Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Chris Hughton after a dreadful start to the Championship season that has seen the club take only one point from their first seven games.
A 2-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough on Wednesday day appeared to be the final nail in the coffin for Hughton, with Forest announcing the news on Thursday morning.
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Steven Reid has been placed in charge as interim first-team coach, with Forest already beginning the search for a new permanent boss.
A statement read, “The club would like to place on record its’ appreciation for Chris’s efforts. Chris joined the club in a difficult period for everyone in football and around the world and we thank him for the way he has conducted himself during his tenure.”
As far as new manager is concerned, 90min understands that Roy Keane, Neil Lennon and Jack Lester are all in the mix – all three played for Forest during their own careers. The club could also turn to overseas, having already employed French and Spanish coaches in recent years.
Chris Wilder has been rumoured as an early favourite. John Terry, meanwhile, having briefly played for Forest on loan at the start of his career, has publicly ruled himself out. 90min revealed this week the former Chelsea captain would prefer to hold out for a Premier League job.
Hughton had been appointed in October 2020 after previous boss Sabri Lamouchi had overseen a run of four consecutive defeats at the start of last season. He steadied the ship and pulled Forest away from the relegation zone to finish 17th and survive.
But this season has been a disaster for the former two-time European champions. Defeats to Coventry, Bournemouth, Blackburn, Stoke, Cardiff and now Middlesbrough were only bettered by a 1-1 draw against Derby at the end of last month.
That run of results has left Forest bottom of the Championship, already four adrift of safety.
Hughton has previously enjoyed much success as a Championship and Premier League manager, earning widespread praise for his spells in charge of Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich and Brighton, but he could not work his magic on Forest.
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