Ange Postecoglou On The Brink At Forest After Europa League Meltdown Ahead Of Newcastle Showdown

Ange Postecoglou has entered the most unforgiving phase of Premier League management at Nottingham Forest, and it has taken less than a month for the pressure valve to hiss.

 A 3-2 home collapse against Midtjylland in the Europa League sparked loud boos at the City Ground and the unmistakable chant of ‘you are getting sacked in the morning’ from sections of the home support. 

The soundtrack fit the mood of a club that has started cold under a new coach who promised front-foot football but has yet to deliver the reward to match the risk. 

The numbers are stark. Since replacing Nuno Espírito Santo in September, Postecoglou is winless through six matches in all competitions with four defeats and two draws. 

That record has reportedly placed Sunday’s league trip to Newcastle United under a bright spotlight, with the international break looming as a natural decision window for the hierarchy if results do not move. Postecoglou has acknowledged the fan anger while insisting he is unflustered by speculation and focused on performance. 

Why The Numbers Look So Bad So Fast

Context matters, and the Europa League Midtjylland defeat was not a one-off. Forest were undone twice at set pieces and again by fragile moments in their defensive structure, issues Postecoglou himself flagged after the full-time whistle. 

That frailty has been a theme across his opening run, where Forest have too often chased matches after lapses in concentration. A team that wants to play expansive football must first protect its penalty area, and Forest are not doing that consistently enough. A team that looked so promising under Nuno Espirito Santo now looks vulnerable. 

Personnel turbulence has not helped. Murillo, whose calm distribution and recovery pace anchored the back line, went off injured after making his return, leaving another hole to plug before a short turnaround. If he is unavailable, 

Forest loses their most composed ball carrier in the first line of build, which forces deeper starting positions for fullbacks and invites pressure that the team has struggled to resist. That tactical domino effect was visible as Midtjylland repeatedly forced rushed clearances, then recycled possession to draw fouls and corners. 

Further ahead, Forest needs more efficiency from their final pass and final action. Morgan Gibbs White remains the creative hub and is still a Forest player after a summer of speculation. Still, his influence will only tell if runners consistently attack the half spaces that Postecoglou’s system seeks to open. 

The manager’s teams thrive when the eight joins from the blind side and the wide forward pins the full back. Forest are seeing pieces of those patterns without the repeated movements that create high-value chances. The platform is there, yet the timing is off by a beat. 

There were glimmers. Chris Wood’s late penalty at least reflected continued attacking pressure into added time, and the crowd responded when Forest passed at tempo through midfield. 

The problem is that the glimmers have arrived when the game state is already unfavorable. Forest cannot keep spotting opponents’ leads and hoping to sprint through the last 20 minutes. The best version of Postecoglou’s football overwhelms early, not late. 

The Newcastle Test That Could Decide Everything

The timing of the trip to St James Park is brittle. Reports suggest that the club is prepared to reassess the project during the international break if Sunday’s performance is flat and yields a negative result. 

That makes both the scoreline and the manner of play matter. A point earned through discipline, solidity at restarts, and clear attacking patterns might steady the debate, while a chaotic defeat would amplify the questions. 

Newcastle will test Forest in exactly the areas that have been their weak points. Set plays around the box, diagonal switches to isolate the far-side full-back, and second-phase pressure after initial clearances are sources of danger. 

Forest must narrow the gaps between center backs and the nearest midfielder, with the weak-side eight tuned to collapse into the line when the ball is played. That adjustment would cut off the free runner at the back post and reduce the cheap concessions that have undermined otherwise decent passages of play.

Selection choices are pivotal. If Murillo is not ready, the staff may opt for a more conservative back four with clear instructions to step as a unit rather than split wide in early build. 

The double pivot should be staggered so that one sits in the screen to block counters, and one presents on the turn to find Gibbs White between the lines. That single tweak shortens the passing routes and keeps Forest from getting stretched when possession turns over high. 

What Postecoglou Must Change Now

Every manager under stress talks about belief. Action matters more. The immediate blueprint looks simple, even if execution is hard. First, tame set pieces. Assign a stopper to attack the first ball and a dedicated screen for the second contact, with zonal markers across the six-yard line and aggressive blocking off the run-up. Training repetitions on body shape and clearances into defined zones will pay off within a week. The Europa League loss turned on these tiny margins. 

Second, fix the timing in the press. Forest are arriving half a second late, which opens passing lanes instead of closing them. The trigger should be a back pass or a flat central pass with the nearest forward curving to take away the return angle. 

When the cue arrives, the far winger must squeeze in to compact the middle, trusting the back line to win the first duel on the next ball. That synchronized movement is the foundation of Postecoglou’s best teams and will immediately lift chance creation the other way.

Third, simplify the final third. Too many touches are shrinking shooting windows. Forest would benefit from an early cross policy after three passes in the wide channel, especially with Wood’s near-post runs. 

Low cut-backs from the byline produce cleaner finishes for arriving midfielders and remove the need to thread the perfect chipped pass over a set block. The aim on Sunday should be seven to nine shots from the heart of the box rather than a spray of low probability efforts from distance.

Finally, handle the noise. Postecoglou has been through hotter kitchens than this and has made clear he will not be distracted by chants or speculation. The message inside the building needs to be just as calm. 

Final Thoughts 

A club statement of support would not erase the table, yet even a quiet internal show of faith can lower pulse rates around the training ground and help players execute without the fear that one mistake will define their week. The coach knows the task is to flip performance into points now, and he knows that football does not wait forever. 

This is a fragile moment rather than a verdict. Forest have quality in the spine, a coach with a clear identity, and a fanbase that responds when the team shows courage. 

Deliver a pragmatic, structured display at Newcastle, and the conversation cools. Allow the same soft goals and the same rushed decisions on the ball, and the next sound may be the conversation moving on without him. The stakes are clear. The path to safety is too.