Dyche begins Forest tenure with ultimate test against unstoppable Porto | OneFootball

Sean Dyche begins his Nottingham Forest tenure with a significant test as Porto visit the City Ground in the Europa League on Thursday.

The 54-year-old was appointed as manager earlier this week following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou, who failed to win any of his eight games in charge.

Dyche arrives with Forest languishing in the relegation zone and without a victory in ten matches across all competitions.

Forest have had three different managers this season, reflecting owner Evangelos Marinakis’s ruthless impatience after another poor start.

Dyche, who spent time at Forest as a youth player, will be joined by trusted lieutenants Ian Woan and Steve Stone, both former club favourites.

They must stabilise a squad that has struggled for confidence, direction, and goals in recent weeks.

Their Europa League campaign has mirrored their domestic woes. A 2-2 draw away at Real Betis was followed by a 3-2 home defeat to Midtjylland, leaving Forest with a single point after two group matches.

Their defensive fragility at the City Ground has been alarming, with the side losing four straight home games and conceding three goals in three of those outings.

Dyche’s pragmatic style and emphasis on structure will be under immediate scrutiny. His first match will require balancing defensive solidity with the need to inspire a decent performance.

Forest’s players have shown flashes of attacking promise, but their inability to sustain pressure or manage games has repeatedly cost them.

By contrast, Porto are in imposing form. Francesco Farioli’s side have won ten of their eleven matches this season.

They are top of the Primeira Liga and have a perfect record in the Europa League after victories over Red Bull Salzburg and Red Star Belgrade.

They have also won all six of their away fixtures this term by a combined 16-1 scoreline – a measure of both their efficiency and ruthlessness.

Samu Aghehowa, who scored a ten-minute hat-trick in the cup last week, leads a confident attacking line, although he has yet to open his account in Europe this season.

The Portuguese giants are seeking three straight Europa League wins for the first time in over a decade, and their momentum makes them firm favourites.

Forest can take encouragement from history. Porto have won just once in 24 away meetings with English sides, a record that offers Dyche’s men a glimmer of hope.

A result against Porto would not only inject life into Forest’s faltering European campaign but also hint at the resilience Dyche was hired to restore.