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OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Without a doubt the most unpopular down-under figure to make an appearance in Nottinghamshire since a villainous hotelier from a long-running series starred in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, Forest’s new boss’s time in charge at the club’s home could scarcely have got off to a more inauspicious start. While the heckling and shouts that performer the soap veteran was subjected to during a festive pantomime were largely good-natured, the toxicity of the abuse aimed at the Australian coach during the team’s Bigger Vase defeat by the Danish side on the previous night was so severe that it is tough to see the coach who has been in charge for just six matches will remain in post to listen to the seasonal boos this holiday season. Multiple times the experienced coach’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went disregarded by his unfortunate players, particularly when the Danish side scored their first two goals from badly organized dead-ball situations. A long way from the joyous atmosphere they’d anticipated, Nottingham Forest’s first European home game in 29 years ended in bitterness with supporters telling the boss he’d be “sacked in the morning”, before chanting for his well-liked, just-removed previous manager, the Portuguese tactician.

“I realize the environment is negative, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but I never worry about that, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” the coach retorted in answer, while subjecting the floor around his feet to the now customary death-stare. “Football holds no surprises for me, it’s the way things are. It seems that’s the way things are going. It’s nothing I can control. Followers are let down, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I listened to what they said.” Although those followers are entitled to vent, it could be contended that they might be wiser choosing a more fitting focus for their anger. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who dismissed a popular figure to appoint Postecoglou, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Observing from the owners’ area as he went through a range of surly, dark scowls unseen since that period he found out the North London club had triggered Morgan Gibbs-White’s buyout option, the wealthy owner has thus far mostly avoided any kind of harsh judgement from fans, a sizable group of whom remain sure the he is beyond reproach.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, talk of the coach’s imminent dismissal proved to be overstated and reports suggest his job remains protected until such time as … in reality, it changes. While the Forest head coach can argue with some mitigation that he has had little or no time on the training pitch to instil the approach and gameplan subtleties that resulted in Spurs losing 22 of their 38 top-flight games last term, his team’s fixture list remains tough and continuous. With the North-East side, Chelsea, the European opponents and the South-Coast team coming soon it is tough to imagine from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could likely be the biggest dismissal-decider against Manchester United.

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Tune in with the journalist at 7.30pm BST for WSL updates on the stalemate between United and Chelsea.

TOP STATEMENT

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who singles out individuals, actually, I’ll refrain from naming names. Yet I feel there was a slight disregard, plus some impoliteness, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – the United player slams the Red Devils over the cold atmosphere at Old Trafford, where warmth has seemingly headed south like the side’s performance.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Is there truth the Forest manager has assured supporters he guarantees victory in his following term?” – a fan.

It’s not my place to wish to reinforce the cliché that Arsenal supporters are the sport’s most complaining followers, but Thabo Caves (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) does make you wonder. Highlighting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, Arsenal are having to play more than two fixtures each week (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a specific three-week period (for a roster with double coverage in all roles to additionally) is not the debate-ender he might imagine. Rather it’s just going to have the orchestra of the world’s smallest violins getting ready once more, while the wider sport roll their collective eyes” – another reader.

I can’t work out whether your recent correspondents (on multiple matches weekly) are consciously, ironically recreating one of the memorable moments of online debate (safe for work), or accidentally confirming the famous quote about past occurrences returning as comedy” – a respondent.

If it’s any solace, Bob Cushion (yesterday’s letters), I’m the same [wishing rich Premier League sides to lose in Europe]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, continental matches for me has induced a state of seething impotent rage, interrupted now and then by the Eastern European team and, at a push, the Spanish club. I couldn’t care less for the Reds’ achievements from the eighties right up to Istanbul. I am unmoved by {‘that