‘Watch your back!’ Is the manager the main culprit in Forest’s panto?

OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Arguably the most disliked down-under figure to arrive in this part of England since a notorious innkeeper from a famous TV drama appeared in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, Ange Postecoglou’s time in charge at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. Even though the heckling and shouts that TV star the Neighbours star was endured during Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood were mostly in fun, the toxicity of the abuse directed at the Forest manager during the team’s Europa League loss by Midtjylland on Thursday was so overwhelming that it is difficult to imagine the coach who has been in charge for only half a dozen games will still be around to hear the Christmas jeers this holiday season. Multiple times the 60-year-old’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went unheeded by his struggling players, not least when the opposition scored their opening pair from atrociously defended set-pieces. Nowhere near the joyous atmosphere they’d expected, Nottingham Forest’s first continental match at home in 29 years ended in bitterness with home fans telling the boss he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before serenading his popular, recently dismissed previous manager, the Portuguese tactician.

“I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but I don’t fret over it, I’ve been here before,” the coach retorted in response, while aiming the floor around his feet to the typical death-stare. “I’m never shocked in this sport, that’s the current environment. That appears to be the trend. I have no power over it. Followers are let down, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I listened to what they said.” And while those supporters are entitled to vent, it could be suggested that they might be more sensible picking a more appropriate target for their anger. After all, it was the Greek businessman who fired a popular figure to hire the new boss, who was always going to start under pressure. Looking on from the directors’ box as he went through a repertoire of angry, grim faces unseen since that time he heard Tottenham had triggered the player’s buyout option, the shipping magnate has thus far mostly avoided any kind of harsh judgement from the crowd, a sizable group of whom remain sure the sun shines out of his generously upholstered nether regions.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, rumours of the manager being fired overnight proved to be overstated and it appears his job remains protected until such time as … in reality, it changes. While the club boss can make a reasonable case that he has had minimal opportunity on the practice field to instil the philosophy and tactical nuance that resulted in Spurs failing to win a majority of their Premier League fixtures last term, his team’s fixture list remains tough and continuous. Facing Newcastle, the Blues, the Portuguese giants and Bournemouth next up it is difficult to see from where a first Postecoglou win will come before what could likely be the mother of all El Sackicos against the Old Trafford side.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who singles out individuals, actually, I won’t mention anyone’s name here. Yet I feel there was a slight disregard, even a bit of rudeness too, without anyone offering a greeting” – Antony slams his club over the frosty environment at Old Trafford, where friendliness has apparently declined like the club’s results.

READER COMMENTS

Is it true the Forest manager has vowed supporters he never loses a game in his next campaign?” – Pete Negri.

It’s not my place to seek to emphasize the trope that Arsenal supporters are the game’s biggest moaners, but a letter-writer (the prior edition’s comments) does make you ponder. Pointing out that rather than two games a week, Arsenal are having to play more than two fixtures each week (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a certain trio of weeks (for a team with two good options for every position to additionally) is not the argument-settler he might imagine. On the contrary it’s just going to have the orchestra of the world’s smallest violins tuning up their instruments once more, while the wider sport sigh in unison” – Andrew Parker.

I’m unsure whether your recent correspondents (on two or three games a week) are consciously, ironically recreating one of the high points of web discussion (SFW), or inadvertently demonstrating the famous quote about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – Nick Wiltsher.

If it’s any solace, yesterday’s letter-writer (the last mailbag), I’ve always been like that [wishing wealthy English teams to fail on the continent]. Since Forest lost the ability to negotiate Europe, Uefa football for me has led to a state of helpless fury, interrupted now and then by the Romanian side and, at a push, Zaragoza. I care not one jot for the Reds’ achievements from the 80s right up to the Champions League win. I’m indifferent to {‘that