It has been a brutal start to life in England for former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou. Just 23 days into the Nottingham Forest job, the Australian is already facing calls for his head.
Forest’s Europa League clash with Midtjylland ended in a 3-2 home defeat, stretching Postecoglou’s winless run and sparking chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from sections of the home support.
The quick turn in mood has caught attention. At Celtic, there were early doubts too, but he turned things around and delivered back-to-back titles. At Forest, however, there has been no honeymoon period. Support appears to be fading fast.
Speaking after the game, Postecoglou admitted he heard the chants. “I heard it. They are fans, they want to see their team win and they are entitled to their opinion.”
When asked if he was shocked at facing such pressure so early in his tenure, he replied bluntly: “Nothing surprises me in football anymore.”
Postecoglou was clear on where things went wrong on the pitch. “It was really disappointing, just really, really poor goals we conceded in the first half that allowed the opposition to get comfortable in the game. It has been the story of our last few games, we have moments where we let ourselves down.”
Ange’s Time at Celtic
That analysis will be familiar to Celtic supporters, who remember the shaky start of his Parkhead reign. Back then, he had time to build. Whether Forest’s hierarchy and fanbase will show the same patience is the looming question.
Celtic fans witnessed some breathtaking football under Ange, and in his first season, he grabbed a double, while in his second and final season, he swept the treble.
The pressure is already mounting. And this time, there is no margin for a slow burn revival.
