The table does not lie and Nottingham Forest were proudly fifth in the Premier League on Sunday night. Admittedly, the reality is they sit 16th but since Sean Dyche took over as manager only four teams have bettered their points tally, with a breezy win against Tottenham a further sign of revolution in action.
Considering the shambolic nature of the season before Dyche was appointed on 21 October, the fact Forest find themselves out of the relegation zone is impressive enough. They were 18th with five points after nine matches that included four defeats from Ange Postecoglou’s five league fixtures. It may have felt even sweeter for fans that the latest humbling handed out was against the Australian’s previous club.
Only Aston Villa, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea have accumulated more points since Dyche moved into the City Ground dugout. Forest’s 13 points from eight games has created distance to the relegation zone, not removing the threat but allowing everyone to look up rather than down. Dyche is winning on average 1.625 points a game, which would lead to almost 62 across an entire campaign. Brighton finished eighth last season with 61.
The squad Dyche inherited should not have been in such a desperate position. The money invested in the summer was supposed to build on the club’s success last season – seventh with 65 points – and there was optimism the team could battle for a European place once again, depth having been added to the squad.
Dyche’s role was to rebuild morale and find solutions to the confused style that had inhibited the players, who went from one extreme under Nuno Espírito Santo to another under Postecoglou. The squad was built for Nuno and Dyche has far more in common with the Portuguese’s conservatism, a key reason for the former Everton head coach being the eventual choice.
Dyche set about reminding the players of what they had done, of the quality they showed to defy the odds. The message is delivered by the entire coaching staff, who have swiftly built a strong rapport with the players. Communication is clear and honest between Dyche and everyone with whom he interacts, leaving people aware of their responsibilities, and he imparts a feeling of trust in those tasked with carrying out the orders.
There is also greater strength above Dyche, who has a solid relationship with George Syrianos, the executive who hired him. Syrianos has earned an internal promotion to sporting director. The two are aligned in their thinking, helping Forest move away from the muddled period under Postecoglou.
Dyche’s ability to construct and regimentally organise a defence was a key part of his appeal. Nuno’s side were built on solidity but that had disappeared. Dyche has taken things back to basics. Keeping shape, defending set pieces properly and being more aggressive to win the ball back were part of the strategy. It has taken time, but Forest have kept three clean sheets in the past five league games and won those three matches.
There is a learning curve, too, for Dyche, who finally possesses a defensive unit capable of passing out from the back. Forest have gone more direct under Dyche but there have been glimpses that he is open to changing the methods witnessed during his spells in charge at Burnley and Everton. Eventually Forest want a more possession-based game but the immediate urgency is getting up the table in pragmatic fashion.
The formation has gone back to 4-2-3-1, getting more out of the wingers and Morgan Gibbs-White. Postecoglou’s 3-5-2 neutralised the wide men but Dyche has encouraged them, with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s two goals against Tottenham evidence of the damage they can do, especially when striking options have been limited because of injuries. Forest are lethal on the counterattack again, which gets the best out of Gibbs-White who is keen to play on the move and use his instincts to create and assist..
Fitness was a key issue identified by Dyche, so longer and more intense training sessions have been implemented. Against Tottenham the press that resulted in the first goal shows the players are capable of playing at a higher intensity than before. Liverpool also suffered against the increased physicality and tempo Dyche’s Forest offer, losing 3-0 last month.
Dyche has often found himself in a firefight, with fewer resources than others, and that helped him create a masterplan for getting teams out of trouble. It has quickly worked at the City Ground and he is building momentum and camaraderie. The foundations are back in place and the designs show all the handiwork of Dyche, but this has the feeling of something a little bit different.
