Ange Postecoglou explains what went wrong in nightmare 39-day Nottingham Forest reign | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou has candidly admitted his brief tenure as Nottingham Forest manager was a "bad decision" on his part, taking full responsibility for the ill-fated move that saw him sacked after just 39 days.

The Australian, appointed as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor in September, lasted a mere 39 days before being dismissed by the club's notoriously trigger-happy owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

During his short spell, Postecoglou oversaw six losses in eight games, a record that quickly sealed his fate.

Reflecting on the period for the first time on The Overlap podcast, he confessed he was overly eager to return to management after his departure from Tottenham three months prior.

"There’s no point me blaming it on ‘I didn’t get time’ or anything," the 60-year-old stated unequivocally. "I should never have gone in there. That was on me. That was a bad decision by me to go in there. I’ve got to take ownership of that."

He elaborated that it was "too soon after Tottenham" and that he was "lost" after 20 years of continuous work, finding himself without a role for the first time in decades.

Despite warnings from those around him, the allure of "some good players" at Forest "sucked me in”.

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Postecoglou feels he took the Forest job too soon after leaving Tottenham (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Postecoglou also suggested the club was reluctant to part ways with Nuno, meaning he walked into a playing group "where they’re not really looking for change," a situation he now acknowledges was problematic.

While Postecoglou remains without a club, he has firmly ruled out any immediate prospect of returning to Celtic, where he enjoyed a highly successful two-year stint between 2021 and 2023, leading them to multiple trophies.

"I loved Celtic, it’s a wonderful football club," he affirmed. "If I was younger, I probably would have stayed there longer. I probably would have stayed there three, four years."

He acknowledged the opportunity to join Tottenham was "too good" to pass up at the time, representing a significant step in his career.

Regarding a return, he stated: "I don’t go back. I just don’t think that’s kind of been my career."

He added that his next step would be "something new, somewhere I can make an impact in, somewhere I can win things," without diminishing his "affection" for the Scottish club or his fond memories of his time there.

Postecoglou remains open-minded about his next challenge but insists his future employer must fully embrace his distinct ideas and ambitious football philosophy.

"If a club starts talking to me, it’s not like I’m going to walk in and do things differently," he explained, outlining his non-negotiable approach.

"Do they really want what I have to offer? I’m going to play this way, I’m going to train this way and I want to win things. I’ve done that my whole career."