Ange Postecoglou Safe - For Now
Starting from the early hours today, the club were not intending to fire their manager but the unpredictable nature of the club and its owner Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
The fans made their voices known on the previous day, calling for the departure of the man who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to turn the tide once that happens.
Postecoglou is the owner's choice, the owner having selected him well ahead of the previous manager was dismissed. Everyone at Forest anticipated a time of adjustment but to be winless in six matches and losing at home to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.
The Australian was always going to change the style but he has his way of playing, which is very different to his forerunner, so there is an understanding that these things take time. Tolerance, however, is not a quality often observed at the club. The next three Premier League games are against tough opponents, so the challenge will intensify for the manager.
Liverpool's Keeper Out for The Reds
Arne Slot addressed the media:
“Alisson is absent from the team this weekend and he will not go to his national team for the national team matches. The forward is going to train again this afternoon, we will assess where he is. The same can be said for the winger. It depends on how fast the recovery goes.
“I would not expect if he the keeper will be there for the first game after the national team pause. After that things can go a bit faster or a bit more gradual. 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 Alisson.
“I believe we’ve seen against the Saints how well he’s adjusted. We were aware we were bringing in a high-quality goalkeeper. When he plays his first game that’s a way of seeing he’s adapted excellently to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a skilled goalkeeper. Now he can perform the role we’ve had to do so many occasions in the previous seasons replacing Alisson, like we’ve handled previously.”
Weekend Fixtures
- Friday
- Cherries host Fulham (evening kickoff)
- Tomorrow
- Whites face Spurs
- Arsenal v West Ham
- United meet Sunderland
- Chelsea v Liverpool
- Sunday
- Villa play Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Brentford v Manchester City
European Results
The evening went well for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a bad night for the teams from Scotland.
The Eagles extended their winning streak as Muñoz gets continental campaign to strong beginning.
Europa League roundup: Aston Villa star secures victory as Rangers and Celtic lose.
Fan Reaction at Forest's Stadium
The scenes were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, many local fans singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the supporters twisted the knife, voicing the name of his predecessor the ex-manager, with a number turning towards the owner observing with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This resulted in a dismal spectacle.
Preview of Matches
Without a loss in the league since their Friday night opener, the Cherries strong start has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to Newcastle and at Leeds recently. Fulham visit the stadium on Friday, presenting Andoni Iraola’s side a good opportunity of returning to victory and climbing the table. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has sought consistency in his lineup choices.
Behind 2-1 at their opponents, the Bournemouth manager made a three substitutions to reintroduce three usual starters – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was rewarded with a equalizing goal. Bournemouth have also preserved defensive stability, allowing only one goal in several matches between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often featuring in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been key to the team’s continuity. The defender earned praise from Iraola for his defensive work and threat at dead-ball situations – as shown by his aerial pass for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at the venue.
