🔗 Share this article

OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Arguably the least favored down-under figure to show up in Nottinghamshire since a sinister lodging owner from a long-running series took part in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, the Greek-Australian’s tenure at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. While the heckling and shouts that performer the soap veteran was endured during a festive pantomime were largely good-natured, the toxicity of the abuse hurled at the Australian coach during the team’s Bigger Vase defeat by Midtjylland on the previous night was so intense that it is hard to believe the man who has been in charge for a mere handful of fixtures will remain in post to listen to the seasonal boos this Christmas. Repeatedly the 60-year-old’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went ignored by his struggling players, particularly when the opposition scored their initial strikes from poorly handled free-kicks and corners. A long way from the happy occasion they’d expected, Nottingham Forest’s first continental match at home in almost 30 seasons ended in rancour with the crowd telling the boss he’d be “dismissed soon”, before praising his popular, 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 I don’t fret over it, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” Postecoglou growled in response, while subjecting the floor around his feet to the usual fierce look. “Football holds no surprises for me, it’s the way things are. That appears to be the trend. It’s beyond my influence. The fans are disappointed, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I took in their thoughts.” And while those supporters are free to express anger, it could be contended that they might be more sensible selecting a more appropriate target for their frustration. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who dismissed a firm fan favourite to appoint the Australian, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Looking on from the owners’ area as he went through a range of sullen, fierce looks unseen since that time he heard Spurs had initiated Morgan Gibbs-White’s buyout option, the wealthy owner has thus far mostly avoided any kind of major backlash from the crowd, a sizable group of whom remain certain the he is beyond reproach.

When Friday lunchtime arrived, talk of the manager being fired overnight proved to be greatly exaggerated and reports suggest his job remains secure until such time as … in reality, it changes. While the Forest head coach can offer a partial defense that he has had minimal opportunity on the training pitch to instil the style and strategic detail that resulted in Tottenham Hotspur failing to win a majority of their Premier League fixtures last season, his club’s upcoming matches remains daunting and unyielding. With Newcastle, Chelsea, the European opponents and Bournemouth on the horizon it is tough to imagine from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could possibly become the mother of all El Sackicos against the Old Trafford side.

FOLLOWING LIVE ONLINE

Tune in with the sports writer at evening UK time for Women’s Super League news on Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I steer clear of heated debates, who names people, truthfully, I’ll refrain from naming names. But I feel there was a slight disregard, plus some impoliteness, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – the Brazilian winger slams the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at their stadium, where warmth has likely worsened like the team’s form.

FAN MAILBAG

Is there truth the coach has assured followers he never loses a game in his second season?” – Pete Negri.

It’s not my place to seek to emphasize the trope that Gunners fans are football’s whiniest fans, but a letter-writer (the previous day’s mailbag) does make you think. Highlighting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, the North London side are having to play over two matches weekly (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a particular 21-day span (for a squad with double coverage in all roles to boot) is not the discussion-closer he might believe. On the contrary it’s just going to have the tiniest violin ensemble tuning up their instruments once more, while the rest of football sigh in unison” – Andrew Parker.

I’m unsure whether your current contributors (on several fixtures each week) are consciously, ironically recreating one of the memorable moments of online debate (family-friendly), or accidentally confirming Marx’s adage about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a respondent.

If it’s any solace, the previous correspondent (the last mailbag), I’ve always been like that [wishing affluent UK clubs to be defeated abroad]. Ever since Forest fell out of European contention, Uefa football for me has caused a state of frustrated anger, interrupted now and then by Steaua Bucharest and, at a push, Zaragoza. I couldn’t care less for Liverpool’s exploits from the 80s right up to the Champions League win. I am unmoved by {‘that