Joe Hart has come to the defence of Ange Postecoglou as the former Celtic boss endures a difficult start to life at Nottingham Forest, reminding critics of the scrutiny the Aussie boss overcame during his early days in Glasgow.
The Australian manager has yet to register a win since taking over at the City Ground three weeks ago. Despite overseeing league games, a cup tie against Swansea, and a European competition, Forest are still waiting for their first victory under his guidance. But Hart, who worked closely with Postecoglou at Celtic, believes the current noise mirrors the scepticism the manager faced when he first arrived in Scottish football.
“When he came in at Celtic. We were three wins from our first six games,” Hart said on MOTD2
“The pressure was mounting. There was a lot of pressure from outside and a lot of people probably wanted him out of Celtic at that point.
“We had a moment away at Livingston that we lost 1-0. 95% away crowd in the stadium and the pressure was on.
“But we got in that dressing room and kind of looked at him thinking ‘are we going to change things?’ – but he doubled down.
“He said ‘look this is how I want us to play, it is going to be to be tough and we will go through rocky times, trust in me’.
“We did trust in him.
“I am not saying they are going to win the league but you’ve got to give a manager time. Especially midway through a season.”
That moment away at Livingston remains a pivotal reference point in Postecoglou’s Celtic journey, a low ebb that preceded a turning point. Just weeks later, it was an away win at Pittodrie that sparked the revival, with Adam Montgomery squaring for Jota to score a late winner against Aberdeen. But that was in October, months after the season started. From there, the team clicked into gear, playing with identity, intensity and ultimately lifting the title.
Hart’s intervention is timely. Postecoglou’s brand of football demands full buy-in, and often comes with early growing pains. While Forest fans may not yet see the rewards, Hart’s point is that belief and consistency are part of the process even when the short-term results raise questions.
The Celtic support will remember the early doubts well. Now, with Postecoglou under pressure again, one of his most trusted players has stepped forward to remind everyone that great projects sometimes start slowly.
