Postecoglou endures fan backlash after a damaging defeat
Nottingham Forest 2 - 3 Midtjylland
Ange Postecoglou endured a furious supporter backlash as his winless start as Nottingham Forest head coach stretched on with a damaging defeat to Midtjylland.
Author | Frank L
Stadium | The City Ground
The Danes spoiled Forest’s party on the club’s long-awaited return to European football at the City Ground, 29 years since their last appearance.
Postecoglou has failed to win any of his opening six matches since taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo last month and chants of “sacked in the morning” rang out from the stands as the game drifted towards its close.
Midtjylland exposed Forest’s frailty at set pieces in the first half, with Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech punishing slack defending. Dan Ndoye briefly drew the hosts level between those goals, only for the visitors, second in Denmark’s Superliga, to reclaim the lead within two minutes.
It was a stuttering performance from Forest, who lost Murillo to injury again, against a physical and well-drilled Midtjylland side that disrupted any rhythm Postecoglou’s men tried to build. Elliot Anderson provided energy in midfield and Chris Wood twice had goals chalked off, but Valdemar Byskov struck a late third to seal victory before Wood pulled one back from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Forest fans starting to turn on their manager
What began as a night of excitement and anticipation ended with chants against the new manager. Postecoglou, dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur in June, found himself compared unfavourably to his predecessor, with sections of the crowd singing Nuno’s name.
By the time Byskov rolled in Midtjylland’s third, the question had shifted from whether Forest were in difficulty to whether the situation already verged on a crisis. The reaction from the stands gave a stark answer.
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Owner Evangelos Marinakis, whose breakdown in relations with Nuno prompted the change of coach, will not have expected such open dissent so soon into Postecoglou’s reign. The Australian was only appointed on 9 September and has had little opportunity to imprint his ideas on the training ground.
There have been brief glimpses of the quick, incisive football he wants, but on Thursday the evidence was scant and patience in the stands wore thin.
Forest travel to Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday before the international break. On current form Postecoglou urgently needs a response, or the clamour for change may only grow louder.
