Ange Postecoglou finds himself under early scrutiny at Nottingham Forest, with fans and pundits expressing concern over his rocky start at the City Ground. The Australian manager, appointed to fill the vacancy left by Nuno Espirito Santo, has struggled to find his stride, with Forest adding just a single point in the Premier League under his guidance and exiting the League Cup at the hands of Swansea City.
On “The Rest Is Football” podcast, Gary Lineker voiced his unease about Forest’s upcoming challenges. “They’ve got some toughish looking fixtures to come,” remarked the former England international, highlighting the side’s encounters with Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth, and Manchester United looming on the horizon.
Alan Shearer, echoing Lineker’s sentiments, criticised Forest’s lacklustre display against Newcastle. “You know sometimes as a manager you go into a football club because it’s a mess,” observed Shearer. However, he expressed surprise at Forest’s stagnation, given their successful prior season. “Not won a game yet… Everything’s built around Chris Wood, but I haven’t seen that with Forest under Ange as yet,” he added.
The atmosphere in the Forest dressing room reportedly mirrors the tension in the stands. Former Manchester United head scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, noted the players’ disillusionment with the managerial merry-go-round. Brown suggested that merely dismissing Postecoglou might not remedy the club’s woes. “Sacking Nuno out of the blue… was always bound to cause unrest,” he stated, acknowledging the complicated backdrop against which Postecoglou has been striving.
For Forest, the forthcoming fixtures will be crucial as they attempt to stabilise their form and adapt to Postecoglou’s new style of play. Whether the Australian can weather the storm or if Nottingham Forest will yet again change managerial course remains the subject of fervent speculation.