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IT CAN’T BE HIM! BUT IT IS!

Arguably the least favored down-under figure to make an appearance in this part of England since a notorious innkeeper from a famous TV drama starred in a Mansfield panto 20 years back, Ange Postecoglou’s reign at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. Although the jeers and taunts that TV star the Neighbours star was endured during a festive pantomime were generally lighthearted, the venom of the invective directed at Postecoglou during the team’s Bigger Vase defeat by the Danish side on the previous night was so overwhelming that it is difficult to imagine the manager who has been in charge for only half a dozen games will keep his job to hear the Christmas jeers this Christmas. On more than one occasion the 60-year-old’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went unheeded by his unfortunate players, especially when the opposition scored their opening pair from badly organized dead-ball situations. Nowhere near the happy occasion they’d hoped for, Forest’s first UEFA fixture on home soil in almost 30 seasons ended in rancour with the crowd telling the manager he’d be “sacked in the morning”, before chanting for his favored, recently dismissed previous manager, the Portuguese tactician.

“I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great, I know how fans feel, especially about me, but that doesn’t concern me, this is nothing new to me,” the manager snapped in reply, while directing the area at his feet to the usual death-stare. “Nothing surprises me in football, that’s the current environment. This seems to be the direction. It’s nothing I can control. The fans are disappointed, they have every right to their view. I took in their thoughts.” Although those Forest fans are entitled to vent, it could be suggested that they might be wiser picking a more fitting focus for their anger. After all, it was the club owner who dismissed a popular figure to bring in the Australian, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Observing from the owners’ area as he went through a series of surly, dark scowls last witnessed during that period he learned Spurs had initiated the player’s buyout option, the Greek tycoon has up to now dodged any kind of harsh judgement from the crowd, a sizable group of whom remain convinced the he can do no wrong.

By Friday midday, talk of the manager being fired overnight proved to be unfounded and reports suggest his job remains secure until such time as … well, it isn’t. While the team manager can offer a partial defense that he has had very few sessions on the practice field to introduce the philosophy and tactical nuance that resulted in the London club failing to win 22 of their 38 top-flight games last season, his side’s schedule remains tough and continuous. With the Magpies, the Blues, the Portuguese giants and the Cherries next up it is hard to predict from where a initial success under the new boss will come before what could surely be the mother of all El Sackicos against Manchester United.

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BEST REMARK

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who names people, actually, I’ll keep it anonymous. However I feel there was a slight disregard, along with some incivility, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – the United player slams Manchester United over the unfriendly setting at the Theatre of Dreams, where conviviality has likely worsened like the team’s form.

FAN MAILBAG

Can it be the coach has promised Forest fans he always wins a match in his second season?” – Pete Negri.

I wouldn’t normally to seek to emphasize the cliché that Arsenal supporters are the sport’s most complaining followers, but a letter-writer (the prior edition’s comments) does make you ponder. Noting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, the Gunners are having to play over two matches weekly (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a specific three-week period (for a squad with strong depth in each place to boot) is not the debate-ender he might believe. Instead it’s just going to have the orchestra of the world’s smallest violins getting ready once more, while the other fans roll their collective eyes” – a different supporter.

I’m puzzled whether your recent correspondents (on several fixtures each week) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the classic instances of online debate (SFW), or inadvertently demonstrating the famous quote about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a respondent.

For what it’s worth, Bob Cushion (the last mailbag), I’ve long felt that way [hoping affluent UK clubs to be defeated abroad]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, continental matches for me has caused a state of frustrated anger, broken up only sometimes by Steaua Bucharest and, at a push, Zaragoza. I care not one jot for the Merseyside club’s successes from the eighties right up to Istanbul. I am unmoved by {‘that