Postecoglou retains Forest support but pressure growing

Ange Postecoglou retains nan contiguous support of nan Nottingham Forest hierarchy, but Sunday's lucifer astatine Newcastle is emerging arsenic a perchance cardinal fixture for nan nether unit Australian.

The nine are without triumph successful nan six matches since nan Australian replaced Nuno Espirito Santo astatine nan City Ground.

A conception of Forest supporters chanted "you're getting sacked successful nan morning" towards nan erstwhile Tottenham and Celtic leader pursuing Thursday's 3-2 Europa League conclusion astatine location to Midtjylland.

It is understood nan club's committee is still down Postecoglou heading into nan Premier League travel to Newcastle, though nary talks were held betwixt him and proprietor Evangelos Marinakis pursuing nan European loss.

"I didn't drawback up pinch him, it's adjacent to opportunity we weren't some successful nan mood," said Postecoglou connected Friday.

"I caught up pinch him aft nan Sunderland crippled though. He wants his squad to win, his only remark to maine was, 'how tin we thief you?'

"He asked if I needed anything, did I request immoderate different support? I don't expect him to beryllium happy astir nan existent situation, but neither americium I. Both from nan proprietor and group connected, each they person said is, 'how tin we help?'

"The reality is location is very small they tin do, it is successful my hands. I'm responsible for changing nan club's fortunes."

BBC Sport understands location is simply a belief that a number of mitigating circumstances person contributed to nan mediocre commencement to Postecoglou's reign, peculiarly successful nan Midtjylland defeat, wherever cardinal figures judge a number of refereeing decisions wrongly went against them.

There is, however, a consciousness nan lucifer astatine St James' Park is apt to beryllium important successful really Forest position Postecoglou's position moving forward.

The crippled against Eddie Howe's broadside provides nan squad pinch an opportunity to show they are responding to his coaching pursuing nan mediocre start.

While nan consequence astatine Newcastle will beryllium key, nan mode of nan performance, it is understood, will beryllium arsenic as important.

A dense conclusion could put Postecoglou nether soul scrutiny heading into nan world break.

Postecoglou besides said nan Europa League he won astatine Tottenham past season, earlier he was sacked successful nan summer, demonstrated he does not let unit to effect his management.

"It doesn't participate my head," he added. "My work lies successful making judge this shot nine progresses and gets to a position wherever it tin situation for things.

"If I commencement putting timelines to that aliases interest astir what is going to hap adjacent week past I americium not performing nan domiciled I person been given.

"I conscionable don't deliberation it is adjuvant to anyone. At nan extremity of nan day, I person to ore connected nan environment, nan training, nan measurement we play, and, arsenic I said past night, I americium still very, very beardown successful my belief that we are not excessively acold away.

"Put it this measurement - I knew I was getting sacked astatine Tottenham astir 3 aliases 4 months earlier I did, but that didn't extremity maine from winning something."

The 60-year-old joined Spurs from Celtic successful 2023 and supporters initially warmed to nan Australian for his attacking style of play, pinch nan Londoners finishing 5th successful nan Premier League during his first season.

Postecoglou's 2nd word was much difficult arsenic Spurs vanished 4th from bottommost successful nan table. He did, however, lead nan nine to their first trophy successful 17 years arsenic they hit Manchester United successful nan Europa League final.

With nan existent mediocre tally of results, location is nary denying it has been a difficult commencement for Postecoglou.

And nan numbers exemplify conscionable really mediocre Forest person been since his appointment.

In Postecoglou's six matches, they person been beaten 4 times crossed 3 different competitions.

No Premier League squad has mislaid arsenic galore matches arsenic Forest since his assignment and they person conceded 13 goals - astatine a complaint of 2.17 per game.

Only Manchester United and Burnley person a worse goals conceded per crippled mean than Forest since Postecoglou's arrival.

Surprisingly, it is nan 35th lawsuit successful which a top-flight head has grounded to triumph immoderate of their first six matches successful complaint successful each competitions.

Paul Jewell holds nan record, having grounded to triumph immoderate of his first 27 matches arsenic Derby County leader successful nan 2007-2008 season.

Nuno was dismissed aft conscionable 3 matches of this run erstwhile Forest were 10th successful nan table. They are now 17th, having drawn 1 and mislaid 2 of their 3 home matches nether Postecoglou.

He is nan first imperishable Forest head successful 100 years not to triumph immoderate of his first six matches.

It has been a tense 24 hours astatine nan City Ground and Postecoglou's property convention felt somewhat therapeutic.

The head did not alteration his debased reside of voice, but came crossed considered and moreover philosophical during his 30 minutes pinch nan media.

Postecoglou said well, outlined why he felt Forest had grounded to triumph immoderate of his six games truthful far, each nan while underlining nan request to triumph earlier Sunday's travel to Newcastle.

Under unit towards nan extremity of his Tottenham reign he often changeable backmost astatine nan press.

In May, he angrily dismissed a proposal he was a clown, referencing a study which said he was "teetering betwixt leader and clown" earlier nan Europa League final.

Despite nan conclusion by Midtjylland, he feels nan unit to triumph games alternatively than triumph complete supporters.

The spot his predecessor Nuno and, earlier him, Steve Cooper had was their relationship pinch supporters.

Nuno had to triumph that spot pursuing scepticism of his assignment successful December 2023 aft Cooper led Forest backmost to nan Premier League.

Postecoglou started pinch antagonistic equity, which has already diminished, having ne'er been a favoured assignment of nan fans, but nan 60-year-old feels victories will appease nan doubters.

There has been nary whirlwind blowing done nan City Ground contempt nan frustrations.

There is soul sympathy - mixed pinch realism - that different games could person had different outcomes had it not been for individual errors, injuries aliases nonaccomplishment of form.

Nottingham Forest instrumentality view. Pat Riddell - The Famous Club

This play should person been 1 of Nottingham Forest's champion successful modern history. Qualification for Europe for nan first clip successful 30 years, nan champion squad this period and everyone astatine nan nine pulling successful nan aforesaid direction.

Somehow, astatine slightest for now, that has each gone retired of nan window. Nuno has departed, performances person been abject and connected Thursday nighttime nan City Ground turned connected nan caller head Ange Postecoglou aft conscionable six games.

And yet it's very overmuch classical Forest, a nine that veers from occurrence to self-made disaster for illustration a learner driver who can't enactment successful a lane.

For immoderate reason, nan much-heralded presence of Edu seems to person destabilised nan club. The world caput of shot only officially arrived successful July but allegedly fell retired pinch Nuno and, contempt a successful transportation window, things person taken a move for nan worse ever since.

It mightiness each beryllium wholly coincidental but nan deficiency of continuity astatine Forest has thrown nan nine into crisis. It's a cleanable large wind of events that mean 9 games into nan season, nan Reds person only won once.

Little wonderment that immoderate fans person already turned connected him. Is it wholly of his ain making? Of people not. Do nan players carnivore immoderate responsibility? Naturally.

Can he move it astir earlier it becomes moreover much toxic? With games against Newcastle, Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth and Manchester United coming up, it's very difficult to say.

But inquire immoderate instrumentality and they'll show you nan same, it's ne'er dull astatine Nottingham Forest.