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NO WAY! ABSOLUTELY YES!

Quite possibly the most unpopular down-under figure to show up in this part of England since a notorious innkeeper from a popular soap took part in a local pantomime two decades ago, Forest’s new boss’s time in charge at the club’s home could begun in the worst possible way. While the heckling and shouts that TV star the soap veteran was subjected to during a seasonal stage show were mostly in fun, the hostility of the abuse hurled at the Australian coach during the team’s Europa League loss by Midtjylland on Thursday was so overwhelming that it is hard to believe the man who has been in charge for a mere handful of fixtures will remain in post to listen to the seasonal boos this holiday season. On more than one occasion the 60-year-old’s shouts of “There’s someone there!” went ignored by his struggling players, especially when the opposition scored their opening pair from poorly handled dead-ball situations. Far from the happy occasion they’d expected, Forest’s first UEFA fixture on home soil in 29 years ended in rancour with home fans telling the boss he’d be “fired by tomorrow”, before serenading his well-liked, newly sacked former boss, Nuno Espírito Santo.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but that doesn’t concern me, I’ve been here before,” Postecoglou growled in response, while subjecting the area at his feet to the typical intense glare. “Football holds no surprises for me, that’s the current environment. It seems that’s the way things are going. I have no power over it. Followers are let down, they have every right to their view. I listened to what they said.” Even if those followers are entitled to vent, it could be suggested that they might be more sensible selecting a more fitting focus for their ire. Ultimately, it was the club owner who dismissed a firm fan favourite to hire the new boss, who was always going to begin his reign on a hiding to nothing. Observing from the owners’ area as he went through a range of surly, dark scowls last witnessed during that period he learned Spurs had initiated Morgan Gibbs-White’s release clause, the wealthy owner has up to now dodged any kind of harsh judgement from fans, a fair few of whom remain convinced the sun shines out of his generously upholstered nether regions.

When Friday lunchtime arrived, talk of Postecoglou getting sacked in the morning proved to be greatly exaggerated and reports suggest his job remains secure until such time as … well, it isn’t. While the team manager can offer a partial defense that he has had little or no time on the training ground to introduce the approach and gameplan subtleties that led to Spurs dropping 22 of their 38 top-flight games last term, his team’s fixture list remains daunting and unyielding. Facing the Magpies, Chelsea, the Portuguese giants and the South-Coast team next up it is difficult to see from where a maiden victory for the manager will come before what could likely be the biggest dismissal-decider against the Red Devils.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I steer clear of heated debates, who points fingers, in fact, I’ll refrain from naming names. But I feel there was a slight disregard, plus some impoliteness, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – Antony criticizes his club over the cold atmosphere at Old Trafford, where friendliness has seemingly headed south like the side’s performance.

FAN MAILBAG

Is there truth the coach has promised Forest fans he always wins a match in his following term?” – a fan.

I wouldn’t normally to want to amplify the stereotype that the Emirates faithful are football’s whiniest fans, but a correspondent (the previous day’s mailbag) does make you ponder. Highlighting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, the Gunners are having to play over two matches weekly (wow, 30 additional minutes!) over a certain trio of weeks (for a team with strong depth in each place to as well) is not the debate-ender he might believe. Rather it’s just going to have the smallest fiddle players getting ready once more, while the rest of football sigh in unison” – another reader.

I’m puzzled whether your latest letter-writers (on multiple matches weekly) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the high points of online debate (family-friendly), or inadvertently demonstrating the philosopher’s saying about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – Nick Wiltsher.

For what it’s worth, the previous correspondent (the prior comments), I’ve long felt that way [wishing affluent UK clubs to lose in Europe]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, European competition for me has led to a state of frustrated anger, interrupted now and then by the Eastern European team and, maybe, the La Liga outfit. I care not one jot for Liverpool’s exploits from the 80s right up to the 2005 final. I’m indifferent to {‘that