‘Watch your back!’ Is Postecoglou the true antagonist in the City Ground theatrics?

NO WAY! ABSOLUTELY YES!

Arguably the least favored Aussie to arrive in Nottinghamshire since a sinister lodging owner from a long-running series starred in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at the City Ground could hardly have begun more poorly. While the boos and catcalls that TV star the Neighbours star was faced during a seasonal stage show were largely good-natured, the hostility of the criticism hurled at the Forest manager during Nottingham Forest’s Europa League loss by their Scandinavian opponents on Thursday was so overwhelming that it is hard to believe the manager who has been in charge for only half a dozen games will still be around to endure the festive cat-calls this holiday season. On more than one occasion the veteran manager’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went ignored by his hapless players, particularly when the opposition scored their opening pair from badly organized free-kicks and corners. A long way from the celebratory mood they’d anticipated, Nottingham Forest’s first UEFA fixture on home soil in almost 30 seasons ended in rancour with supporters telling the boss he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before serenading his popular, recently dismissed previous manager, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I grasp the public’s opinion, chiefly directed at me, but that doesn’t concern me, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” Postecoglou growled in answer, while subjecting the floor around his feet to the typical death-stare. “I’m never shocked in this sport, it’s the climate we’re in. That appears to be the trend. It’s beyond my influence. Supporters are upset, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I listened to what they said.” And while those followers are entitled to vent, it could be contended that they might be more sensible choosing a more fitting focus for their ire. Ultimately, it was the Greek businessman who sacked a popular figure to bring in Postecoglou, who was always going to begin his reign on a hiding to nothing. Observing from the executive seats as he went through a range of surly, dark scowls not seen since that time he learned Spurs had triggered the player’s buyout option, the wealthy owner has thus far mostly avoided any kind of major backlash from supporters, a good number of whom remain convinced the he can do no wrong.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, talk of the manager being fired overnight proved to be greatly exaggerated and sources indicate his job remains protected until such time as … in reality, it changes. Even though the Forest head coach can offer a partial defense that he has had little or no time on the training ground to introduce the approach and gameplan subtleties that caused the London club dropping more than half their league matches last season, his team’s fixture list remains forbidding and relentless. Up against the Magpies, Chelsea, Porto and the Cherries on the horizon it is difficult to see from where a initial success under the new boss will come before what could likely be the mother of all El Sackicos against the Red Devils.

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BEST REMARK

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who names people, truthfully, I’ll keep it anonymous. However I believe there was some disrespect, plus some impoliteness, without anyone offering a greeting” – the United player slams his club over the unfriendly setting at the Theatre of Dreams, where friendliness has likely worsened like the team’s form.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Can it be the coach has vowed followers he never loses a game in his following term?” – a fan.

It’s not my place to wish to reinforce the trope that the Emirates faithful are the sport’s most complaining followers, but a correspondent (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) does make you think. Pointing out that rather than a pair of fixtures per week, the Gunners are having to play more than two fixtures each week (oh, a half-hour more!) over a certain trio of weeks (for a team with double coverage in all roles to additionally) is not the argument-settler he might think. Instead it’s just going to have the orchestra of the world’s smallest violins preparing to play once more, while the wider sport roll their collective eyes” – another reader.

I can’t work out whether your latest letter-writers (on two or three games a week) are consciously, ironically recreating one of the memorable moments of web discussion (SFW), or inadvertently demonstrating Marx’s adage about past occurrences returning as comedy” – a respondent.

If it’s any solace, the previous correspondent (the prior comments), I’ve always been like that [wanting affluent UK clubs to be defeated abroad]. Ever since Forest fell out of European contention, European competition for me has led to a state of frustrated anger, interrupted now and then by the Romanian side and, maybe, the La Liga outfit. I care not one jot for the Reds’ achievements from the eighties right up to the 2005 final. I’m indifferent to {‘that