Postecoglou Refuses to Quit Ange Ball – but Can He Keep Evangelos Marinakis Entertained?

Ange Postecoglou vowed he will not abandon his footballing principles at Nottingham Forest — even if that means tearing up everything his predecessor built.

The 60-year-old was unveiled at the City Ground at a press conference on Thursday, just two days before his debut away at Arsenal, and promised fans that Ange Ball will be non-negotiable.

“I’ll never go away from my principles,” said Postecoglou, who was appointed on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after Nuno Espirito Santo had been sacked.

Postecoglou promises to play Ange Ball at Nottingham Forest

“I want my teams to play exciting football and score goals. People say it doesn’t work, but in my first year at Spurs we finished fifth — that’s Champions League [qualification] any other year. I’m always going to try and do things a little bit differently.

“I do like my teams to play exciting football and score goals and get fans excited. We want to dominate the ball and score goals. If you win games then you can win trophies. I see a group of players here and the opportunity to build something that will be good to watch.”

That philosophy marks a sharp break from the pragmatism of Espirito Santo, whose compact, counter-punching system was widely praised for overachieving. Under his stewardship Forest climbed from 17th in 2023-24 to seventh last season — just six points shy of Manchester City in third — while also returning to European competition for the first time in three decades.

Spurs scars still fresh for Postecoglou

Postecoglou’s appointment at Forest came just three months after he was sacked by Tottenham in June. He was dismissed only 16 days after guiding Spurs to victory in the UEFA Europa League final, which ended the club’s 53-year wait for a European trophy.

That success could not mask a dreadful Premier League campaign in which Spurs lost 22 games and finished 17th — their lowest-ever placing in the competition.

“It wasn’t great. I knew it was coming a fair way before the Europa League final,” Postecoglou admitted. “We won it and we had the parade. It was a great three days. I didn’t want it to tarnish that. But after that I kind of knew it was done.

“Whether it was unjust or not, other people make those decisions. That’s up to them, you’ll have to ask their reasoning for it.

“What I do know is that I had two years where it was 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 is no Spurs supporter I come across now who doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must have done something right.

“Ultimately that’s what we do it for. I’m very proud of what I’ve done there and it will always have a special place in my heart.”

The man who sacked him, Daniel Levy, left his role as Tottenham chairman last week following a quarter of a century in the job. Asked about Levy, Postecoglou offered what sounded like a thinly veiled dig.

“He appointed me so I’ve got to be grateful for that. I repaid it by providing a trophy they hadn’t had for a very long time.”

Backing Marinakis and looking ahead

If there was an edge to Postecoglou’s Spurs reflections, there was warmth when he turned to Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. The Australian made it clear he is impressed by Marinakis’ ambition, his achievements in taking Forest back into Europe, and even acknowledged a shared cultural link through his own heritage.

Postecoglou was born in Athens before emigrating to Melbourne with his family aged five. That Greek background, he admitted, added extra meaning when he first crossed paths with Marinakis.

“I’ve been in his company three or four times,” said Postecoglou. “We were in Athens because he presented me with an award and I wasn’t going to turn it down. It meant a lot to me because I was raised in Australia but I was born in Greece. From afar you have to admire his ambition.”

He went on to praise Marinakis’ record as Forest owner. “The one thing about him that people can’t deny is that he’s taken over this football club with the right intentions. It’s not a vehicle for people to find out who he is or thrust himself into the spotlight. He wants to have a team who wins things.

“It’s not easier but you can go into London, buy one of the big teams and you’re guaranteed success. I love the fact that he’s taken a club with a fantastic history but they were in the Championship. He’s taken them into Europe. There’s some real merit there and that tells you a lot about the kind of person he is.”

Postecoglou added: “Hopefully the fans will get behind the team and be excited about the possibilities of what we can achieve. The players have been fantastic. They know they have a responsibility to perform for this football club.”

Better equipped or set to repeat old mistakes?

Postecoglou insisted his experiences at Tottenham, particularly juggling Europe alongside the Premier League, had left him stronger.

“Last year was a bit of a unique season,” he explained. “We didn’t have a great pre-season, we weren’t prepared. Obviously I’m coming in three games in in terms of the preparation to this season. When I look at the squad there’s certainly more experience.

“I just know the demands of Thursday-Sunday, particularly when you play away in Europe. I think I’m better equipped as a manager to handle it. The staff I have, we kind of know. We actually have the life experience of what it’s like and that will help us navigate it a bit better.”

But his critics will hardly be convinced. At Spurs, Postecoglou’s high-octane style appeared unsustainable across multiple fronts, with the physical demands leaving players tired and, in many cases, injured.

In the end, he effectively sacrificed the Premier League to chase European glory — a gamble that delivered the Europa League but also left Spurs just one spot above the relegation zone.

It worked once, but it is hard to imagine Marinakis allowing his new hire to gamble everything on Europe again, especially if Forest are dragged anywhere near a relegation battle.

The second-year promise and Marinakis’ demands

Postecoglou’s reputation for delivering silverware in his second season has followed him from club to club. At Spurs, he famously declared in September last year that he “always wins something in his second year” — a prediction he fulfilled by lifting the Europa League in Bilbao.

That history was brought up again on Thursday, and Postecoglou’s response was as quick-witted as it was revealing.

A reporter began: “We know you always win a trophy in your second season…”

Before he could finish, Postecoglou cut in: “I’ve won a couple in my first season as well. At Celtic I won a double in my first year.”

Put on the spot, the reporter nervously asked if he might win one straight away at Forest.

“Of course I can, yeah,” Postecoglou replied with a grin. “I mean, I may have to to have a second year here, mate.”

The comment drew laughs in the room, but the subtext was serious. Marinakis is an ambitious owner who has already sacked two managers in less than two years — and plenty more before that — despite remarkable progress. Postecoglou knows he will be judged not only on style but on results.

Arsenal away up first for Postecoglou

Postecoglou’s Forest reign begins with a daunting trip to Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime — and it’s a fixture he has never mastered.

He failed to beat the Gunners in four attempts as Spurs boss, losing three and drawing one.

“It is what it is,” he said. “First four games are away so I got a good look at the stadium today. Every Premier League fixture is challenging. It’s a great game. Mikel [Arteta] has got them off to a good start. They’ve strengthened over the summer.”

On the need to quickly reset Forest after Espirito Santo’s dismissal, he explained: “I just kind of let the players be and the staff because I’m sure Nuno had close relationships with all of them. They are human beings and I thought it was really important to let them deal with it.

“I told them we have a game Saturday and there’s nothing more important than that. We have to be absolutely ready for a big game and that’s been the conversation. I haven’t tried to expand on that too much.”

Forest travel to north London as 15/2 outsiders with multiple football betting sites, with Arsenal strong favourites at 2/5. But whatever the scoreline, one thing is certain: Ange Ball is back — and Postecoglou has no intention of changing for anyone. It’s just who he is, mate.