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OH NO HE ISN’T! OH YES HE IS!

Quite possibly the least favored Australian to show up in Nottinghamshire since a notorious innkeeper from a long-running series starred in a local pantomime two decades ago, Ange Postecoglou’s time in charge at the City Ground could scarcely have got off to a more inauspicious start. While the heckling and shouts that actor the soap veteran was subjected to during Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood were generally lighthearted, the toxicity of the criticism aimed at Postecoglou during Nottingham Forest’s Bigger Vase defeat by Midtjylland on last Thursday was so intense that it is difficult to imagine the manager who has been in charge for a mere handful of fixtures will remain in post to listen to the seasonal boos this holiday season. On more than one occasion the veteran manager’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went unheeded by his hapless players, particularly when the visiting team scored their initial strikes from poorly handled free-kicks and corners. A long way from the celebratory mood they’d expected, Forest’s first European home game in almost 30 seasons ended in acrimony with home fans telling the manager he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before praising his well-liked, newly sacked predecessor, Nuno Espírito Santo.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I grasp the public’s opinion, chiefly directed at me, but I never worry about that, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” the manager snapped in response, while subjecting the floor around his feet to the typical fierce look. “I’m never shocked in this sport, it’s the way things are. This seems to be the direction. It’s nothing I can control. Supporters are upset, they can think what they like. I listened to what they said.” Although those Forest fans are entitled to vent, it could be contended that they might be more sensible picking a more appropriate target for their ire. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who fired a beloved manager to bring in the Australian, who was always going to start under pressure. Looking on from the owners’ area as he went through a series of sullen, fierce looks last witnessed during that time he heard Tottenham had initiated the player’s transfer clause, the shipping magnate has so far escaped any kind of serious criticism from the crowd, a sizable group of whom remain certain the sun shines out of his generously upholstered nether regions.

By Friday midday, speculation of the manager being fired overnight proved to be greatly exaggerated and reports suggest his job remains protected until such time as … in reality, it changes. Even though the team manager can argue with some mitigation that he has had very few sessions on the training pitch to implement the style and strategic detail that resulted in Spurs dropping 22 of their 38 top-flight games last campaign, his club’s upcoming matches remains forbidding and relentless. With the North-East side, the Blues, the Portuguese giants and Bournemouth on the horizon it is tough to imagine from where a initial success under the new boss will come before what could surely be the biggest dismissal-decider against the Red Devils.

COVERAGE ON MAJOR SITE

Follow the sports writer at 7.30pm BST for women’s football coverage on the stalemate between United and Chelsea.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who points fingers, actually, I’ll refrain from naming names. Yet I believe there was some disrespect, plus some impoliteness, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – the Brazilian winger slams Manchester United over the unfriendly setting at their stadium, where friendliness has likely worsened like the side’s performance.

FAN MAILBAG

Can it be the Forest manager has vowed Forest fans he always wins a match in his next campaign?” – a reader.

I wouldn’t normally to want to amplify the trope that Gunners fans are football’s whiniest fans, but Thabo Caves (the previous day’s mailbag) does make you wonder. Pointing out that rather than two games a 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 squad with strong depth in each place to boot) is not the debate-ender he might imagine. Instead it’s just going to have the tiniest violin ensemble tuning up their instruments once more, while the rest of football look on with exasperation” – a different supporter.

I’m puzzled whether your current contributors (on several fixtures each week) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the classic instances of internet discourse (SFW), or unconsciously proving Marx’s adage about historical events repeating themselves as farce” – a fan.

If it’s any solace, the previous correspondent (the last mailbag), I’m the same [wishing wealthy English teams to fail on the continent]. Since Forest lost the ability to negotiate Europe, European competition for me has induced a state of helpless fury, broken up only sometimes by the Eastern European team and, at a push, Zaragoza. I don’t give a hoot for the Merseyside club’s successes from the eighties right up to Istanbul. I feel nothing for {‘that