Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche launched a furious tirade against his players after their embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship side Wrexham. The Premier League club were knocked out 4-3 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Racecourse Ground, with Dyche branding the first-half performance "absolutely unacceptable".
A First-Half Horror Show
The tie turned into a nightmare for Forest before the break. Wrexham, sitting ninth in the Championship, seized control with two quickfire goals from Liberato Cacace and Oliver Rathbone, leaving the top-flight side trailing 2-0 at half-time. Dyche's anger was palpable, as he later revealed he would have substituted his entire team if the rules allowed.
"The first half was completely unacceptable. I let the players know, and there are certain individuals who certainly know, and they've got to look in the mirror," Dyche fumed in his post-match interview. He criticised the lack of tempo, intent, and desire, contrasting it sharply with their recent late 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham.
A Dramatic Fightback Falls Short
After tactical changes at the interval, Forest improved. Igor Jesus pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, but Dominic Hyam restored Wrexham's two-goal cushion ten minutes later. The game seemed lost until substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi staged a sensational late rescue, scoring twice to force extra time.
Despite this revival, the match went to spot-kicks. Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, hailed as a "colossus" by his manager Phil Parkinson, saved two penalties to seal a historic giant-killing. Parkinson declared his team had "made our own history" by defeating their first Premier League opponents since the club's Hollywood takeover.
Dyche's Blunt Warning to Squad
The Forest boss did not hold back in his assessment, directing pointed criticism at players questioning their lack of game time. "They all knock on your door and say: 'Why aren't I playing?' - well, the evidence is quite honestly there," Dyche stated. He credited the second-half substitutes for acting as a catalyst but insisted the initial display was unforgivable.
"You can't give teams a head start in football... Too many were not ready in the first half," he concluded. The defeat marks a major setback for Forest, while Wrexham will take significant confidence into their Championship playoff push after one of the club's most famous modern victories.
