Nottingham Forest sack Sabri Lamouchi after poor start to season

Nottingham Forest v Bristol City – Sky Bet Championship – City Ground
(Image credit: Bradley Collyer)

Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Sabri Lamouchi.

The 48-year-old has paid the price for their poor start to the Sky Bet Championship campaign after they also imploded to miss out on the play-offs on the final day of last season.

A Forest statement read: “Nottingham Forest can confirm that the contract of head coach Sabri Lamouchi has been terminated with immediate effect.”

Owner Evangelos Marinakis has acted just four months after Lamouchi signed a new two-year contract at the City Ground.

Forest were expected to reach the play-offs and sat fifth heading into the final day of the season.

But a 4-1 home defeat to Stoke, coupled with Swansea’s 4-1 win at Reading, saw them miss out on goal difference.

They collected just three points from their final six games, which saw Lamouchi’s side crash out of the play-offs after occupying a space in the top six for 207 days.

It piled the pressure on Lamouchi and despite backing him with new signings this summer – including Harry Arter and Scott McKenna – Forest have lost every game this season.

A 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City on Saturday was Lamouchi’s final game in charge.

He was appointed in June 2019 after Martin O’Neill’s departure and won 20 of his 55 games.