Sean Dyche made an instant impact at Nottingham Forest, guiding the club to a 2–0 victory over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night, his first game in charge.
The former Everton manager had just two days to work with the squad after replacing the sacked Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday, but he achieved what Postecoglou could not; ending Forest’s 10-game winless run in all competitions.
“The players have been through a lot, and the fans too,” Dyche told TNT Sports. “Just to give something back to them, it meant a lot. It’s a start — a good start — but there’s a lot more to come.”
Dyche’s trademark pragmatism was on display, with Forest adopting a more direct approach and showing greater defensive structure.
The result marked the club’s first clean sheet since April 1, something the new boss said was key to rebuilding belief.
“I don’t want to be a purist. I want to play long and stretch teams, that gives you more room to play,” Dyche explained. “We’ll get fitter and sharper, but the shape was good, and the players applied what we worked on quickly.”
The win gives Forest a timely boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with high-flying Bournemouth.
Still 18th in the table with five points, Dyche knows the real test begins now. “It’s a journey,” he said. “That’s a good start, but there’s a whole lot more work to do.”
