Sean Dyche urging caution but content with winning start at Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche during the Europa League match against Porto.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Sean Dyche was delighted with how Nottingham Forest’s players reacted to his recent arrival, giving him a winning debut in the Europa League against Porto on Oct 23, but the new manager warned that there is much work to do.
Dyche had a mere two days with the players after he replaced the sacked Ange Postecoglou on Oct 21, but he did what the previous boss could not manage in his 39-day spell and found a way to get Forest winning again when they clinched a 2-0 victory at the City Ground.
Forest had not won since the opening day of the English Premier League back in August, when Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge, and then went 10 games without a win, eight of those coming under Postecoglou.
“The players have been through a lot and the fans have (too), but just to give something back to them, it meant a lot,” Dyche told TNT Sports, following goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus.
“We have been with them for two days and they have applied that very quickly. It is a start. There is a lot more to come, but it is a start. A good start.”
While Postecoglou ran into trouble for sticking with his footballing philosophy, Dyche is a more pragmatic manager and will do what it takes to find success.
“I don’t want to be a purist. I want to play long and stretch teams,” he added.
“That gives you more room to play in. We had a chance second half to stamp our authority. It was nice that we got the second goal to settle it.”
Dyche was happy with what he saw from the players and also content to see the side manage not to concede a goal for the first time since April 1.
“To get a clean sheet and a win for the crowd and the players and give them a bit more belief was great,” he said.
“I said to the lads there is a whole lot more work to go. We can’t think that’s all the questions answered.”
Forest begin their bid to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone on Oct 26 at high-flying Bournemouth, with Dyche’s side 18th on five points.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa were stunned 2-1 by Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles. The visitors started strongly when Evann Guessand fired in his first Villa goal.
However, Mathis Suray’s deflected shot levelled the score before half-time and Mats Deijl dinked the ball over Emiliano Martinez to give the Dutch Cup winners the win.
Over in the Conference League, Bosnia and Herzegovina attacker Riad Bajic scored the winner as AEK Larnaca stunned Crystal Palace 1-0. REUTERS, AFP
