Forest found itself in a corner after the failure of the Postecoglou experiment.
They wanted the new man ahead of Porto’s Europa League visit on Thursday – and Dyche must restore the organization and solidity that was so evident under Nuno Espirito Santo, who took them to seventh in the Premier League last season.
Centre-backs Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic were nervous about Postecoglou’s more open style, while Matz Sels, who shared the Golden Glove with Arsenal’s David Raya last season, is yet to keep a clean sheet this season and was guilty of at least one goal against Chelsea.
Elliot Anderson is someone who has maintained his form and made the most touches, 807, in the Premier League this season – but the midfielder is an exception to the rule.
It means Dyche will immediately need to understand the make-up and psychology of the team after Forest spent £180m on 13 new players in the summer transfer window.
Around £120million worth of talent was left out of the squad on Saturday – James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa, Arnaud Kalimuendo and record signing Omari Hutchinson – with just two summer signings, loanees Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko, as starters.
Sources close to the team believe there are too many players and too many of the same type.
The unity that had been so essential has been disrupted by Nuno’s departure and Dyche must restore it.
“He’s one of the most charismatic men, he walks into a room and he demands the attention of the room,” said former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who played under Dyche for 18 months at Burnley.
“I’ve always responded very well to male managers, to people whose door was always open and who told you the truth whether you liked it or not, and that’s one of Sean’s great qualities.
“He’s a leader among the men, he immediately gets the respect of the dressing room. Sometimes he’s been criticized for the way he plays, but he gets results and what I responded and reacted to, he’s able to get the best out of players who maybe aren’t at the highest level.
“There are players in the Nottingham Forest squad – Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Neco Williams, Callum Hudson-Odoi – those type of players will love playing under Sean Dyche. He will be a manager they will excel under.”
Forest have started the season with European ambitions again and Postecoglou has been brought in to win trophies, but they need to reset to advance again.
Dyche took Burnley to seventh in 2017-18, with the Clarets qualifying for Europe for the first time in over 50 years.
But Everton finished 17th and 15th under him, so can the 54-year-old win the Europa League?
“I think they can still do it, the group of players is still there,” Robinson said. “It changes mentalities. It’s difficult to come out of a losing streak, but if anyone can do that, he’s the kind of man who does it.
“He doesn’t want to be labeled as Sam Allardyce, as a fireman coming in, the troubleshooter to keep teams in the Premier League. He has an opportunity now where he can be a builder.
“He has a great team of players. Yes, they have a financial constraint, but when you look at the team, they don’t need a lot of work this season.
“It’s just an ideal fit for him. It’s almost one of those jobs he’s been waiting for.”
