Taking over from a team icon was always going to be a challenging assignment, but Nuno Espírito Santo succeeded to pull off a smart strategy after Steve Cooper’s exit: securing victories in his initial pair of matches. A great deal is overlooked about the opening six months of Nuno’s tenure, when the team stayed up just one position above the drop zone and went through a stretch of taking victory in only one time in 10 Premier League games.
Nuno had done the crucial job of boosting team spirit and winning over the fans by beating Newcastle away and creating enthusiasm by beating a major rival at home, and nobody was demanding aesthetic football. The City Ground was buzzing in late December 2023, and home fans were not overly concerned that they saw only another two wins there for the rest of the season.
The club fans call for Postecoglou dismissal after 23 days following European defeat.
Ange Postecoglou is still waiting to taste a win, becoming the initial Forest manager in a century to be unable to secure a victory in any of their opening half-dozen games. There was a poisonous atmosphere at the City Ground on the recent matchday as they succumbed to the second-best team in Denmark. When fans are calling for your dismissal after three weeks, it is fair to say things are not going well. On the next day there were no intentions to fire the manager but a defeat at St James’ Park on Sunday could cost him his job.
Everyone at the organization accepted there would be a period of change because the new manager’s style of play is almost a complete contrast to the one his predecessor carefully developed there. The strategy was evolving under the former coach but not at the pace the new boss is trying to implement.
Beginning with a series of road matches was consistently going to be a tough challenge for the manager. Opening at a top side meant building momentum from the first whistle was unlikely but suffering a defeat at Swansea in the Carabao Cup and tying at another opponent put Postecoglou on the defensive. The game at Real Betis seemed to be a turning point because the performance was impressive and in line with expectations regarding the manager’s philosophy. The processes were correct and, but for a last-minute Antony goal, takeoff would have begun.
However Forest are still stuck. If Postecoglou could have been forgiven for the away results, losing at home to a visiting team and Midtjylland was not part of the plan. There was a element of mitigation in the first home loss: a generous set-piece decision that resulted in the decisive goal and appalling shooting from Forest meant the result went away to the north-east. Forest had nearly the majority of possession and multiple attempts but beating an rival on xG is irrelevant.
The manager and a key player will want to turn Nottingham Forest’s results around at the next venue on the upcoming matchday.
There was a hope that once the forwards found form, all aspects would be fine but ineffective conversion is only one of the issues confronting the boss. The robust defensive unit built by Nuno has been taken apart, leaving him still waiting for a shutout. Defending set pieces has been an issue, a pair of Midtjylland’s goals coming from them, and the remaining goal Forest let in was from a fast break, the sort that were a common feature during his time at his former club.
Postecoglou was keen to get back to management promptly after being dismissed by his previous employers, especially with a Europa League honor around his neck. He wanted to prove critics wrong and Forest offered that chance, with the extra incentive of being in the tournament he had triumphed in in the spring. The Hellenic link with Forest’s proprietor, the club’s chief, helped make the appointment straightforward and Postecoglou, in spite of his critics, does have the credentials necessary – but practicality was not to be involved.
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The former manager was never fired for football reasons but for initiating a fight with Marinakis that he was never going to win. Ending up seventh and taking Forest into Europe made Nuno incredibly popular. Despite his gripes, a squad able of ending in the upper section was assembled and a lot of funds was invested. After excessive immediate thinking at Forest, they had a clear long-term vision and strategy, which included a team that fit the previous boss. Now it seems as if a new figure has entered the house and the children are displeased.
Visits to Newcastle and Bournemouth bookend the visit of a top team in the next three Premier League games, implying life is only going to get harder. The owner made the selection with his heart and is desperately hoping to avoid another dismissal because removing the manager would be an admission that he made a pair of terrible decisions in letting go of the former coach and choosing the replacement. Football is one big popularity competition and Nuno began gaining his at the away ground. The current manager needs to do the same or he risks losing his for good.
