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OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Arguably the most disliked Australian to show up in this part of England since a sinister lodging owner from a famous TV drama starred in a local pantomime 20 years back, the Greek-Australian’s tenure at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. Even though the heckling and shouts that actor the Neighbours star was subjected to during a seasonal stage show were mostly in fun, the venom of the invective directed at Postecoglou during Nottingham Forest’s European setback by the Danish side on last Thursday was so overwhelming that it is hard to believe the manager who has been in charge for just six matches will still be around to endure the festive cat-calls this holiday season. Repeatedly the 60-year-old’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went ignored by his unfortunate players, especially when the visiting team scored their opening pair from atrociously defended dead-ball situations. Nowhere near the celebratory mood they’d hoped for, Nottingham Forest’s first UEFA fixture on home soil in 29 years ended in acrimony with the crowd telling the manager he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before serenading his well-liked, just-removed predecessor, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I realize the environment is negative, I grasp the public’s opinion, chiefly directed at me, but I never worry about that, this is nothing new to me,” the manager snapped in reply, while aiming the floor around his feet to the typical intense glare. “Football holds no surprises for me, it’s the way things are. That appears to be the trend. I have no power over it. Supporters are upset, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I took in their thoughts.” And while those followers are entitled to vent, it could be argued that they might be wiser picking a more fitting focus for their frustration. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who dismissed a beloved manager to appoint the Australian, who was always going to begin his reign on a hiding to nothing. Looking on from the executive seats as he went through a series of surly, dark scowls not seen since that occasion he learned the North London club had triggered the midfielder’s release clause, the wealthy owner has thus far mostly avoided any kind of major backlash from the crowd, a fair few of whom remain certain the sun shines out of his generously upholstered nether regions.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, talk of Postecoglou getting sacked in the morning proved to be overstated and it appears his job remains safe until such time as … well, it isn’t. While the Forest head coach can argue with some mitigation that he has had very few sessions on the training ground to instil the style and strategic detail that resulted in Tottenham Hotspur dropping a majority of their Premier League fixtures last campaign, his team’s fixture list remains tough and continuous. Facing Newcastle, Chelsea, Porto and Bournemouth on the horizon it is hard to predict from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could possibly become the mother of all El Sackicos against Manchester United.

COVERAGE ON MAJOR SITE

Follow Scott Murray at evening UK time for WSL updates on the goalless draw.

TOP STATEMENT

“I steer clear of heated debates, who points fingers, actually, I’ll keep it anonymous. But I feel there was a slight disregard, plus some impoliteness, without anyone offering a greeting” – Antony criticizes the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at their stadium, where warmth has seemingly headed south like the side’s performance.

FAN MAILBAG

Is it true the Forest manager has vowed Forest fans he guarantees victory in his following term?” – Pete Negri.

It’s not my place to seek to emphasize the cliché that the Emirates faithful are football’s whiniest fans, but a letter-writer (the previous day’s mailbag) does make you think. Noting that rather than a pair of fixtures per week, the Gunners are having to play more than two fixtures each week (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a specific three-week period (for a team with two good options for every position to as well) is not the debate-ender he might believe. Rather it’s just going to have the smallest fiddle players tuning up their instruments once more, while the other fans roll their collective eyes” – Andrew Parker.

I’m puzzled whether your recent correspondents (on two or three games a week) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the memorable moments of web discussion (safe for work), or accidentally confirming the famous quote about historical events repeating themselves as farce” – a respondent.

For what it’s worth, yesterday’s letter-writer (yesterday’s letters), I’ve always been like that [wanting wealthy English teams to be defeated abroad]. Ever since Forest fell out of European contention, Uefa football for me has induced a state of helpless fury, interrupted now and then by the Eastern European team and, if pressed, the La Liga outfit. I couldn’t care less for the Reds’ achievements from the 1980s right up to Istanbul. I’m indifferent to {‘that