Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche claims 'being fair' is irrelevant amid job speculation

Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has suggested that ongoing speculation regarding his job has become 'normal' in modern-day football.

In October, Dyche was named as Forest's third manager of the season, succeeding Ange Postecoglou who had previously taken over from Nuno Espirito Santo.

Dyche has since recorded 10 wins, five draws and nine defeats from his 24 matches across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Forest have accumulated 21 points from his 17 Premier League matches in charge, the 13th-best return across that period.

Nevertheless, ahead of Wednesday's fixture with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Forest sit in 17th position in the top-flight standings and just three points above the drop zone.

'It's a new one on me'

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Dyche hinted that he was baffled to have people calling for him to be sacked a day after being nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for January.

He told reporters: "It's not about fair anymore. It's just the reality of the modern life as a manager.

"On the same day I'm [up for] manager of the month they're saying I should be sacked - the media are saying it - work that one out. That's a new one on me and I’ve been doing this a long time.

"I was reading about Eddie Howe, brilliant manager doing a brilliant job - should he be sacked? Three weeks ago they were saying he should be the Manchester United manager."

Dyche added: "The ownership have always had contact with me and he is well aware that this wasn't a situation where this is smooth-sailing all the way through. He's seen some of the good days, some of the not so good days.

"I'm a realist, he is as well I think and he's been very good with that about the current situation and what we took over here."

Is Wolves the biggest game of the season thus far for Forest?

After losing to relegation rivals Leeds United last week, Forest can ill-afford to suffer the same fate against the Premier League's bottom club Wolves.

If West Ham United beat Manchester United on Tuesday, the division's 18th-placed team will move level on points with Forest.

Forest will then have an eight-day break before playing host to Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Europa League playoff, a fixture which is followed by a home Premier League game versus Liverpool on February 22.