Ange Postecogloglou is Nottingham Forest’s new manager. Just six games into his new tenure and he’s already under fire. Following a painful Europa League loss to upstart FC Midtjylland, frustration reached a boiling point among the fans. Some even sang that he’d be “sacked in the morning.” Following that criticism, Postecoglou has not lost faith and insists their stunning win over Nottingham Forest shows they’re headed in the right direction.
Even in that same match, played at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest found it difficult to cope with Midtjylland’s attacking threat, especially from set-pieces. There was stunning contrast in Postecoglou’s side as they came out for the final 45 minutes. Nonetheless, they couldn’t convert their dominance into goal and sent Denmark’s team to the net. The game ended in bitter fashion, as fan frustration was evident in the supporters’ section.
From his time in charge at Celtic, Postecoglou learned to listen to supporters’ angry chants. He validated their emotions and reminded them that no one has a monopoly on opinions. He expressed understanding for the disappointment among fans, stating, “The fans are disappointed, they’re entitled to have an opinion on it and I heard their opinion.”
While the scoreline might have been disappointing, Postecoglou is intent on getting the best of his roster. He sees raising understanding of critical moments in games as essential to the team’s performance.
Where the shift has to happen is in understanding the value of those special moments, he said. We just need to be winning games of football because then it’s infectious.
Nottingham Forest’s recent performance has drawn criticism, with many fans voicing concerns about the team’s trajectory under Postecoglou’s leadership. Their last clean sheet for the team came in a 1-0 win against Manchester United way back in April. Since that time, defensive vulnerabilities have been on constant display, adding to the discontent among supporters that has been building ever since.
Nottingham Forest preparing for a period of fixtures stacking up against them. That’s exactly who they’re going to have to face in opponents such as Newcastle, Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth, Manchester United, Sturm Graz, Leeds, and Liverpool. Those matches will be especially critical in deciding whether Postecoglou stays in charge long term.
Some supporters are calling for new ownership, arguing that the team has been performing poorly for years. Postecoglou is confident – not just hopeful – that he can help the team get better results. He’s definitely focused on bringing that winning mentality. He is confident that if they keep doing their own jobs well, the tide will gradually turn in Nottingham Forest’s favour.
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