Nottingham Forest Are Not Planning to Dismiss Ange Postecoglou; Alisson Sidelined; Three Lions Team News
Postecoglou Safe - For Now
As of 9am this morning, the club were not intending to fire Ange Postecoglou but the unpredictable nature of the team and its proprietor Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
Supporters made their voices known on Thursday, demanding the exit of the man who replaced an East Midlands hero and it is difficult to reverse the sentiment once that happens.
The Australian is Marinakis’ man, the owner having selected him long before Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed. All involved with the club anticipated a time of adjustment but to be without a victory in six games and losing at home to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not anticipated outcomes when he arrived last month.
The Australian was intended to alter the approach but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his forerunner, so there is an understanding that these things take time. Patience, however, is not a trait often seen at Forest. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for the manager.
Liverpool's Keeper Injured for The Reds
The Liverpool manager addressed the media:
“Alisson is absent from the team this weekend and he won’t travel to his national team for the international duty. Hugo [Ekitike] is returning to training today, we will assess where he is. The same can be said for Frederico [Chiesa]. It hinges on how quickly they heal.
“I would not expect if he the keeper will be there for the initial match after the international break. From there on things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s difficult to say. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the identical issue.”
The backup keeper is set to start in place of Alisson.
“I think we’ve observed against the Saints how well he’s adjusted. We knew we were bringing in a very good shot-stopper. When he plays his first game that’s a demonstration he’s adjusted really well to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a quality player. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the previous seasons replacing Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Weekend Matches
- Tonight
- Bournemouth v Fulham (evening kickoff)
- Tomorrow
- Whites face Spurs
- Arsenal v West Ham
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Chelsea v Liverpool
- Sunday
- Villa play Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Bees welcome City
European Action
It was a good night for the other English clubs in continental competitions. And a bad night for the Scottish clubs.
The Eagles extended their unbeaten run as their manager gets European tilt to strong beginning.
Europa League summary: McGinn secures victory as Rangers and Celtic suffer defeats.
Supporters' Response at Forest's Stadium
Events were nearly unprecedented on a sobering evening, thousands of home supporters singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the supporters added insult to injury, singing the name of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several turning towards the owner watching on with his own large personal screen in the executive area. This made for a dismal spectacle.
Weekend Lookahead
Without a loss in the league since their initial match, the Cherries strong start has been halted by consecutive draws: at home to Newcastle and at Elland Road recently. The Cottagers visit the Vitality on Friday, offering Bournemouth a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and going second. After a hectic off-season, Iraola has sought stability in his lineup choices.
Behind 2-1 at Leeds, the Bournemouth manager made a triple change to restore three usual starters – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was rewarded with a late leveller. Bournemouth have also maintained defensive stability, conceding just once in several matches between the away games to strong opponents. Marcos Senesi, often featuring in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been key to the team’s continuity. The defender received accolades from the boss for his defensive work and danger at dead-ball situations – as shown by his headed assist for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at the venue.