Ange Postecoglou's difficult start as Nottingham Forest manager intensified on Thursday night as supporters turned on him following a 3-1 defeat to Midtjylland. Chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning' rang around the City Ground, with some fans also singing the name of his predecessor, Nuno Espírito Santo, while directing frustration towards owner Evangelos Marinakis in the directors' box.
Forest fell behind to first-half set-piece goals from Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech Sørensen, before Valdemar Byskov Andreasen added a third after Dario Osorio dispossessed Callum Hudson-Odoi deep in Midtjylland's half. Chris Wood's stoppage-time penalty, awarded after Elliot Anderson was fouled, proved nothing more than a consolation.
The defeat leaves Postecoglou without a win in his first six matches in charge, a record not seen at the club for a century. The Australian, however, insisted he remains confident: 'Yes, I do, and nothing I saw tonight changes any of that. I get the mood around the place isn't going to be great, I understand people's attitude, particularly towards me, but I never worry about that.'
Postecoglou acknowledged the fans' right to express their displeasure, saying: 'Nothing surprises me in football, it's the climate we're in. The fans are disappointed, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I heard their opinion.' His side now face a daunting run of fixtures, including trips to Newcastle and Bournemouth, home matches against Chelsea and Porto, and a visit from Manchester United.
Set-piece vulnerability proved costly once again, a recurring issue from his time at Tottenham, where only Arsenal, Southampton and Wolves conceded more from dead-ball situations in the Premier League last season. Forest also lost Murillo to injury before the half-hour mark, adding to their defensive concerns. The evening marked Forest's first European home game since a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in March 1996, but the occasion was overshadowed by a toxic atmosphere and a third consecutive loss in all competitions.
