ANGE POSTECOGLOU HITS BACK AT PRESSURE QUESTION AFTER CHANTS
Ange Postecoglou is under pressure at Nottingham Forest after a loss to FC Midtjylland. Get the latest on his future, fan reaction, and a preview of the crucial Newcastle United match as he fights for his first win.
In the midst of his quest for his first victory, Ange Postecoglou acknowledges that speculation regarding his future as head coach of Nottingham Forest is inevitable.
The Reds' 3-2 Europa League loss to FC Midtjylland on Thursday night marked six games without a win under the 60-year-old. This resulted in the home fans yelling at the man in the dugout, "You're getting sacked in the morning."
Currently, Postecoglou's job is not seen to be in danger. However, it has been reported that if Forest does not return from Sunday's trip to Newcastle United with a victory (2 pm kickoff), the club may reevaluate his status over the international break.
“I understand. It is a reasonable assumption, in my opinion, that a manager is constantly under pressure in modern sport. That's simply a component of our work," Postecoglou replied.
"I disagree with that. Essentially, I won something (the Europa League) even though I knew I was going to be fired from Tottenham three or four months before I was fired.
"I don't think of it." Getting this football team to advance and reach a point where it can compete for things is my obligation.
I'm not carrying out my assigned function if I start thinking about what may happen next week. That just doesn't seem useful to anyone, in my opinion.
"The setting, our training, and our style of play are all under my control. I continue to firmly believe that we are not that far away.
At Forest, Postecoglou has adopted a more offensive style of play since taking over as manager from Nuno Espirito Santo. He has lost four of his games in charge and drawn two, though, so results have not followed.
"If anyone hasn't noticed a change, I'd be shocked," the former Tottenham Hotspur manager remarked. The last five games provide ample evidence that we have fundamentally changed the way we approach things, including how we set up, how we possess the ball, how we create chances, and how aggressive we are with and without the ball. "Results to one side—and obviously that's the ultimate measure."
Naturally, that's always a work in progress, and we're still figuring out which players have acclimated to it the fastest, which ones require more time, and which ones we need to collaborate with to make changes. When switching between different playing styles, that is only normal.
If anyone had assumed that would happen overnight, I would have been shocked. However, I believe there is ample proof that the players have accepted it and that our style of play has changed. However, there is always a doubt as to whether or not that kind of change has been beneficial because the outcomes haven't happened on their own.
To win over Reds supporters who aren't convinced by his hiring, Postecoglou has a lot of work ahead of him. Many questioned if he was the best candidate for the position when he started last month, and many of them expressed their opinions when they sang Nuno's name on Thursday night.
Sending messages to fans bothers me. They adore their football team and are clearly dissatisfied with both last night's performance and the current state of affairs," Postecoglou continued.
"The only thing I can do is carry out my duty to lead the squad to turn our fortunes around. The supporters would undoubtedly be happy with everything if we did it.
Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, and Jesus were the players whom Forest expected to be in the starting lineup.
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.