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OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Quite possibly the most disliked Aussie to show up in the Nottingham area since a villainous hotelier from a famous TV drama starred in a Mansfield panto in the early 2000s, Forest’s new boss’s time in charge at the City Ground could hardly have begun more poorly. Although the heckling and shouts that TV star Stefan Dennis was faced during a festive pantomime were mostly in fun, the hostility of the criticism aimed at the Forest manager during the club’s European setback by their Scandinavian opponents on Thursday was so overwhelming that it is tough to see the manager who has been in charge for only half a dozen games will still be around to endure the festive cat-calls this December. Multiple times the veteran manager’s shouts of “Watch out behind!” went ignored by his unfortunate players, especially when the visiting team scored their initial strikes from poorly handled set-pieces. Far from the happy occasion they’d expected, Nottingham Forest’s first continental match at home in nearly three decades ended in acrimony with supporters telling Postecoglou he’d be “sacked in the morning”, before chanting for his well-liked, just-removed former boss, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but that doesn’t concern me, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” Postecoglou growled in answer, while directing the area at his feet to the now customary death-stare. “Nothing surprises me in football, that’s the current environment. It seems that’s the way things are going. It’s nothing I can control. The fans are disappointed, they can think what they like. I took in their thoughts.” Even if those Forest fans are free to express anger, it could be argued that they might be more sensible picking a more appropriate target for their anger. After all, it was Evangelos Marinakis who sacked a firm fan favourite to appoint the Australian, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Observing from the directors’ box as he went through a repertoire of surly, dark scowls last witnessed during that period he found out Tottenham had activated the midfielder’s buyout option, the Greek tycoon has thus far mostly avoided any kind of serious criticism from supporters, a good number of whom remain sure the sun shines out of his generously upholstered nether regions.

When Friday lunchtime arrived, speculation of the manager being fired overnight proved to be unfounded and it appears his job remains safe until such time as … actually, it’s not. Although the club boss can offer a partial defense that he has had minimal opportunity on the training ground to instil the style and strategic detail that resulted in the London club losing 22 of their 38 top-flight games last season, his side’s schedule remains daunting and unyielding. Facing the North-East side, the Blues, Porto and the Cherries on the horizon it is tough to imagine from where a first Postecoglou win will come before what could possibly become the biggest dismissal-decider against the Old Trafford side.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’m not the kind of guy who gets involved in controversies, who names people, actually, I won’t mention anyone’s name here. However I feel there was a slight disregard, even a bit of rudeness too, without anyone offering a greeting” – Antony slams the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at their stadium, where friendliness has likely worsened like the team’s form.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Can it be the coach has vowed supporters he never loses a game in his second season?” – a fan.

I wouldn’t normally to seek to emphasize the stereotype that Arsenal supporters are the sport’s most complaining followers, but a correspondent (the prior edition’s comments) does make you wonder. Highlighting that rather than a pair of fixtures per week, Arsenal are having to play 2.33 games a week (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a certain trio of weeks (for a squad with two good options for every position to as well) is not the debate-ender he might believe. Instead it’s just going to have the tiniest violin ensemble preparing to play once more, while the other fans roll their collective eyes” – a different supporter.

I can’t work out whether your recent correspondents (on multiple matches weekly) are intentionally, sarcastically mimicking one of the high points of internet discourse (family-friendly), or unconsciously proving the philosopher’s saying about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a respondent.

To comfort you, the previous correspondent (yesterday’s letters), I’ve always been like that [wanting affluent UK clubs to fail on the continent]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, continental matches for me has led to a state of frustrated anger, broken up only sometimes by the Eastern European team and, maybe, the Spanish club. I care not one jot for Liverpool’s exploits from the eighties right up to the Champions League win. I am unmoved by {‘that