JUST IN: This isn’t the first time that O’Neill has taken aim at the Forest owner – and something tells us that it might not be the last.

Before Steve Cooper came along, Nottingham Forest went through a series of managers with varying degrees of success.

When Evangelos Marinakis first took charge at the City Ground, his goal was to restore the club to its former glory, and he sought to appoint the right people to achieve that.

In 2019, he turned to Martin O’Neill, a club legend who had won two European Cups with Forest as a player.

However, O’Neill’s tenure was short-lived. Despite being in a promising position, he failed to lead Forest into the play-offs and was dismissed after just six months in charge.

This marked another failed attempt to bring success back to the club. O’Neill has been vocal about his experience with Marinakis and the club, and it seems there are unresolved tensions between them.

In a recent interview with *The Overlap*, O’Neill reflected on his brief stint as Forest’s manager.

He described how he had previously been offered the chance to manage the club multiple times but turned it down.

When he finally accepted the role, he felt disconnected from the club’s management.

Marinakis had told him not to worry about that season and promised to focus on preparing for the next one. Despite a late run of victories, O’Neill was informed that his approach to running the club didn’t align with the owner’s vision, leading to his departure.

O’Neill humorously recalled how, after his departure, the next manager was able to sign 15 new players, something O’Neill believed was necessary, yet wasn’t allowed during his time.

Ultimately, the club belongs to Marinakis, and he made the decision to move on from O’Neill, a choice that many consider justified in hindsight. O’Neill’s win ratio of 41% was boosted by three meaningless victories at the end of the season when the club had nothing left to play for.

Had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic, his successor, Sabri Lamouchi, might have led Forest to the play-offs.

While it was a tough decision, Marinakis did what he believed was best for the club’s future. It’s unfortunate that O’Neill still seems to hold a grudge against Forest, especially given his legendary status with the club.

Hopefully, one day he can reconcile with his former team and return to a more positive view of Forest’s trajectory.