Speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day, the former Manchester City defender criticised Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis and the club’s hierarchy for acting too hastily following the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea earlier this month.
Reports have indicated that Postecoglou was dismissed less than 20 minutes after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.
“Five games, 39 days in the Premier League, and he’s getting sacked, it’s just ridiculous to me,” Richards said. “I don’t know where we’re going in football. I understand the results have not been great, but Ange was trying to get his philosophy across. Under Nuno, Forest were a defensive side, but Ange likes his teams to play on the front foot.”
Forest’s poor start to the season under the Australian manager left them hovering near the relegation zone, but Richards believes he was not given the time needed to impose his attacking style.
“I think the owner has huge expectations,” Richards added. “Last season he thought they were heading for the Champions League. They ended up in Europe but that still wasn’t good enough. Nuno got sacked, and now Ange has too. How can a manager really build something in that environment?”
Postecoglou’s dismissal marks one of the shortest managerial stints in Premier League history, just behind Sam Allardyce’s 30-day spell at Leeds United in 2023. Forest are now searching for their third manager in a matter of months.
Richards warned that such instability could damage the club’s long-term prospects. “The interesting thing now is whether they go for a short-term fix or a long-term plan,” he said. “Because right now, they’re becoming the perfect example of what short-term thinking looks like in football.”
