Nottingham Forest Have No Plans to Sack Postecoglou; Alisson Sidelined; England Team News
Ange Postecoglou Secure - At Present
Starting from 9am this morning, the club were not intending to fire Ange Postecoglou but the volatile situation of the club and its proprietor the chairman means that things can change quickly.
Supporters made their voices known on the previous day, demanding the exit of the man who took over from an local favorite and it is challenging to turn the tide once that occurs.
Postecoglou is the owner's choice, the owner having selected him long before the previous manager was sent packing. Everyone at Forest expected a time of adjustment but to be without a victory in six games and losing at their own ground to opposing teams were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.
Postecoglou was intended to alter the approach but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an understanding that adjustments require patience. Patience, however, is not a trait often seen at the club. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for the manager.
Liverpool's Keeper Out for The Reds
The Liverpool manager addressed the media:
“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad this weekend and he won’t travel to his national team for the international duty. The forward is going to train again today, we will assess where he is. The applies similarly for Frederico [Chiesa]. It hinges on how fast the recovery goes.
“I would not expect if he [Alisson] will be there for the first game after the national team pause. From there on things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the identical issue.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start instead of the first choice.
“I believe we’ve observed against Southampton how well he’s adjusted. We were aware we were bringing in a high-quality goalkeeper. When he made his debut 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 do what we’ve had to do so many times in the previous seasons covering for Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Upcoming Matches
- Tonight
- Cherries host Fulham (8pm)
- Saturday
- Whites face Spurs
- Gunners take on Hammers
- United meet Sunderland
- Blues clash with Reds
- Day after
- Villa play Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Toffees vs Eagles
- Brentford v Manchester City
European Action
It was a good night for the other English clubs in continental competitions. And a disappointing evening for the Scottish clubs.
The Eagles extended their unbeaten run as their manager gets continental campaign to flying start.
Europa League roundup: McGinn secures Villa win as Scottish sides suffer defeats.
Supporters' Response at City Ground
The scenes were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, many local fans singing: “Your job is at risk.” Then the same fans twisted the knife, voicing the title of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several turning towards the owner watching on with his own giant private television in the executive area. This made for a dismal spectacle.
Weekend Lookahead
Unbeaten in the league since their Friday night opener, the Cherries early momentum has been stalled by consecutive draws: at their stadium to Newcastle and at Elland Road last week. Fulham visit the stadium on Friday, presenting Bournemouth a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has sought consistency in his lineup choices.
Behind 2-1 at their opponents, the coach made a three substitutions to reintroduce three regular players – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was rewarded with a late leveller. The team have also preserved solidity at the back, allowing only one goal in four games between the away games to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often featuring in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been crucial to the squad's cohesion. The defender earned praise from the boss for his defensive work and threat at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his headed assist for the leveling goal at Elland Road.