. “We always say managers need time, yet he only got five Premier League matches.”
Postecoglou’s tenure now stands as the shortest for any permanent Premier League manager in history.
Although Sam Allardyce (Leeds, 2023) and Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace, 2017) also had brief spells of four or fewer games, their tenures either lasted longer in days or were intended as short-term assignments.
Reports suggest that Nottingham Forest are considering several candidates to fill the managerial vacancy, including Roberto Mancini, Sean Dyche, and former Olympiacos coach Pedro Martins.