'That was a bad decision' - Ange Postecoglou admits Nottingham Forest job came 'too soon' after Tottenham sacking

Postecoglou’s exit from Spurs was particularly jarring, coming just weeks after he ended the club's 17-year wait for silverware by lifting the Europa League trophy. Despite that success, he found himself back in the dugout at the City Ground shortly after, an ill-fated move he now reflects on with significant regret. Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Postecoglou opened up about the emotional state that led him to rush back into management in the East Midlands.

"The whole Forest situation was on me. It was, I think, a case of being careful what you wish for," Postecoglou said. "It was a bad decision by me to go in there, and I've got to take ownership of that. There's no point blaming timing or circumstances - I should never have gone in. It was too soon after Tottenham. I went in at a time when they were used to doing things a certain way, and although I was always going to do things differently, I've got to cop that. It was my mistake. It's no one else's fault.

"It was the first time I hadn't worked in 20-odd years, and I was lost. In the off-season, you're normally busy - transfers, preseason, your mind is always ticking over. This time I wasn't, and I felt lost."

Postecoglou’s brief tenure, which lasted just eight matches, was marked by a lack of connection with the squad and the hierarchy. Forest has since become a revolving door for managers, with Vitor Pereira recently succeeding Sean Dyche to become the club's fourth permanent manager of a chaotic campaign - a Premier League record. Postecoglou sensed early on that he was not the right fit for the specific environment Marinakis had created at the club.

"Usually when you go into a club, they want change. But the reality is, I don't think they really wanted what I had to offer," he said. "I don't even think they wanted to interview me. Something must have happened behind the scenes, because after the previous season, there was no way they would normally have come for me. So you're not walking into a normal environment where everyone wants change. I saw a group of players and thought, I can turn this around quickly. But strategically, it was never really going to work. By the time we started playing competitive games, we never got traction. It's no wonder the supporters never connected with me. Even the players were a bit distant."

The Australian was eventually dismissed just 19 minutes after suffering a defeat to Chelsea, his team's fourth loss in a row. Reflecting on the trigger-happy nature of the Forest boardroom, Postecoglou acknowledged the pressure cooker atmosphere under Marinakis. "And the owner just wants to win - however that happens. You can say what you want about him, but they probably wouldn't even be in the Premier League without him. But he wants results immediately," the Australian, who failed to pick up a single victory in the hotseat, added.

He contrasted this with the patience he was afforded during his more successful stint in north London, where weathering storms led to progress. "But every manager needs to go through a sticky patch. That's how you learn about people -- players, staff, fans. You need to live through it. At Spurs, we did that. We went through the tough period and got the reward. I had those players in the palm of my hand after that," Postecoglou explained.

Ultimately, Postecoglou believes his desire to prove himself quickly outweighed the need for due diligence. The veteran coach admitted he should have looked closer at the structural issues before signed on the dotted line. He concluded: "In the end, I have to take ownership. I made a decision based on not working and seeing a group of players I thought I could improve. That blinded me to the reality - it was never going to work long-term. Even if I'd won a few games, it wouldn't have lasted."

He added: "Looking back, I don't know what I was thinking. I should've had more extensive discussions before taking the job. But I've always been the type to say: Get me in there and I'll show you." With Forest currently languishing just three points above the relegation zone, the managerial instability continues to haunt the City Ground, while Postecoglou is left to ponder a rare blemish on his coaching CV.