Pundits Nedum Onuoha and Shay Given have weighed in on Nottingham Forest’s managerial situation following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou after a 3–0 defeat to Chelsea.

The loss at Stamford Bridge marked Postecoglou’s eighth match without a win and ultimately his last in charge, with owner Evangelos Marinakis deciding to end his brief tenure. The Australian had struggled to imprint his attacking philosophy on a squad still shaped by Nuno Espirito Santo’s pragmatic style, and results never turned in his favour.

Attention has now turned to possible successors, with former Manchester City and Italy boss Roberto Mancini among the leading contenders. However, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex-City players Onuoha and Given expressed mixed feelings about the prospect of Mancini taking over at the City Ground.

“What a contrast in names — Sean Dyche and Roberto Mancini,” Onuoha said. “I don’t really see the connection between those two. Mancini is very particular about how he wants his teams to play. He’ll get them organised exactly his way, but he’s not always someone who embraces the club’s identity or culture. When he was at City, that wasn’t really something that concerned him.”

Given, who also played under Mancini at Manchester City, agreed. “Yeah, it was volatile,” he said. “He’s fiery — that’s putting it nicely. I remember him clashing with players, even Balotelli on the training ground. So, if you imagine Mancini and Marinakis in the same room, you’re not picturing calm discussions — you’re picturing chaos. That’s not an easy mix.”

Both pundits suggested that the strong personalities of Marinakis and Mancini could make for a combustible partnership, even if the Italian’s track record — including guiding Italy to the Euro 2020 title — speaks for itself.

Forest, who are enduring a turbulent campaign, still have time to turn their season around, but the choice of manager will be crucial. Whether Marinakis sees Mancini as the right fit for that challenge remains to be decided.