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OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Without a doubt the most unpopular Australian to show up in the Nottingham area since a villainous hotelier from a popular soap starred in a Mansfield panto two decades ago, Forest’s new boss’s time in charge at the club’s home could hardly have begun more poorly. Even though the heckling and shouts that actor the soap veteran was faced during a seasonal stage show were mostly in fun, the toxicity of the invective aimed at the Australian coach during the club’s Bigger Vase defeat by their Scandinavian opponents on Thursday was so overwhelming that it is tough to see the coach who has been in charge for just six matches will keep his job to listen to the seasonal boos this holiday season. Repeatedly the veteran manager’s shouts of “Watch out behind!” went disregarded by his struggling players, particularly when the visiting team scored their opening pair from poorly handled free-kicks and corners. Nowhere near the celebratory mood they’d anticipated, Forest’s first European home game in 29 years ended in bitterness with home fans telling the boss he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before chanting for his well-liked, just-removed previous manager, the Portuguese tactician.

“I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great, I grasp the public’s opinion, chiefly directed at me, but that doesn’t concern me, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” the coach retorted in answer, while subjecting the area at his feet to the now customary fierce look. “Football holds no surprises for me, it’s the climate we’re in. This seems to be the direction. It’s beyond my influence. The fans are disappointed, they can think what they like. I listened to what they said.” Although those Forest fans are allowed to complain, it could be contended that they might be wiser picking a better aim for their ire. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who dismissed a beloved manager to bring in the new boss, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Looking on from the owners’ area as he went through a series of surly, dark scowls last witnessed during that period he learned Spurs had triggered the midfielder’s transfer clause, the shipping magnate has so far escaped any kind of harsh judgement from the crowd, a sizable group of whom remain sure the he is beyond reproach.

When Friday lunchtime arrived, rumours of Postecoglou getting sacked in the morning proved to be greatly exaggerated and sources indicate his job remains protected until such time as … in reality, it changes. Although the team manager can make a reasonable case that he has had very few sessions on the practice field to instil the approach and gameplan subtleties that resulted in the London club failing to win more than half their league matches last term, his team’s fixture list remains daunting and unyielding. With the Magpies, the London club, the European opponents and the South-Coast team on the horizon it is tough to imagine from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could possibly become the ultimate sack-race clash against Manchester United.

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TOP STATEMENT

“I’m not the kind of guy who gets involved in controversies, who points fingers, actually, I’ll keep it anonymous. However I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, along with some incivility, and not a single hello or hi” – the Brazilian winger criticizes the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at the Theatre of Dreams, where friendliness has apparently declined like the club’s results.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Is there truth Ange Postecoglou has vowed supporters he never loses a game in his second season?” – a fan.

I wouldn’t normally to wish to reinforce the cliché that the Emirates faithful are football’s whiniest fans, but a letter-writer (the prior edition’s comments) does make you think. Noting that rather than a pair of fixtures per week, Arsenal are having to play more than two fixtures each week (oh, a half-hour more!) over a particular 21-day span (for a squad with two good options for every position to as well) is not the discussion-closer he might think. Instead it’s just going to have the smallest fiddle players tuning up their instruments once more, while the wider sport look on with exasperation” – Andrew Parker.

I’m unsure whether your current contributors (on several fixtures each week) are consciously, ironically recreating one of the classic instances of online debate (family-friendly), or unconsciously proving the philosopher’s saying about past occurrences returning as comedy” – a fan.

To comfort you, yesterday’s letter-writer (the prior comments), I’m the same [hoping wealthy English teams to be defeated abroad]. Ever since Forest fell out of European contention, Uefa football for me has caused a state of seething impotent rage, punctuated only occasionally by the Romanian side and, if pressed, the La Liga outfit. I care not one jot for Liverpool’s exploits from the 80s right up to the 2005 final. I’m indifferent to {‘that