Ange Postecoglou insists Nottingham Forest’s problems are not down to his tactics, despite growing unrest among supporters after six games without a win.
The Australian faced the media on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Forest’s 3-2 Europa League defeat at home to Midtjylland. That result left his side without a victory since he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo on September 9 and prompted chants of “sacked in the morning” from sections of the City Ground.
He wasn’t sacked in the morning, but Postecoglou is now the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job — despite being less than a month into his reign.
Ange Postecoglou blames unfocused Nottingham Forest players for poor form
Postecoglou has been accused of making Forest worse by trying to move too quickly from the pragmatic blueprint of Nuno to his trademark attacking approach. But the 60-year-old rejected that suggestion, instead pointing the finger at his players’ concentration levels.
“I would be surprised if anyone hasn’t seen a change,” he said. “Results to one side – I know that’s the ultimate measure – but there’s plenty of evidence we have changed the fundamentals around how we do stuff.
“We are still in the stage of discovery around players. We need time to change things. I would be very surprised if anyone thought it would be an overnight thing.
“As results haven’t followed there’s always a question mark over whether the change has been a good one or not.
“If I had to pinpoint it, it hasn’t been the change in playing style that hasn’t allowed us to win games. It’s been the lack of focus in key moments.”
Ange Postecoglou on Nottingham Forest’s newfound set-piece fragility
Set pieces have quickly become Forest’s Achilles heel under Postecoglou. They have already shipped six goals from corners or free kicks in his first six matches — including two against Midtjylland on Thursday.
That is a sharp contrast to last season, when Forest were one of the Premier League’s most organised teams at defending dead-ball situations under Nuno.
Reflecting on the Midtjylland defeat, Postecoglou admitted: “As I said last night, we are not dealing with key moments in games very well. Certainly last night we conceded a really poor first goal from a set-piece. We got back into the game and then literally from kick off they had a set-piece and we just didn’t deal with it well.”
That failing will sound familiar to Tottenham fans. During his two years in north London, Spurs conceded more set-piece goals than any other Premier League side. Postecoglou repeatedly defended his refusal to appoint a specialist set-piece coach, insisting his teams worked on them regardless.
“I know, for some reason people think I don’t care about set pieces and it’s a narrative that you can keep going on for ages and ages,” he said after Spurs lost a north London derby to Arsenal in September 2024. “We work on them all the time, but we switched off for one and we paid a price. You learn from that and move on. It is what it is, it’s my burden to carry and I’m happy to do that.”
That philosophy has carried over to Nottingham. While Postecoglou again stressed the issue is concentration rather than tactics, the numbers are damning. From being one of the league’s best at shutting down set pieces last season, Forest have quickly become one of the most vulnerable.
Ange Postecoglou has won none, drawn two and lost four of his first six games as Nottingham Forest manager
Ange Postecoglou unfazed by sack talk
Asked directly about his job security, Postecoglou dismissed the idea that he is consumed by the fear of the sack.
“It’s a valid assumption in modern football that there is always a manager under pressure – that’s just part and parcel of what we do – but I don’t think that way,” he said.
“Put it this way – I knew I was getting sacked at Tottenham about three or four months before I did, but that didn’t stop me from winning something.
“It doesn’t enter my head. My responsibility lies in making sure this football club progresses and gets to a position where it can challenge for things.
“If I start putting timelines to that or worry about what is going to happen next week then I am not performing the role I have been given.”
Ange Postecoglou won’t try to win over Nottingham Forest fans with words
Forest supporters turned on Postecoglou in midweek, but the manager said he would not try to win them over with words.
“I don’t like sending messages to fans,” he explained. “They love their football club and are disappointed with the way things are going. The only thing I can do is fulfil my responsibility.”
Forest travel to St James’ Park on Sunday, where Postecoglou hopes a positive result can change the mood.
“It’s a tough game,” he said. “If we can go there and get a result then it would certainly lift everybody and get the belief we can turn our current situation around.
“It’s a cracking atmosphere, an exciting fixture too, so I am looking forward to it.”
