Nottingham Forest Are Not Planning to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Alisson Sidelined; Three Lions Squad News
Postecoglou Safe - At Present
Starting from the early hours today, Nottingham Forest had no plans to fire Ange Postecoglou but the unpredictable nature of the team and its proprietor the chairman means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
Supporters made their voices known on Thursday, demanding the departure of the man who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to reverse the sentiment once that happens.
Postecoglou is Marinakis’ man, the club chief having lined him up well ahead of Nuno Espirito Santo was sent packing. Everyone at Forest anticipated a period of transition but to be without a victory in six games and suffering defeats at their own ground to opposing teams were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.
Postecoglou was always going to alter the approach but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an understanding that these things take time. Tolerance, however, is not a trait often observed at Forest. The next three Premier League games are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for the manager.
Alisson Out for The Reds
The Liverpool manager has been speaking:
“Alisson is not part of the squad this weekend and he won’t travel to his national team for the national team matches. The forward is going to train again this afternoon, let’s see where he is. The applies similarly for Frederico [Chiesa]. It hinges on how fast the recovery goes.
“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] will be there for the first game after the national team pause. From there on progress may be a bit quicker or a bit slower. It’s difficult to say. I’m not medically trained so I am unable to confirm if it is the identical issue.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili will play in place of the first choice.
“I think we’ve observed against the Saints how seamlessly he has fitted in. We knew we were signing a high-quality shot-stopper. When he plays his first game that’s a demonstration he’s adjusted really well to the team. It’s expected because he’s a quality player. Now he can do what we’ve had to do so many occasions in the past covering for Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Upcoming Fixtures
- Tonight
- Cherries host Fulham (8pm)
- Tomorrow
- Leeds v Tottenham
- Gunners take on Hammers
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Blues clash with Reds
- Sunday
- Aston Villa v Burnley
- Magpies host Forest
- Wolves battle Seagulls
- Toffees vs Eagles
- Brentford v Manchester City
Continental Action
It was a good night for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a disappointing evening for the teams from Scotland.
The Eagles prolonged their winning streak as Muñoz gets continental campaign to flying start.
Europa League roundup: McGinn seals victory as Rangers and Celtic suffer defeats.
Fan Reaction at City Ground
The scenes were nearly unprecedented on a disheartening night, many local fans singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the supporters twisted the knife, singing the name of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several turning towards Evangelos Marinakis watching on with his own large personal screen in the executive area. This resulted in grim viewing.
Preview of Matches
Without a loss in the league since their initial match, Bournemouth strong start has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to Newcastle and at Leeds last week. The Cottagers visit the Vitality on tonight, offering Andoni Iraola’s side a good opportunity of recapturing winning ways and going second. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has aimed for stability in his lineup choices.
Behind 2-1 at their opponents, the Bournemouth manager made a triple change to reintroduce three usual starters – key squad members – to his starting eleven and was rewarded with a equalizing goal. Bournemouth have also maintained defensive stability, allowing only one goal in four games between the away games to strong opponents. Marcos Senesi, often featuring in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been crucial to the team’s continuity. The defender earned praise from the boss for his defensive work and danger at dead-ball situations – as shown by his headed assist for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at Elland Road.
