Running and back to basics: How Dyche has revived Forest

Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 13.

Team analysis: Nottingham Forest

Winning three matches in a row, scoring three times in each of them, Sean Dyche's Forest are on a roll ahead of hosting Brighton & Hove Albion.

Doing the basics better

One of Dyche's priorities when he first arrived at the City Ground was to improve Forest’s physical capacities.

Across the first eight games, just two Premier League teams had run a shorter distance than the squad he inherited.

Speaking to the BBC, Morgan Gibbs-White revealed: "We’ve been running, running, running. He’s been putting us to work, but we needed it to compete at the highest level."

In a separate interview, Forest full-back Neco Williams confirmed that change: "The manager said that we needed to get fitter and, as players, we knew that we needed to. Training has been really tough; there has been a lot of running — but it is only going to benefit us. You have to be fit to play the way the manager wants."

Has this new regime made a difference in this department? Yes, it has.

Last weekend, in a performance full of desire, his side ran 110.91km in total, which was a full 6.59km further than their opponents, Liverpool.

It was also way ahead of the 106.7km Forest covered on average per match under Dyche's predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

As shown below, Forest’s players are covering a lot more distance under Dyche, and they are also making extra sprints for him.

Forest's physical output in PL 2025/26

Trying to get Forest to do the basics better, Dyche has also made his team more competitive in their duels.

They are winning a significantly greater number of tackles and duels right now, compared with the opening eight games.

Forest's defensive output in PL 2025/26

How has the style changed?

Dyche has quickly reverted to the 4-2-3-1 formation that Forest have mostly used across the last 12 months, switching it from the 5-3-2 deployed by Postecoglou in his final two matches at the helm.

One instantly noticeable change is the downturn in possession. Forest achieved remarkable success last season with a low-possession brand of counter-attacking football under Postecoglou's predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo and their new head coach is determined to return to a style in that mould.

Four of the five games where they have had the lowest share of the ball have come under Dyche, with the only exception being against Arsenal away from home.

The average possession has dipped dramatically from 55.34 per cent to 39.99 per cent – and they are making 91.4 fewer successful passes per game inside the opposition half.

Forest style of play comparison in PL 2025/26

Dyche is renowned for playing a direct brand of football too, and that has been immediately implemented.

Build-up attacks have been conspicuous by their absence (just 0.5 per game) with less patience and control demanded from the sidelines.

When it comes to the proportion of long passes Forest play, there has been a sharp rise from 8.8 per cent to 18.6 per cent.

Going from back to front quicker has reaped some rewards too.

This lovely clip forward from Nikola Milenkovic began the move that led to Ibrahim Sangare scoring in a 3-1 win against Leeds United.

Watch: Sangare's goal v Leeds

Later in the same game, this fabulous long diagonal switch of play from Murillo picked out Omari Hutchinson, and from his cross, Gibbs-White headed home.

Watch: Gibbs-White's header v Leeds

It is not the only time those three players have combined for a goal across the last four matches either.

At Anfield in MW12, Murillo drilled a quick free-kick wide to Hutchinson, and from his shot, the ball fell kindly to Gibbs-White, who buried his strike superbly in front of the Kop.

Watch: Gibbs-White's goal v Liverpool

Over time, Dyche will be determined to show he can coach a side playing attractive passing football too, and we have seen glimpses of that already.

But he will take a sensible, pragmatic match-by-match view, depending on how he sees the game from a tactical perspective.

For example, against this weekend’s opponents Brighton, a superb pressing team, we are likely to see Forest play plenty of long balls from back to front.

 Star man seems happier

Attacking midfielder Gibbs-White has been personally lifted by Dyche’s arrival at the City Ground, scoring in each of his last three Premier League appearances.

The England midfielder also found the back of the net at home to FCPorto in the UEFA Europa League. It was his first goal of the campaign, in Dyche's first home game in charge.

Gibbs-White has rediscovered his mojo; he is more at home in a counter-attacking set-up, urged to get in the box whenever Forest have the ball in wide areas.

This brilliant header against Manchester United (below) followed a glancing one he scored against Leeds.

Watch: Gibbs-White's goal v Man Utd

Playing as a second striker of sorts suits Gibbs-White greatly, especially when crosses are expected to fly into the penalty area.

Dyche will be hoping he is fit enough to feature against Brighton after missing their 3-0 midweek success against Malmo through injury.

Under Dyche, it has been interesting to see where Gibbs-White picks up the ball most often.

Across the opening eight matches, where he did not seem himself, the 25-year-old leaned towards the left when play built up, but he is now picking the ball up on the right side far more often.

This is something the Seagulls will have to take note of when they return to the City Ground for the first time since an incredible 7-0 thumping last February.

Brighton will be hoping for a much better experience this time around, but on the back of a famous win at Liverpool, Dyche’s Forest are performing with a renewed spring in their step.

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