Sean Dyche challenges the team to reconnect with disappointed supporters

New Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche wants his underachieving players to win back disappointed fans.

The 54-year-old became Forest's third appointment in six weeks when he took over from Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday.

Postecoglou was sacked five and a half weeks after he took over for the dismissed Nuno Espirito Santo on 9 September.

Former Tottenham boss Postecoglou found it difficult to convince the fans, who sang he would be "let go quickly" during a 3-2 Europa League loss by Midtjylland last month.

Forest placed seventh in the Premier League last season under Nuno, their highest placing for three decades, but they sit 18th and have not claimed three points since the season opener of this campaign.

They face Porto in the Europa League in Dyche's initial fixture on Thursday before travelling to Bournemouth on Sunday.

Forest have not kept a clean sheet for twenty matches, since beating Manchester United in April. They will host United at the City Ground on 1 November.

"The fundamentals have always got to be in place," said Dyche.

"Physically robust and well-drilled is a good start point, I want the players to have their license to go and play.

"I've had a discussion with them, communicated that, and there's some ability here. So how can we strike the right balance, the calculated risks going forward to find the net but also the base which has been such a effective tool for Forest?

Dyche developed in the Forest youth system in the eighties, although he never made a senior debut, and is determined to unite the City Ground.

"We want to get back on the front foot, in old football terminology, and ideally provide the supporters something to celebrate and restore relationships," Dyche stated to local media.

"The Forest fans in my observation have been quite reasonable down the years and I don't think it's far away from the team restoring relationships. The initial priority is showings, get them back on that successful mindset they have shown."

Dyche said the team are "still a work in progress" as Forest look to regain the standard on the pitch they were at during his time in the academy.

"When I was here 1987-90, that team was consistently placing in the top six of the old First Division and claiming the Littlewoods Trophy [the EFL Cup] as it was then," he said.

"We're not at that level yet, the fans recognize that and the club acknowledges that, but it's about creating positive energy and clearly it's just strayed off course a somewhat."

Dyche moved on from Forest for Chesterfield in 1990, spending seven years in defence with the Spirerites, before representing Bristol City, Millwall, Watford and Northampton.

He has been without a managerial position since a two-year spell at Everton concluded in January, having earlier spent 10 years as Burnley boss until 2022.

Speaking about his Forest past, Dyche said: "Everyone knows down the years I've mentioned my attachment and the beginning of my career which was under the great Brian Clough.

"I failed to break through into the senior squad, I had three years as an trainee and a professional youngster and acquired extensive knowledge.

"I have happy recollections of strolling beside the Trent with Clough's dog dashing by your feet and catching the boss' voice in the background. It's a strange thing to be back, but it's a welcome situation and a extremely satisfying thing.

"It's one of those things, you wonder one day would it occur? Not in the initial stages of my coaching journey, but as things started changing in my career and changing at Nottingham Forest, new ownership assumes control and the growth, they have made you think about.

"It's worked out for me, I'm delighted and honored."