List of top 10 Nottingham Forest Managers in the last 20 years

Nottingham Forest has been mentored and coached by some great players-turned-managers in English Premier League history. Each manager came with a different approach and mindset to take forward this club toward greatness. Nottingham was founded in 1865 and Harry Radford became the first ever manager of Nottingham Forrest when he took command of the team in 1889. These Nottingham Forest managers came with different game plans and playing styles.

From Harry Radford to Nuno Espirito Santo throughout their history, plenty of coaches were considered the best managers due to their tactics and influences. 53 coaches have been enlisted on the list of Nottingham Forest. These managers not only brought success and silverware to the Nottingham Forest club but also made Nottingham Forest stand alongside the top clubs in the UK. Nottingham Forest won the League title once, won the FA Cup twice, four league cups, one FA Charity Shield, two European Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup. They have only qualified for Premier League thrice in the last 10 seasons and it’s great to see them back in the Premier League. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 best Nottingham Forest managers in the last 20 years.

Detailed List of Nottingham Forest Managers

List of Best Nottingham Forest Managers (Last 10)

10. Gary Brazil

After the sacking of Philippe Montainer, Gary Brazil was given the chance to take the helm of Nottingham Forest as an interim manager/caretaker. Gary was already familiar with the club’s culture and several players already played under his managerial role during his first term as manager with the club. Gary Brazil came with a primary objective to regain momentum and gain some consistency during a challenging season. He provided aid to the team and helped them build some confidence to improve.

Also Read: List of Last 10 Aston Villa Managers

9. Mark Warburton

Mark Warburton took the helm at Nottingham Forest on 14 March 2017. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal alongside his assistant Weir. His first match in charge was an exciting local derby against Derby County on 18 March, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for Warburton and he was let go by Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Eve 2017 after a tough 1–0 loss at home to Sunderland. At that point, Forest was sitting in 14th place in the league, having faced 14 defeats. Warburton’s time at the club illustrated the ups and downs of football management and the intense pressure to deliver results consistently.

8. Gary Brazil

After Mark Warburton’s sacking, Gary Brazil was given the reins of the team third in his career and the second time in 1 year. Five months later, Gary signed a new long-term contract with Nottingham Forest. Under Gary, the team improved a lot and was learning from him. Gary Brazil was sacked the following day, and Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal 4-2 in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2018.

7. Aitor Karanka

Aitor Karanka took charge of Nottingham Forest in January 2018. His first game in charge was a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa. Then, his team faced his former club Middlesbrough and lost 2-0. During his first transfer window in the summer, Aitor signed Joao Carvalho from Benfica for $13.2 million, making him the club’s most expensive transfer. Nottingham Forest started the new season strongly, winning five games in a row and remaining unbeaten. However, their performance declined in December, winning only one game out of six, which led to Aitor’s dismissal due to the management’s dissatisfaction with the results.

6. Simon Ireland

Simon Ireland took over as the manager of Nottingham Forest in February 2019, after Aitor Karanka was let go. Unfortunately, Simon Ireland only got 11 games to manage in his tenure at Nottingham Forest. He managed to win three of them but lost 8 of them which was a major drawback for his sacking. His win percentage as a manager of Nottingham Forest was around 27%. Despite all the uneven or bad results, Simon Ireland was focused on inspiring the players and tried to create a sense of unity among the team members to move ahead. Simon’s game plan was to instill an aggressive approach to his players and motivate them to show off their raw skills and abilities on the pitch.

5. Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill took the reins as manager of Nottingham Forest on 15 January 2019, following Gary Brazil’s stint as caretaker. O’Neill is known for his passionate style and profound knowledge of the game and when his side was in trouble, he wanted to breathe new life into them. He had a win ratio of about 36 percent, winning 10 times out of 28 matches, but consistency sometimes eluded the team. Aside from being tactical, that’s the approach O’Neill took, to build a team that would gel, pride, and resilience.

4. Sabri Lamouchi

Nottingham Forest appointed Sabri Lamouchi as head coach on 28 June 2019, with Martin O’Neill having left earlier in the month. His 2019–20 start was impressive as he comfortably won the Championship Manager of the Month Award for September 2019, giving evidence of his willingness to motivate the team. Nottingham Forest also enjoyed a successful patch under his watch, remaining in a playoff position, and seeing them reach their highest league standing since the 2010-11 season. After arguably the worst goal a Brighton fan has experienced in his lifetime, their finish was incredible.

3. Chris Hughton

Chris Hughton was appointed as Nottingham Forest’s manager after Sabri Lamouchi’s dismissal. Hughton takes over a side at the bottom of the Championship with no points in a game at Blackburn Rovers and wins 1-0. His tactical approach was to build a well-organized defense and he came away from the first season with Forest a 17th-place finish, nine points away from relegation.

With a 30% win ratio, the challenges he was facing changing the squad weren’t easy. Their attack became significantly more fragile as the team struggled to convert chances when they did come, failing to score more than once in the opening stage. Hughton ended his first season in the Premier League in trouble as he headed into the next with a major rebuilding job, searching for new talent.

2. Steven Reid

Steven Reid was given the reins after Nottingham Forest sacked Chris Hughton in September 2021. Reid took charge of the team for a few matches following his brief tenure, attempting to inject new life and perspective into a squad lacking direction. He faced a tough challenge, but successfully guided the team through a difficult period, stabilizing their performance.

Although his win ratio was average, he prioritized boosting team morale, adopting a more offensive strategy, and making football enjoyable. Reid took his time as interim manager to return to his assistant manager position. In October, he announced he was stepping down from that job to study counseling, a decision to develop personally and professionally beyond football management. Reid’s stay was brief, but throughout he showed commitment to his club and its players.

Also Read: List of top 10 best Southampton managers

1. Steve Cooper

Nottingham Forest appointed Steve Cooper as head coach on 21 September 2021, the team has been in the Championship’s bottom spot. He arrived at the club and within a few matches everything changed. He became the player’s go-to man and instilled a more confident playing style that made the players take more risks as a team and build up more togetherness in the squad.

Nottingham Forest’s success under his leadership was remarkable, On May 29, 2022, Huddersfield Town clinched a 1-0 victory in the Championship play-off final, securing their well-deserved promotion to the Premier League. Cooper signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest in October 2022 but later was seen struggling as he managed to win only one game out of 13 matches at the end of 2023 and was sacked from the team on 19 December 2023.

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