Nottingham Forest: New boss Sean Dyche believes Premier League style does not matter

"I have seen enough fashionistas come in and out of this division," says new Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche. "You've got to win the games, it's as simple as that."

The 54-year-old might not class himself as a football fashionista but as coaches place increasing emphasis on set-pieces and 'going long' he may find himself in vogue.

Ange Postecoglou lasted just 39 days at Forest after being brought in to win trophies and play more expansive, attacking football having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo on 9 September.

He lost six and drew two of his eight games in charge as the squad struggled to adapt quickly enough to the new manager's demands.

Soon after Dyche walked down the stairs of the club's museum in the Trent End as Forest's third manager of the season, he outlined his philosophy and style, having been criticised at Burnley and Everton.

"I did a podcast with Tony Pulis and Mick McCarthy, Tony's now being lauded for long throws when before he was getting hammered [as manager of Stoke]," said Dyche, who has signed a deal until the summer of 2027.

"It's the fashion of football, it changes all the time and I'm not pontificating one way or the other but the bit I like is when you win.

"The Forest fans accepted a different way of working than in the history of this club last season which was very successful. They are more open-minded now.

"The players are aware of it. I took a lot of feedback from the players. They are very proud of what they did last season. That is no problem for me because I agree with them. Now can we mould it slightly differently but keep that winning mentality?

"Long ball, short ball? You've just got to play effective football. That will never go out of fashion."

Forest are 18th in the Premier League, winless in all competitions since the opening day and face Porto in the Europa League in Dyche's first game in charge on Thursday.

It is a contrast after last season's seventh-placed finish that brought European football back to the City Ground for the first time in 30 years.

Forest have scored just twice from set-pieces this season in the Premier League, with leaders Arsenal doing so eight times in their eight games.

The amount of long throws per game has almost doubled from last season while there is less playing out from the back, with 48% of goal-kicks into the attacking half compared to 40% last season.

"You have seen this season the way stats have changed. I think it's the first time in 10 years that there have been more longer balls or long passes," added Dyche.

"Of course, when other teams do it, it's long passes. When I've done it in the past, it's been long balls. We all know that. I joke about it but you know it's real.

"We want to play effectively. Because we've got to get back to winning. There is no point in me telling you we are going to play like Spain when they won the World Cup. It's about how many different styles we can find.

"Can we build on a style that we find and use the skill levels of the players slightly differently? We will see. But there has to be a base to work from."

Forest have not kept a clean sheet for 20 games, a run stretching back to April and a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

They scored just once under Postecoglou in five Premier League games, conceding 10 goals, and are two points from safety.

A realistic ambition at the start of the season was to win the Europa League and challenge for Europe again but owner Evangelos Marinakis accepts Forest need to stabilise first.

"He's well aware of the challenges," said Dyche. "He spoke very openly about the challenge. I don't think he thinks it's a gimme just because of last season.

"You know, he's been around football a long time with Olympiacos and then here. So stability is the first move but that's not acceptable for the whole run of being Nottingham Forest manager.

"I don't want that, I don't want to sit here and go 'well, that's okay then'.

"I always say to players don't accept 'allrightness', it doesn't get you anything. Let's push for more.

"As a football manager, a football coach and football players you should be wanting more but the first thing is can we just stabilise the situation.

"You guys [the media] have been writing about it for weeks. So then can you move it forward? But it still needs the basics put back into the team from my point of view, because they have lost sight of that a little bit."

Club captain Ryan Yates insists Forest's players have to take accountability for their position after Dyche's arrival.

Fans chanted that Postecoglou would be "sacked in the morning" during their 3-2 Europa League defeat by Midtjylland last month as the atmosphere at the City Ground turned.

They go to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday before welcoming Manchester United on 1 November.

Yates said: "It's our responsibility as players. We have to take responsibility more than anyone. We haven't been good enough.

"You can't pinpoint an individual but we have a new opportunity now and we are really excited to get off to a good start.

"A massive strength of this club is getting that connection between the fans, the players and the manager.

"Let's be honest, we haven't had a good feeling around here in the last few weeks. It's not been that lively but the new manager and his coaching staff have brought a new sense of life and energy."

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