Forest vs Chelsea: Postecoglou defends record at ‘Spursy’ Tottenham and claims he can win trophy at City Ground in prickly press conference speech

Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou has accused Tottenham of overlooking his record at his former club and claimed he can bring silverware to the City Ground in an extraordinary press conference monologue before the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.

Postecoglou won the Europa League before leaving Spurs at the end of last season and is under pressure at Forest, with reports suggesting his new employers are considering replacing the Australian, who has failed to win any of his first seven matches in charge and is on a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions.

“If you look at it through the prism that I’m a failed manager who’s lucky to get this job… then these first five weeks looks like this guy’s under pressure,” said Postecoglou, suggesting that the reporter who asked the first question at the media call was “smirking” at him.

“There is an alternative story you can look at. I came to the Premier League two years ago and took over ‘Spursy’ Tottenham.

"Looking forward to the challenge of it" 💪

Ange Postecoglou discusses Nottingham Forest hosting Chelsea this weekend pic.twitter.com/nvUtEXo8EA

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 17, 2025

“I was told by the chairman at the time [Daniel Levy], ‘this club has to win a trophy. We’ve tried to bring winners in – Jose [Mourinho] and Antonio [Conte] – and it hasn’t worked. We have to try something different’.

“We finished fifth in my first year and, every time Harry Kane scores a goal, I wish he’d stayed one more year, because it would have been handy to have had him. But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books.”

Tottenham trophy ‘was everything’ – Postecoglou

Spurs topped the table after 10 league games under Postecoglou in 2023/24 but took one point from their next five matches and lost five of their final seven that season.

All-time top scorer Kane left the club for Bayern Munich in August 2023 and has been the leading marksman in the Bundesliga for the past two seasons, although Spurs won the 2024/25 Europa League in his absence and scored 64 league goals in a dismal final domestic season under Postecoglou, losing 22 of their 38 top-flight games.

Postecoglou posited that the campaign “was used as a reason for me losing my job” because “even Tottenham decided to exclude the first 10 games”.

“They were an anomaly, apparently – although the first 10 games [at Forest] are very important, apparently,” said the 60-year-old.

“I was in meetings and people who are still at the club were in those meetings where I was told that ‘winning a trophy is everything to this football club.'”

Spurs ‘partied for two days’ after Europa League glory

Postecoglou repeatedly said he was concentrating on the Europa League during the latter stages of his final season at Spurs but was replaced by Thomas Frank in June despite ending Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought.

“We win a trophy,” Postecoglou said, elaborating on his Tottenham record while referencing a term used by Tottenham’s detractors to mock them over their perceived failure to grasp opportunities.

“We shed the tag of being ‘Spursy’. It’s Champions League football, which brings some rewards and the opportunity to bring in better players.

“But all I’ve heard, since I finished at Tottenham, is that we finished 17th last year. If I have to explain why we finished 17th, it doesn’t have to go into too much depth.

“Just look at the last five or six teamsheets of ours in the league last season and you’ll see what I prioritised.

“Before the last game against Brighton [a 4-1 home defeat on May 25], the players were out partying for two days – which I sanctioned, because I felt they deserved to.

“If people think [finishing 17th] is a reflection of me and my coaching, they’re looking at it through the prism [that] I don’t fit.”

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Postecoglou wants time

Forest qualified for Europe by finishing seventh under Nuno Espirito Santo last season but are now a point above the relegation zone and three above bottom side Wolves.

“Maybe I’m a manager where, if you give them time, the story always ends the same… with me and a trophy,” said Postecoglou.

When he was asked whether he had held talks with Forest over results, Postecoglou replied: “No. We’re just getting on with it.”

Forest have started the “process of identifying replacements” if Postecoglou is sacked, according to BBC Sport, which said that work “developed during the international break”.

The report added that “growing unhappiness with [Postecoglou] from sections of supporters” has made a potential change “seem more concrete”.

Postecoglou record

Postecoglou, who was capped by Australia, spent his entire playing career with South Melbourne between 1978 and 1993 and led the club in his first managerial role from 1996 until 2000.

After seven years as an Australia coach at youth levels, he had spells with Greek club Panachaiki and Australian sides Whittlesea Zebras, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory before managing Australia from 2013 to 2017.

The former defender moved on to Japanese club Yokohama F Marinos until 2021 and Scottish giants Celtic until 2023, when he succeeded Antonio Conte as Tottenham manager.

Postecoglou trophies, titles

A two-time Australian champion as a player, Postecoglou has tended to win trophies during his second season in charge of clubs.

Among an extensive list of silverware, he won championships with both of his Australia youth sides, the Australian title three times as a manager and the Japanese and Scottish top flights.

The Football Australia Hall of Fame inductee was also named the PFA Manager of the Decade in Australia in 2015 and won the Premier League Manager of the Month award three times during his debut season in the division.

How to watch Forest vs Chelsea: TV channel

Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:30 BST (07:30 ET / 04:30 PT), with live coverage in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.

TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Forest vs Chelsea online live stream

Fans can watch the action live on a vast variety of devices via the Discovery Plus app.

Premier League results and fixtures this weekend

Matches start at 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT unless stated otherwise.

Saturday, October 18

Forest vs Chelsea (12:30)

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Newcastle

Burnley vs Leeds United

Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth

Manchester City vs Everton

Sunderland vs Wolves

Fulham vs Arsenal (17:30)

Sunday, October 19

Tottenham vs Aston Villa (14:00)

Liverpool vs Manchester United (16:30)

Monday, October 20

West Ham vs Brentford (20:00)