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NO WAY! ABSOLUTELY YES!

Without a doubt the most unpopular Aussie to show up in the Nottingham area since a sinister lodging owner from a famous TV drama appeared in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, the Greek-Australian’s reign at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. Even though the boos and catcalls that TV star the soap veteran was subjected to during a seasonal stage show were largely good-natured, the venom of the abuse hurled at the Australian coach during Nottingham Forest’s European setback by Midtjylland on last Thursday was so overwhelming that it is difficult to imagine the man who has been in charge for just six matches will keep his job to endure the festive cat-calls this December. Multiple times the experienced coach’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went disregarded by his hapless players, especially when the Danish side scored their opening pair from badly organized dead-ball situations. A long way from the joyous atmosphere they’d anticipated, Forest’s first European home game in almost 30 seasons ended in rancour with supporters telling the manager he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before serenading his favored, recently dismissed predecessor, the Portuguese tactician.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I grasp the public’s opinion, chiefly directed at me, but that doesn’t concern me, this is nothing new to me,” Postecoglou growled in response, while directing the floor around his feet to the typical fierce look. “I’m never shocked in this sport, it’s the way things are. It seems that’s the way things are going. I have no power over it. Supporters are upset, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I took in their thoughts.” Even if those followers are free to express anger, it could be argued that they might be wiser selecting a more fitting focus for their anger. Ultimately, it was the Greek businessman who sacked a beloved manager to hire the Australian, who was always going to begin his reign on a hiding to nothing. Observing from the owners’ area as he went through a series of angry, grim faces unseen since that occasion he found out the North London club had triggered the player’s transfer clause, the wealthy owner has so far escaped any kind of major backlash from the crowd, a fair few of whom remain sure the he can do no wrong.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, speculation of the manager being fired overnight proved to be greatly exaggerated and sources indicate his job remains safe until such time as … well, it isn’t. While the club boss can argue with some mitigation that he has had minimal opportunity on the practice field to implement the approach and gameplan subtleties that led to Tottenham Hotspur failing to win 22 of their 38 top-flight games last term, his side’s schedule remains forbidding and relentless. Facing the North-East side, the London club, the Portuguese giants and the Cherries coming soon it is difficult to see from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could surely be the ultimate sack-race clash against the Red Devils.

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TOP STATEMENT

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who singles out individuals, truthfully, I’ll keep it anonymous. However I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, along with some incivility, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – Antony criticizes the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at their stadium, where friendliness has seemingly headed south like the side’s performance.

READER COMMENTS

Can it be the Forest manager has assured supporters he always wins a match in his second season?” – Pete Negri.

I wouldn’t normally to want to amplify the trope that the Emirates faithful are the game’s biggest moaners, but a correspondent (the previous day’s mailbag) does make you wonder. Noting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, Arsenal are having to play over two matches weekly (wow, 30 additional minutes!) over a specific three-week period (for a team with double coverage in all roles to boot) is not the argument-settler he might imagine. On the contrary it’s just going to have the tiniest violin ensemble getting ready once more, while the rest of football look on with exasperation” – a different supporter.

I’m puzzled whether your latest letter-writers (on two or three games a week) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the high points of online debate (SFW), or inadvertently demonstrating Marx’s adage about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a respondent.

To comfort you, Bob Cushion (the prior comments), I’m the same [hoping affluent UK clubs to fail on the continent]. Since Forest lost the ability to negotiate Europe, continental matches for me has induced a state of helpless fury, interrupted now and then by Steaua Bucharest and, at a push, the La Liga outfit. I couldn’t care less for the Reds’ achievements from the 80s right up to the Champions League win. I’m indifferent to {‘that