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Taking over from a club hero was always going to be a challenging task, but Nuno Espírito Santo managed to pull off a smart move after Steve Cooper’s exit: winning his first two fixtures. Much is overlooked about the first six months of his tenure, when the team survived just one position above the drop zone and went through a period of winning only one time in 10 top-flight matches.

The former boss had done the vital task of raising morale and winning over the fans by beating an opponent away and generating enthusiasm by beating a major rival at home, and no one was calling for aesthetic football. The City Ground was buzzing in late December 2023, and local supporters were not overly concerned that they witnessed only two more wins there for the rest of the season.

Nottingham Forest fans call for Postecoglou axe after 23 days following continental loss.

The Australian coach is yet to experience a win, making him the initial Forest manager in a century to fail to secure a victory in any of their opening half-dozen fixtures. There was a toxic mood at the City Ground on Thursday night as they succumbed to the second-best team in Denmark. When fans are demanding your dismissal after 23 days, it is fair to say the situation are not progressing smoothly. On Friday there were no intentions to dismiss the manager but a loss at St James’ Park on the weekend could cost him his position.

Everyone at the club understood there would be a period of change because the Australian’s tactical approach is almost a polar opposite to the one Nuno carefully developed there. The strategy was evolving under the former coach but not at the pace the new boss is trying to introduce.

Starting with four away games was always going to be a tough ask for the manager. Opening at a top side meant generating positive energy from the first whistle was improbable but suffering a defeat at Swansea in the domestic cup and drawing at Burnley put Postecoglou on the back foot. The game at Real Betis seemed to be a positive shift because the performance was impressive and in line with expectations regarding the manager’s philosophy. The methods were correct and, if not for a last-minute opposing player goal, success would have begun.

Instead Forest are still grounded. If Postecoglou could have been forgiven for the performances on the road, losing at their stadium to Sunderland and a European side was not part of the thinking. There was a element of explanation in the first home loss: a generous free-kick decision that resulted in the winner and poor finishing from Forest meant the result went away to the opposing team. Forest had nearly two-thirds of the ball and 22 shots but beating an opponent on expected goals is irrelevant.

Ange Postecoglou and a key player will want to turn Nottingham Forest’s results around at Newcastle on the upcoming matchday.

There was a belief that when the strikers found form, everything would be resolved but poor finishing is only one of the issues facing Postecoglou. The solid backline constructed by the previous manager has been dismantled, leaving Postecoglou still waiting for a clean sheet. Stopping dead-ball situations has been problematic, two of Midtjylland’s goals coming from them, and the remaining goal Forest let in was from a counterattack, the sort that were a common occurrence during his time at Tottenham.

Postecoglou was keen to return to work quickly after being dismissed by Tottenham, particularly with a Europa League winner’s medal around his neck. He wanted to show critics wrong and Forest presented that chance, with the added bonus of being in the tournament he had triumphed in in the spring. The Hellenic connection with Forest’s owner, the club’s chief, helped make the appointment straightforward and the manager, in spite of his detractors, possesses the credentials necessary – but practicality was unlikely to be part of the equation.

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Nuno was not sacked for sporting reasons but for initiating a dispute with the owner that he was never going to prevail in. Finishing seventh and guiding Forest into continental competition made him extremely beloved. Despite his complaints, a squad able of ending in the upper section was put together and plenty of funds was invested. After far too much short-termism at Forest, they had a clear long-term vision and approach, which featured a team that suited the previous boss. Now it feels as if a new figure has entered the home and the children are not happy.

Visits to one opponent and another rival bookend the visit of a top team in the next three league games, suggesting the situation is only going to get more difficult. The owner made the appointment with his emotions and is urgently hoping to prevent another dismissal because removing the manager would be an acknowledgment that he made a pair of dreadful choices in dismissing Nuno and choosing the replacement. The sport is one big popularity competition and the ex-boss started gaining his at the away ground. The current manager needs to emulate that or he faces the possibility of losing his permanently.