Ange Postecoglou faced significant backlash from fans as Nottingham Forest suffered a surprising 3-2 defeat to Danish side Midtjylland in the Europa League, a match that left many home supporters booing and leaving early. The Australian manager remains winless after his first six matches in charge, igniting discontent among the Forest faithful, who expressed their frustration after Valdemar Byskov netted Midtjylland’s third goal in the 88th minute.
The game saw a remarkable run from Dario Osorio in the lead-up to the decisive goal, with Forest unable to thwart his advance as he set up Andreasen for a late finish. Although Forest managed to score a penalty converted by Chris Wood in stoppage time, it was merely a consolation as pressure continues to mount on Postecoglou, with fans audibly chanting their doubts over his future.
Starting the match in strong favour, Nottingham Forest initially appeared promising and equalised shortly after conceding, via a goal from Dan Ndoye. However, any momentum was quickly diminished when Midtjylland reclaimed the lead just two minutes later, scoring from a corner that exposed Forest’s defensive frailties. Despite a total of 22 shots, nine of which were on target, Forest’s struggles were evident as they recorded a series of disallowed goals, with Wood being flagged offside twice.
Postecoglou, who previously led Tottenham Hotspur to a Europa League win before his dismissal due to poor Premier League performance, now finds himself in a historical predicament. According to Opta, he is the first permanent manager of Nottingham Forest in a century to fail to secure a win in his opening six games. The last comparable situation involved John Baynes in 1925, who failed to win after seven fixtures.
This latest defeat followed an unhappy run that began with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal, continued with setbacks against Swansea City in the EFL Cup, and recent draws against Burnley and Real Betis. With Forest’s upcoming fixture being a challenging away match against Newcastle United, who secured a significant 4-0 victory in the Champions League recently, the pressure on Postecoglou is set to intensify.
As the odds stack up against him, the sentiments of both the supporters and the club’s ambitions seem to echo a sense of urgency for change in Nottingham Forest’s management.