Nottingham Forest Have No Plans to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Liverpool Keeper Out; England Team Updates
Postecoglou Safe - For Now
As of the early hours today, the club were not intending to fire Ange Postecoglou but the volatile situation of the team and its owner Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
The fans made their voices known on the previous day, calling for the departure of the coach who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to reverse the sentiment once that occurs.
The Australian is Marinakis’ man, the club chief having lined him up long before the previous manager was dismissed. All involved with the club expected a period of transition but to be winless in six matches and losing at their own ground to opposing teams were not part of the thoughts when he arrived last month.
Postecoglou was always going to change the style but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an acceptance that these things take time. Tolerance, 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.
Alisson Injured for Liverpool
Arne Slot addressed the media:
“Alisson is absent from the team this weekend and he won’t travel to his national team for the national team matches. Hugo [Ekitike] is returning to training today, let’s see where he is. The same can be said for the winger. It hinges on how quickly they heal.
“I would not expect if he the keeper will be there for the first game after the national team pause. After that progress may be a bit quicker or a bit more gradual. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the identical issue.”
The backup keeper will play in place of the first choice.
“I think we’ve seen against Southampton how seamlessly he has fitted in. We knew we were signing 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 skilled goalkeeper. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the previous seasons replacing the main keeper, like we’ve handled previously.”
Upcoming Fixtures
- Friday
- Cherries host Fulham (evening kickoff)
- Saturday
- Whites face Spurs
- Arsenal v West Ham
- United meet Sunderland
- Blues clash with Reds
- Day after
- Aston Villa v Burnley
- Magpies host Forest
- Wolves battle Seagulls
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Bees welcome City
European Action
It was a good night for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a bad night for the teams from Scotland.
Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run as their manager kicks off continental campaign to strong beginning.
Europa League roundup: McGinn seals Villa win as Rangers and Celtic suffer defeats.
Supporters' Response at City Ground
Events were nearly unprecedented on a sobering evening, many local fans singing: “Your job is at risk.” Then the supporters twisted the knife, voicing the name of his predecessor 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 a dismal spectacle.
Weekend Lookahead
Unbeaten in the Premier League since their initial match, the Cherries strong start has been halted by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to Newcastle and at Leeds last week. The Cottagers travel to the stadium on tonight, offering Bournemouth a presentable chance of returning to victory and going second. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has aimed for stability in his lineup choices.
Behind 2-1 at Leeds, the coach made a triple change to restore three regular players – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his starting eleven and was rewarded with a late leveller. The team have also maintained defensive stability, allowing only one goal in several matches between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often playing in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been crucial to the team’s continuity. The centre-back received accolades from the boss for his performances and threat at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his aerial pass for the leveling goal at the venue.
