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Taking over from a club hero was always going to be a tough assignment, but the previous manager managed to achieve a smart move after Steve Cooper’s exit: securing victories in his first two fixtures. Much is overlooked about the opening six months of Nuno’s tenure, when the team stayed up just one place above the relegation zone and went through a period of winning only once in 10 top-flight games.

Nuno had done the crucial task of raising team spirit and gaining the backing of the fans by beating an opponent away and generating excitement by overcoming Manchester United at their own ground, and no one was calling for aesthetic football. The City Ground was rocking in the end of 2023, and local supporters were not overly concerned that they saw only another two victories there for the remainder of the season.

The club fans demand the manager axe after less than a month following continental defeat.

The Australian coach is still waiting to taste success, becoming the initial Forest head coach in a hundred years to fail to win any of their opening half-dozen games. There was a toxic atmosphere at the stadium on the recent matchday as they succumbed to the second-best team in Denmark. When fans are calling for your dismissal after 23 days, it is fair to say the situation are not progressing smoothly. On Friday there were no plans to fire the manager but a defeat at Newcastle on Sunday could cost him his position.

Everyone at the organization understood there would be a phase of transition because the Australian’s tactical approach is almost a polar opposite to the one his predecessor carefully developed there. The plan was developing under the former coach but not at the pace Postecoglou is attempting to introduce.

Beginning with a series of road matches was consistently going to be a tough ask for Postecoglou. Kicking off at Arsenal meant building positive energy from the outset was improbable but suffering a defeat at a Championship team in the domestic cup and tying at another opponent put Postecoglou on the back foot. The game at Real Betis seemed to be a turning point because the performance was impressive and fitting with anticipations regarding Postecoglou’s style. The processes were sound and, but for a late opposing player goal, success would have begun.

Instead Forest remain stuck. If Postecoglou could have been forgiven for the away results, falling at their stadium to a visiting team and Midtjylland was not part of the thinking. There was a element of mitigation in the initial City Ground loss: a generous set-piece award that resulted in the winner and appalling finishing from Forest meant the points went back to the opposing team. Forest had nearly two-thirds of the ball and 22 shots but outscoring an opponent on xG is irrelevant.

The manager and a key player will aim to reverse Nottingham Forest’s fortunes around at Newcastle on Sunday.

There was a hope that once the forwards regained form, all aspects would be fine but ineffective conversion is only one of the issues facing the boss. The solid backline constructed by the previous manager has been taken apart, leaving him still waiting for a shutout. Defending set pieces has been an issue, two of Midtjylland’s goals coming from them, and the remaining goal Forest conceded was from a counterattack, the type that were a common occurrence during his time at his former club.

Postecoglou was eager to get back to work promptly after being dismissed by Tottenham, especially with a Europa League honor around his neck. He aimed to prove people wrong and Forest presented that opportunity, with the added bonus of being in the tournament he had triumphed in in May. The Hellenic link with Forest’s owner, the club’s chief, helped make the hiring straightforward and Postecoglou, in spite of his critics, possesses the credentials required – but pragmatism was unlikely to be involved.

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The former manager was never sacked for sporting reasons but for picking a fight with Marinakis that he was never going to win. Finishing in seventh place and guiding Forest into continental competition made Nuno extremely beloved. Despite his gripes, a team able of ending in the top half was put together and plenty of money was spent. After far too much immediate thinking at Forest, they had a defined future plan and strategy, which included a squad that fit Nuno. Now it seems as if a stepdad has entered the house and the residents are not happy.

Trips to one opponent and another rival bookend the visit of a top team in the next three league games, implying life is only going to get more difficult. The owner made the appointment with his heart and is urgently hoping to avoid another dismissal because firing the manager would be an admission that he made a pair of terrible decisions in dismissing Nuno and selecting the replacement. Football is one big public approval competition and Nuno began winning his at the away ground. Postecoglou needs to do the same or he risks losing his permanently.