Ange Postecoglou is already under serious scrutiny at Nottingham Forest, and the question must be asked whether he is out of his depth.Just three weeks into his reign, the Australian has presided over...
Ange Postecoglou is already under serious scrutiny at Nottingham Forest, and the question must be asked whether he is out of his depth.
Just three weeks into his reign, the Australian has presided over six games without a win and has now endured the indignity of being serenaded by his own supporters with chants of “sacked in the morning.”
The mood inside the City Ground during the Europa League defeat to Midtjylland was hostile, and the calls for Nuno Espirito Santo’s name only added salt to the wound.
This was supposed to be a fresh start after a difficult summer. Postecoglou inherited a squad that had been reshaped and emboldened by European qualification, yet instead of momentum there is disarray.
Midtjylland, dangerous but hardly elite opposition, took full advantage of Forest’s fragility at set pieces, exposing the same weakness that dogged Postecoglou’s Tottenham side last season.
That is perhaps the most concerning element. The flaws are not new ones, but rather familiar patterns repeating under the same coach in a different setting.
Forest looked nervous whenever the ball entered their box, and the sense of inevitability when the Danes attacked said more about psychology than quality.
Supporters can forgive teething problems. What they will not tolerate is the collapse of identity so quickly into a new era.
The noise around Nuno’s departure was that he had taken Forest as far as he could, but that claim rings hollow now. Under his leadership the club reached heights few anticipated. Under his successor, they already look like a side in freefall.
It is not yet irretrievable, of course. Postecoglou has barely had time on the training ground and insists that results will come.
He spoke of sticking to his beliefs, of trusting that the style will bear fruit once the nerves subside. But time is rarely a luxury in modern football, and the fixture list is unforgiving.
Trips to Newcastle and Bournemouth, home clashes with Chelsea and Manchester United, plus the continuation of European competition, do not offer the safety net of routine wins. If anything, they threaten to tighten the noose further.
Postecoglou was hired to modernise Forest and build on Nuno’s foundations. Instead, he is already fighting for credibility. If he cannot find a win soon, the question of whether he is out of his depth will become less a debate and more a verdict.
Category: General Sports
