Nottingham Forest had a frustrating return to European competition, falling 3-2 to FC Midtjylland at the City Ground. The final went on to set an attendance record as 29,323 fans packed the stadium. The event was the club’s first home European fixture in 29 years, since their quarter-final elimination to Bayern Munich. Despite a spirited effort, Nottingham Forest’s woeful performance on the night was enough to leave their fans chanting for manager Billy Davies to go.
Led by manager Ange Postecogloglou, the team exploded with an exhilarating roster. Notables in this group included Sels, Milenkovic, Morata, Murillo, Williams, Anderson, Sangare, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi and Igor Jesus. Their ambitions were quickly crushed as they came up against a well-drilled and dangerous Midtjylland outfit.
Match Overview
The match opened up with both teams looking to assert themselves over their opponents. When FC Midtjylland took a lead just minutes into the match, Nottingham Forest were in serious danger of being left in the dust. Nottingham responded well to the setback and carved out a host of excellent chances but were left cursing their inability to hit the target. Chris Wood looked lively after coming on from the bench, scoring twice only to be ruled offside on both occasions.
Murillo only recently came back from a 37-minute earlier absence during the game against Arsenal. Sadly, he picked up a hamstring injury that played a huge role in further derailing Nottingham’s chances. Postecoglou’s side continued to push in the second stanza but couldn’t translate their pressure into a breakthrough goal.
“Every time they get near our goal they get really nervous. Tonight was another night of that. It just filters through the team and we get really anxious about things when there’s no need to. Second half we dominated the game. Couldn’t get the goal.” – Ange Postecoglou
Fan Reactions and Management Pressure
With each failed vote, frustration boiled over among the advocates. Chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” directed at Postecoglou rang around the City Ground. The fans clamored for the reinstatement of Nuno Espirito Santo. He had been the successor of choice for Postecoglou, with just six games gone, as Nottingham Forest floundered winless at the bottom. This growing pressure on the manager is the result of frustrated fans’ feelings about his team’s poor run of form as of late.
Postecoglou recognised the difficult environment around the club, was intent on doing one thing and one thing only – building an effective squad.
“Yes, I do and nothing that I saw tonight changes any of that. I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great, I understand people’s kind of attitude at the moment, particularly towards me, but I never worry about that.” – Ange Postecoglou
Looking Ahead
Nottingham Forest will have to quickly regroup after this disappointing loss. As they prepare for their next fixture, at home to Newcastle – live on Sky Sports – they remain well positioned. His team, without question, is at a defining moment in their campaign. They’ve made it their mission to revitalize their reputations and regain the trust of their supporters.
Our opening Europa League match away at Midtjylland was embarrassing and has raised serious question marks over tactics and overall club management at Forest. It’s on the players and coaching staff to address these issues personally. Only then can they hope to turn their fortunes around and return with a bang in their next matches.
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