Nottingham Forest Have No Plans to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Alisson Sidelined; Three Lions Squad Updates
Ange Postecoglou Secure - At Present
Starting from the early hours today, the club had no plans to fire Ange Postecoglou but the volatile situation of the club and its proprietor Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
The fans expressed their opinions on Thursday, demanding the exit of the coach who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to turn the tide once that occurs.
The Australian is the owner's choice, the owner having selected him well ahead of the previous manager was dismissed. All involved with the club expected a time of adjustment but to be without a victory in six games and losing at their own ground to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he arrived last month.
Postecoglou was always going to alter the approach but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his forerunner, so there is an acceptance that these things take time. Patience, however, is not a quality often observed at Forest. The next three Premier League games are against Newcastle, Chelsea and Bournemouth, so the challenge will intensify for Postecoglou.
Liverpool's Keeper Injured for Liverpool
Arne Slot addressed the media:
“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad this weekend and he will not go to his national team for the international duty. Hugo [Ekitike] is returning to training this afternoon, let’s see where he is. The same can be said for Frederico [Chiesa]. It depends on how quickly they heal.
“I would not expect if he [Alisson] returns for the first game after the national team pause. From there on things can go a bit quicker or a bit more gradual. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I am unable to confirm if it is the same injury.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start instead of Alisson.
“I think we’ve observed against Southampton how well he’s adjusted. We knew we were bringing in a very good shot-stopper. When he plays his first game that’s a way of seeing he’s adjusted really well to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a quality goalkeeper. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the past covering for the main keeper, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Weekend Matches
- Tonight
- Bournemouth v Fulham (8pm)
- Saturday
- Whites face Spurs
- Gunners take on Hammers
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Chelsea v Liverpool
- Day after
- Aston Villa v Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Bees welcome City
Continental Action
It was a good night for the other English clubs in Europe. And a disappointing evening for the Scottish clubs.
The Eagles prolonged their unbeaten run as their manager kicks off continental campaign to strong beginning.
Europa League summary: McGinn seals victory as Scottish sides lose.
Fan Reaction at City Ground
Events were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, many local fans chanting: “Your job is at risk.” Then the supporters added insult to injury, voicing the title of his former coach Nuno Espírito Santo, with a number turning towards the owner watching on with his own large personal screen in the executive area. This made for grim viewing.
Preview of Matches
Unbeaten in the Premier League since their Friday night opener, the Cherries early momentum has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to Newcastle and at Elland Road last week. The Cottagers travel to the stadium on Friday, offering Bournemouth a presentable chance of returning to victory and climbing the table. After a hectic off-season, Iraola has aimed for consistency in his lineup choices.
Trailing 2-1 at their opponents, the coach made a triple change to restore three regular players – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was compensated with a late leveller. The team have also preserved defensive stability, conceding just once in several matches between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. Marcos Senesi, often featuring in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been crucial to the team’s continuity. The centre-back received accolades from the boss for his performances and danger at dead-ball situations – as evidenced by his headed assist for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at the venue.
