Would a managerial transfer window have helped Forest?
Nuno/Marinakis fall-out looks even more damaging now
Should there be a transfer window for managers? Would it encourage more patience or a will to work differences out? Would Nottingham Forest be in a better place? All these questions are inevitably raised following Forest’s latest stumble. When Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed, Forest were 10th in the Premier League with four points, drawn to face Swansea City in the Carabao Cup, and looking forward excitedly to their first experience of Europe for 29 years. Under Ange Postecoglou, Forest are now 17th with five points, out of the Carabao Cup, just lost at home in the Europa League and Postecoglou’s getting booed by his own fans.
The fall-out between Nuno and Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is looking even more costly to the club now. Few people thought Postecoglou was an upgrade on Nuno. The sorry mess at the City Ground inevitably revives the thought of how things would be if managerial changes were allowed only in the summer and January. Would Marinakis and Nuno have tried to re-establish a proper working relationship? Would Forest have had to wait for a better manager than Postecoglou? Would managers be more keen to keep their job if they know they can’t have a week in the garden/Dubai and then move swiftly elsewhere?
Forest’s loss to West Ham, and particularly the anaemic late collapse after going a goal behind, was damaging because it felt like tensions between Nuno and Marinakis were now affecting the dressing-room. Nuno going public on the breakdown in their relationship was unwise unless he simply wanted out. Marinakis soon obliged. But it has cost Forest, financially in compensation and from a footballing perspective in now having a lesser manager in Postecoglou.
The away point at Real Betis was decent, some of their early play against Arsenal was promising, but otherwise Forest have lacked inspiration and organisation under Postecoglou. Morgan Gibbs-White, whose form under Nuno got him into the England squad, is not as effective. Forest’s defence, so strong under Nuno, conceded two set-piece goals in last night’s poor 3-2 Europa League defeat to Midtjylland. “Sacked in the morning,” chanted some Forest fans at Postecoglou.
Forest’s players look confused. They have gone from a popular counter-attacking coach to a very attacking one and look all over the place, positionally and emotionally. In-season managerial changes don’t always work. Postecoglou has not even brought the fabled “new manager bounce”. Forest fans and players still seem in mourning for Nuno.
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So what about this idea of a transfer window for managers. I was actually thinking about it early yesterday because of all the speculation around Crystal Palace’s esteemed head coach, Oliver Glasner, linking him with the Manchester United job should Ruben Amorim be dismissed. I was thinking of all the thousands of Palace fans heading happily and hopefully to Lublin for their Europa Conference League tie with Dynamo Kyiv. The only cloud was the constant speculation about Glasner.
Would a transfer window for managers prevent this? How would it work? It’s been mooted before but too few clubs wanted it. They wanted that ability to dismiss a manager to “save our season” if they risked relegation. But did Amorim turn the tide last season after Erik ten Hag was dismissed in October 2024? No. Did Ruud van Nistelrooy revive Leicester City who were two points above the relegation zone when Steve Cooper was sacked after only 12 games? No, they went down. Russell Martin was struggling at Southampton but Ivan Juric proved even worse. Julen Lopetegui failed to convince at West Ham and was replaced by Graham Potter, who similarly struggled and has now gone.
Wolves were certainly improved by their managerial change, Vitor Pereira replacing Gary O’Neil. David Moyes transformed the mood around Everton after returning and replacing Sean Dyche. (If a transfer window were in place, the Moyes and Potter appointments would still have taken place, coming in the January).
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A January window would at least give a manager a chance in the first half of the season. It would end all the speculation and calls for the manager’s head until the window, calming the debate in the stands, the board-room and dressing room. Get on with it, and see where you are in the next window. Glasner had a difficult start at Palace. Appointed to succeed Roy Hodgson in February 2024, the Austrian beat Burnley 3-0 then took only two points from a possible 15. Fortunately, Palace’s board and supporters were patient.
Rather than the manager being a convenient scapegoat there might be more scrutiny on others responsible for problems - players, owners or those running the recruiting. Clubs would have to think more long term, planning properly, making sure the appointment is exactly the right person for the job. Some players are wary of joining a club where there’s managerial churn; a manager might want them and yet be gone quickly, leaving the player potentially out in the cold under a new manager.