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Replacing a team hero was consistently going to be a challenging assignment, but the previous manager managed to pull off a shrewd move after the former coach’s departure: securing victories in his first two matches. A great deal is forgotten about the opening six months of his tenure, when the team survived just one place above the relegation zone and endured a period of winning only one time in 10 top-flight games.

Nuno had done the crucial task of boosting team spirit and gaining the backing of the supporters by beating Newcastle away and creating excitement by overcoming a major rival at their own ground, and no one was calling for style points. The home stadium was rocking in the end of 2023, and local supporters did not mind that they witnessed only two more wins there for the remainder of the campaign.

Nottingham Forest supporters call for the manager axe after less than a month following continental loss.

Ange Postecoglou is still waiting to experience a win, making him the first Forest manager in a hundred years to be unable to win any of their opening half-dozen fixtures. There was a poisonous mood at the City Ground on the recent matchday as they succumbed to the runner-up team in Denmark. When fans are calling for your dismissal after three weeks, it is fair to say the situation are not going well. On the next day there were no intentions to fire the manager but a loss at St James’ Park on Sunday could end his job.

All those at the club accepted there would be a period of change because the Australian’s tactical approach is virtually a polar opposite to the one Nuno carefully developed there. The strategy was developing under the Portuguese but not at the speed the new boss is trying to implement.

Starting with four away games was consistently going to be a tough challenge for the manager. Opening at a top side meant generating momentum from the outset was improbable but suffering a defeat at a Championship team in the domestic cup and tying at Burnley put Postecoglou on the back foot. The match at Real Betis seemed to be a turning point because the showing was strong and in line with anticipations regarding Postecoglou’s style. The methods were sound and, if not for a last-minute opposing player goal, takeoff would have commenced.

Instead Forest are still stuck. If Postecoglou could have been forgiven for the performances on the road, falling at their stadium to a visiting team and Midtjylland was never part of the thinking. There was a degree of explanation in the first home defeat: a soft free-kick award that led to the winner and poor shooting from Forest meant the points went away to the north-east. Forest had nearly two-thirds of possession and multiple attempts but outscoring an opponent on expected goals is meaningless.

The manager and a key player will aim to turn Nottingham Forest’s results around at Newcastle on the upcoming matchday.

There was a belief that once the forwards found form, all aspects would be fine but poor finishing is only one of the problems facing Postecoglou. The robust defensive unit constructed by the previous manager has been dismantled, leaving Postecoglou still waiting for a clean sheet. Stopping set pieces has been an issue, two of the opponent’s goals coming from them, and the other goal Forest conceded was from a counterattack, the sort that were a common feature during his time at Tottenham.

Postecoglou was eager to return to work quickly after being dismissed by Tottenham, especially with a Europa League honor around his neck. He wanted to show critics wrong and Forest offered that chance, with the extra incentive of being in the competition he had triumphed in in the spring. The Hellenic connection with Forest’s proprietor, the club’s chief, facilitated make the hiring smooth and the manager, despite his detractors, possesses the qualifications necessary – but pragmatism was unlikely to be involved.

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The former manager was not fired for football reasons but for picking a dispute with Marinakis that he was not going to prevail in. Ending up in seventh place and guiding Forest into Europe made him incredibly beloved. Despite his gripes, a squad capable of finishing in the top half was assembled and plenty of funds was invested. After excessive immediate thinking at Forest, they had a clear long-term vision and strategy, which featured a team that fit the previous boss. Now it seems as if a new figure has entered the house and the children are displeased.

Trips to Newcastle and another rival frame the home game of Chelsea in the upcoming trio of Premier League fixtures, implying life is only going to get harder. The owner made the appointment with his emotions and is desperately wishing to prevent another dismissal because firing Postecoglou would be an acknowledgment that he made two dreadful decisions in letting go of the former coach and choosing the successor. The sport is one big public approval contest and Nuno began gaining his at St James’ Park. Postecoglou needs to do the same or he risks forfeiting his permanently.