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IT CAN’T BE HIM! BUT IT IS!

Without a doubt the least favored Australian to show up in the Nottingham area since a villainous hotelier from a long-running series appeared in a local pantomime in the early 2000s, Forest’s new boss’s tenure at the Nottingham stadium could hardly have begun more poorly. While the jeers and taunts that TV star Stefan Dennis was endured during a seasonal stage show were largely good-natured, the hostility of the invective hurled at Postecoglou during the team’s European setback by Midtjylland on last Thursday was so overwhelming that it is hard to believe the coach who has been in charge for only half a dozen games will still be around to endure the festive cat-calls this holiday season. Repeatedly the 60-year-old’s shouts of “There’s someone there!” went unheeded by his unfortunate players, especially when the visiting team scored their first two goals from poorly handled dead-ball situations. Nowhere near the happy occasion they’d anticipated, Nottingham Forest’s first European home game in almost 30 seasons ended in bitterness with the crowd telling the boss he’d be “sacked in the morning”, before serenading his well-liked, newly sacked former boss, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I know how fans feel, especially about me, but that doesn’t concern me, I’ve been here before,” the coach retorted in answer, while subjecting the ground near him to the usual death-stare. “Football holds no surprises for me, that’s the current environment. This seems to be the direction. It’s beyond my influence. The fans are disappointed, they have every right to their view. I heard their opinion.” Even if those followers are allowed to complain, it could be argued that they might be more sensible choosing a more appropriate target for their frustration. Ultimately, it was Evangelos Marinakis who sacked a popular figure to bring in Postecoglou, who was always going to begin his reign on a hiding to nothing. Looking on from the directors’ box as he went through a range of sullen, fierce looks unseen since that occasion he heard Spurs had activated the midfielder’s release clause, the wealthy owner has thus far mostly avoided any kind of harsh judgement from the crowd, a good number of whom remain certain the he is beyond reproach.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, talk of Postecoglou getting sacked in the morning proved to be overstated and sources indicate his job remains secure until such time as … well, it isn’t. Even though the Forest head coach can make a reasonable case that he has had minimal opportunity on the training pitch to instil the approach and gameplan subtleties that led to the London club losing more than half their league matches last campaign, his side’s schedule remains forbidding and relentless. Up against Newcastle, Chelsea, Porto and the South-Coast team on the horizon it is tough to imagine from where a first Postecoglou win will come before what could possibly become the mother of all El Sackicos against Manchester United.

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TOP STATEMENT

“I avoid conflicts and disputes, who names people, actually, I’ll refrain from naming names. However I feel there was a slight disregard, along with some incivility, and not a single hello or hi” – the Brazilian winger takes a pop at the Red Devils over the frosty environment at the Theatre of Dreams, where conviviality has seemingly headed south like the club’s results.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Is it true Ange Postecoglou has promised followers he always wins a match in his next campaign?” – a fan.

Far be it for me to want to amplify the stereotype that Arsenal supporters are the sport’s most complaining followers, but Thabo Caves (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) does make you wonder. Highlighting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, the North London side are having to play 2.33 games a week (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a certain trio of weeks (for a team with strong depth in each place to as well) is not the argument-settler he might think. On the contrary it’s just going to have the tiniest violin ensemble tuning up their instruments once more, while the rest of football sigh in unison” – another reader.

I can’t work out whether your current contributors (on multiple matches weekly) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the high points of internet discourse (safe for work), or unconsciously proving the philosopher’s saying about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a fan.

To comfort you, yesterday’s letter-writer (the last mailbag), I’m the same [wanting affluent UK clubs to fail on the continent]. Since Forest lost the ability to negotiate Europe, European competition for me has led to a state of seething impotent rage, interrupted now and then by Steaua Bucharest and, at a push, the Spanish club. I care not one jot for the Merseyside club’s successes from the eighties right up to the 2005 final. I feel nothing for {‘that