Nottingham Forest fans call for Ange Postecoglou’s exit after winless start and European defeat

Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest reign is under severe strain after fans turned on the manager following a 3-2 Europa League defeat to Midtjylland at the City Ground.

Just 23 days into the job, the 60-year-old Australian faced chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from thousands of home supporters as Forest slumped to a sixth straight game without victory. In a further blow, sections of the crowd sang the name of his predecessor, Nuno Espírito Santo, while owner Evangelos Marinakis looked on grimly from the directors’ box.

The result leaves Postecoglou in unwanted company. He is the first Forest manager in a century to fail to win any of his opening six games. The last, John Baynes in 1925, survived long enough to rebuild, but the modern game offers little patience. “Nothing surprises me in football,” Postecoglou admitted. “The fans are disappointed. I heard their opinion. It’s not unfamiliar territory for me.”

Forest’s night unravelled from the start. The Danish visitors struck twice from set pieces before half-time, exposing a vulnerability that also haunted Postecoglou’s Tottenham side last season. Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech Sørensen punished poor defending, and Valdemar Byskov Andreasen added a third late on after Dario Osorio dispossessed Callum Hudson-Odoi deep in Midtjylland territory.

Chris Wood’s stoppage-time penalty, after Elliot Anderson had been fouled, was scant consolation. By then, large parts of the home crowd had already voiced their fury, with some directing anger at Marinakis, whose summer backing was expected to kick-start Forest’s European campaign.

The timing could hardly be worse. Forest now face a daunting run of fixtures — away to Newcastle, home to Chelsea, then Porto, Bournemouth, and Manchester United. Without a turnaround, there are real questions over whether Postecoglou will make it to November.

Despite the hostile atmosphere, the manager struck a defiant tone. “I really believe we’re on the right track,” he said. “When we get through this period of uncertainty, we’ll be on a good path. If we start winning games, the atmosphere will improve.”

But optimism has quickly soured. Just a week ago, Forest drew with Real Betis in Seville, a result that had carried hope of better days. Now, the mood has flipped. “It’s the accumulation of things,” Postecoglou admitted. “It’s not like our goalkeeper is having to make multiple saves, but every time the opposition gets near our goal, the players get really nervous.”

Forest’s defensive frailties were evident again, with returning defender Murillo forced off injured inside half an hour. Postecoglou’s back line looked fragile throughout, particularly against Midtjylland’s direct, vertical style.

The defeat came on what should have been a celebratory occasion: Forest’s first European home tie since 1996, when Bayern Munich thrashed them 5-1. A sellout crowd, a Trent End tifo, and Europa League fanfare greeted the players — but the mood soured as the goals went in.

As fireworks greeted kick-off and Postecoglou was portrayed in a pre-match display as the driver of Forest’s new European journey, few could have imagined such a bleak ending. What was billed as a night of revival has instead deepened the crisis — and the chants from the stands made clear who fans hold responsible.