The pressure on Ange Postecoglou has intensified following Nottingham Forest‘s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Monday morning (AEDT).
Still, the manager remained defiant, doubling down on his fighting spirit despite being winless in his first seven matches in charge.
Forest has lost five and drawn two of those games under the Australian, who was serenaded with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” by his own fans during a defeat at the City Ground in the Europa League last week.
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Nottingham Forest coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the Premier League match against Newcastle United.
George Wood via Getty Images
Postecoglou’s winless streak of seven matches makes him the first permanent Nottingham Forest manager in 100 years to fail to win any of his first seven games in charge.
The 60-year-old, who Tottenham sacked at the end of the previous season despite having just won the Europa League with them, remains defiant.
“What I have seen and felt in this period is that we are heading in the direction I want us to. The results will come,” he said.
“In the meantime, it is a struggle, it is a fight, there is nothing wrong with that.
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“I could have been sat on the couch watching you guys, but I prefer to be here right in the middle of it, where I can have an effect.
“I believe I will.”
Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes curled in a beautiful shot in the 58th minute, and German striker Nick Woltemade added a second from the penalty spot for Newcastle, who secured only their second league win of the season.
Despite Postecoglou’s strong relationship with club owner, Evangelos Marinakis, the pressure on him is mounting as Marinakis has a reputation for showing impatience and making swift, often dramatic, managerial changes.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Postecoglou confirmed he expects to meet with Marinakis and other senior club officials during the two-week break.
“I get that it’s part of the fanfare of the Premier League that it needs one manager to be in the spotlight,” he said.
“If people want to assess me three and a half weeks into the job, there’s nothing I can say or do that will change that.
“We don’t have things handed to us on a plate in life; we have to fight. I have fought for things all my life. Why does everyone want everything neatly packaged?
“The attitude today seems to be that as soon as something goes wrong, you change it.”
Following the international break, Forest faces a run of fixtures that is no less daunting. This tricky stretch presents a genuine risk that Postecoglou’s winless run could stretch to 10 games.