The Knowledge | Twenty-eight days later: the fastest sackings in English football’s top tier
Plus: Austria’s full-house of goals and assists, more free-kick purple patches and seeing red after scoring a hat-trick
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“Is Ange Postecoglou’s 40-day spell at Nottingham Forest the shortest for a full-time manager in the English top flight?” asks Donna Stevens.
Any Nottingham Forest manager aspires to emulate the achievements of Brian Clough at the City Ground, or at least pay some kind of success-based tribute. Alas, Ange Postecoglou’s spell at Forest was more reminiscent of Clough’s time at Leeds – short and sour.
Ron Futcher, Charlton 5-3 Barnsley, Division Two, March 1985
Futcher’s hat-trick put Barnsley 3-0 ahead; he was then sent off with the score 3-3 before Charlton completed a spectacular comeback.
Hristo Stoichkov, Atlético Madrid 1-4 Barcelona, La Liga, September 1992
Benni McCarthy, Porto 5-3 Santa Clara, Primeira Liga, April 2002
Marco Gabbiadini, Sunderland 4-0 Ipswich, Division Two, March 1989
Quite an achievement, this one – after 87 minutes Gabbiadini had scored only one goal. He added two more in the 88th and 89th before being sent off in the 90th for an alleged right-hander.
Chris Iwelumo, Preston 1-3 Wolves, Championship, September 2008
Hugo Almeida, Werder Bremen 3-0 St Pauli, Bundesliga, November 2010