Nottingham Forest Are Not Planning to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Alisson Sidelined; England Squad News
Postecoglou Safe - At Present
As of 9am this morning, the club had no plans to fire their manager but the unpredictable nature of the team and its proprietor the chairman means that things can change quickly.
Supporters made their voices known on Thursday, calling for the departure of the coach who took over from an East Midlands hero and it is challenging to turn the tide once that occurs.
The Australian is Marinakis’ man, the owner having lined him up long before Nuno Espirito Santo was sent packing. All involved with the club anticipated a time of adjustment but to be winless in six matches and losing at home to opposing teams were not part of the thoughts when he arrived last month.
The Australian was intended to alter the approach but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his predecessor, so there is an understanding that adjustments require patience. Patience, however, is not a quality often observed at the club. The upcoming league fixtures are against Newcastle, Chelsea and Bournemouth, so the challenge will intensify for Postecoglou.
Alisson Injured for The Reds
Arne Slot has been speaking:
“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad this weekend and he will not go to his national team for the international duty. The forward is going to train again today, let’s see where he is. The applies similarly for Frederico [Chiesa]. It depends on how quickly they heal.
“I would not expect if he [Alisson] will be there for the initial match after the international break. From there on progress may be a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not medically trained so I am unable to confirm if it is the same injury.”
The backup keeper is set to start instead of the first choice.
“I believe we’ve seen against the Saints how well he’s adjusted. We knew we were bringing in a high-quality shot-stopper. When he plays his first game that’s a way of seeing he’s adjusted really well to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a skilled player. Now he can do what we’ve had to do so many occasions in the previous seasons covering for Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Upcoming Fixtures
- Friday
- Bournemouth v Fulham (evening kickoff)
- Tomorrow
- Leeds v Tottenham
- Gunners take on Hammers
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Chelsea v Liverpool
- Day after
- Aston Villa v Burnley
- Magpies host Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Bees welcome City
Continental Action
It was a good night for the remaining UK teams in Europe. And a disappointing evening for the Scottish clubs.
Crystal Palace extended their winning streak as their manager kicks off continental campaign to flying start.
European tournament summary: Aston Villa star secures victory as Scottish sides lose.
Fan Reaction at Forest's Stadium
The scenes were nearly unprecedented on a disheartening night, thousands of home supporters chanting: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the supporters added insult to injury, singing the name of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several directing comments at the owner watching on with his own giant private television in the executive area. This made for grim viewing.
Weekend Lookahead
Without a loss in the Premier League since their Friday night opener, the Cherries early momentum has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at home to Newcastle and at Leeds recently. The Cottagers travel to the stadium on tonight, presenting Bournemouth a good opportunity of recapturing winning ways and going second. After a turbulent summer, the manager has sought consistency in his lineup choices.
Trailing 2-1 at Leeds, the coach made a triple change to reintroduce three usual starters – key squad members – to his XI and was rewarded with a equalizing goal. The team have also preserved solidity at the back, conceding just once in four games between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often playing in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been key to the squad's cohesion. The centre-back earned praise from Iraola for his performances and danger at attacking set-pieces – as shown by his aerial pass for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at Elland Road.
