Chris Wood lifts the lid on Ange Postecoglou’s training and dressing-room habits that are set to transform the team — things Nuno never brought.
Chris Wood lifts the lid on Ange Postecoglou’s training and dressing-room habits that are set to transform the team — things Nuno never brought
When Ange Postecoglou arrived at the City Ground, he brought with him more than a new formation and a well-documented appetite for attack — he brought a culture. And no one on the squad better understands those early cultural shifts than veteran striker Chris Wood.
Forest supporters have already noticed changes on matchday: sharper pressing, quicker transitions and a willingness to play through the press. But behind closed doors, Postecoglou’s influence runs deeper. According to Wood, it’s the daily, repetitive work and the way the manager treats the dressing room that will ultimately flip the club’s fortunes.
Training with a purpose
Where previous regimes leaned heavily on structure and defensive organisation, Postecoglou has reintroduced high-intensity practice sessions that are short, focused and relentlessly competitive. Wood describes drills that begin with explosive sprints and end with small-sided games designed to replicate the chaos of the final third.
“The sessions aren’t about running for the sake of it,” Wood says. “They’re short, sharp and very specific — everything is linked to how we want to play on Saturday. You can feel the intent. It’s about building habits, not instructions.”
The difference, Wood explains, is that Postecoglou asks questions rather than shouting solutions from the touchline. Training is structured so players learn to make decisions at pace; mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not public condemnations. That small change — from punitive to developmental — is huge for player confidence.
Dressing-room rituals that matter
If training sets the technical foundation, Postecoglou’s approach in the dressing room cements the psychological one. Wood points to a few consistent habits: short, direct pre-match speeches that focus on principles rather than isolated tactics; a ritualised 10-minute team walk-through that emphasises roles; and an insistence on visible leadership from senior players.
“He doesn’t do the long, scary talks,” Wood says. “Ange is direct. He gives you a simple picture of how we need to play and then trusts you to go and do it. That trust changes how you think about your job.”
Postecoglou also leans on humour and personal connection. Players report a manager who remembers small details — a throwaway line from training that becomes a joke in the changing room, or an off-the-pitch reminder to rest properly. Those details build buy-in. Wood says that when players feel seen, they’re more likely to buy wholeheartedly into a demanding system.
Leadership and responsibility
Another marked shift from Nuno’s era, according to Wood, is the emphasis on responsibility across the squad. While Nuno was credited with clear defensive organisation, Postecoglou expects every player to be an attacker while defending and a defender while attacking. That dual expectation creates a shared responsibility — and it shows on the pitch.
“Under Nuno, roles were very defined,” Wood explains. “Now, everyone has to do a bit more. It’s demanding, but it makes the team more flexible. That’s what will help us over a long season.”
Mental conditioning and resilience
Wood is also candid about the mental edge Postecoglou tries to instill. Short, sharp meditative or visualisation moments — five minutes of breathing or scenario-planning — have been introduced into the pre-training routine. Wood believes that small psychological tools like these help players make better decisions under pressure.
“It’s subtle stuff: how we warm up, how we talk about mistakes, how we come back from a setback in training,” he says. “Those habits don’t make headlines, but over time they make you a different team. That’s when transformation happens.”
Why it will matter
Tactically, Postecoglou’s methods are designed to produce attacking football that is high-energy and high-reward. Practically, his insistence on short, outcome-linked training and a culture of trust aims to create longevity. Wood thinks that combination is the missing ingredient from the club’s recent cycles of quick tactics and quicker departures.
“This isn’t instant magic,” Wood warns. “But if you build good habits and a positive environment, improvement follows. I’ve seen it already in training — it just needs time to show on the table.”
Closing thought
Postecoglou’s fingerprints are already visible at Nottingham Forest: in the team’s pressing shape, in the tempo of their play and in the players’ demeanour. If Chris Wood is right, the real change won’t be in one transfer window or one result — it will be the cumulative effect of repeated, purposeful training and a dressing room where players are trusted and challenged every day. That’s the kind of transformation that, by its nature, is slow to headline but fast to change a club’s fortunes.