Sean Dyche on facing FC Porto: "We know their record so far this season" | OneFootball

Sean Dyche, the new coach of Nottingham Forest, said on Wednesday that he aims for a team with an “offensive mentality” against FC Porto on Thursday for the Europa League, despite the short preparation period.

Officially presented today, after being announced on Tuesday as the third coach of the season, the Englishman already led the first training session on the eve of the debut in the third round of the group stage of the competition, against the Dragons.

“The work we did was to simplify some of the basic principles of what we want to do, because we don’t want to overload them with too much information, just enough,” he stated in the pre-match conference.

Dyche wants an “offensive mentality,” with “commitment,” “energy,” and “intelligence” to press without the ball, break passing lines, execute quick transitions, and widen the play, but also maintain defensive solidity.

The coach emphasized the goal of bringing back to the team “the grit they showed recently, especially last season, the grit needed to win games.”

He recalled the excitement of returning to a club he supported as a fan last season and where he began his professional career in 1989, although he was never a starter.

Under the command of Nuno Espírito Santo, Nottingham Forest reached 2nd place in the English League and secured access to European competitions by finishing the season in 7th place.

Dyche shared with the players “the pride” felt in the previous year, aiming to recover the “mentality” and “chemistry” among the players to resume good performances.

“As a coach, if the culture and environment are right, that’s a big step forward,” noted the coach, who has over 300 games in the Premier League, mostly with Burnley.

Regarding the match against the ‘Dragons,’ he acknowledged it would be difficult, viewing FC Porto as a “good team” of great quality.

“We know the history they have so far this season. But here at (the stadium) City Ground, we want to build a mentality where we can face any opponent,” he said.

Midfielder Ryan Yates emphasized that the players have something to prove to the fans, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the performances since the start of the season.

“It’s going to be a tough game. But we want them to think: ‘Wow, they’re going to be fully motivated for this game.’ When the whistle blows, we need to give everything, excite the fans, and ensure no game slips away from us from now on,” he stated.

Nottingham Forest occupies a relegation position in the English League and is in 25th place in the early stage of the Europa League, with one point – after a draw in Seville against Betis (2-2) and a home defeat to Midtjylland (3-2).

FC Porto leads the group, with two wins and six points.

The poor results of the season have already led to the departure of two coaches, including Australian Ange Postecoglou, dismissed on Saturday after just eight games (six losses and two draws), who succeeded Nuno Espírito Santo in September, now at West Ham.

A club with a strong European tradition – winner of two European champion titles (1978/79 and 1979/80) and a European Super Cup (1980) – Nottingham Forest hosts FC Porto on Thursday at City Ground at 20:00 for the second continental club competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.