Postecoglou Faces Pressure as Forest Fans Turn After Midtjylland Defeat
It was a night filled with tension, disappointment, and a chorus of frustration echoing around the City Ground. Nottingham Forest’s long-awaited return to European football on home soil — their first in nearly three decades — was meant to be a celebration. Instead, it turned into another bitter chapter in what has already been a rocky start for Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as manager.
Forest’s 3-2 loss to Danish side Midtjylland left supporters angry and disillusioned. It wasn’t just the defeat itself, but the manner in which it unfolded. Poor defending at key moments, wasted opportunities, and the feeling that the team is drifting rather than progressing were all laid bare under the floodlights. When Valdemar Byskov netted the visitors’ late winner, chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” rang out across the stands, directed squarely at Postecoglou.
The Australian coach, who only months ago lifted the Europa League trophy with Tottenham, appeared downbeat but composed in his post-match comments. He acknowledged the jeers, admitting, “I heard their opinion.” Yet he insisted he would not be rattled. “Nothing surprises me in football. It’s the climate we’re in. I can’t control that. My responsibility is to get this club winning again.”
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Still, the numbers are damning. Postecoglou has now gone six games without a victory — the first Forest manager in a century to endure such a start. And with back-to-back defeats, first against Sunderland in the league and now Midtjylland in Europe, the optimism that followed his September appointment has quickly turned into anxiety.
Adding to the sting, sections of the Forest crowd broke into songs praising his predecessor, Nuno EspÃrito Santo. Nuno, now at West Ham, had guided Forest to seventh place last season before a falling-out with owner Evangelos Marinakis cost him his job. That reminder of what once was only deepened the contrast with the struggles of today.
But Postecoglou remains adamant that progress is being made beneath the surface. He has stressed that his team are creating chances, working hard, and adapting to new methods. Players like Morgan Gibbs-White have publicly backed him, insisting a breakthrough is close. Postecoglou himself echoed that belief, saying, “We are not far away from being the team we want to be. The results will come.”
Whether he will be given the time to prove it is another question. Marinakis has shown little patience with managers in the past, moving swiftly when results falter. Yet some voices, including former Forest striker Michail Antonio, believe Postecoglou may be afforded a longer leash precisely because he was handpicked by the owner.
For now, though, pressure is mounting. Forest fans, who watched nearly £180 million spent in the summer, are demanding more than talk of process. They want wins — and quickly. Sunday’s Premier League clash with Newcastle looms large. Another defeat there, and the noise around Postecoglou’s future may become deafening.
For a man once hailed for bringing belief and silverware, this is a stark reminder of football’s brutal cycle: glory can vanish in months, and patience can evaporate in weeks.
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