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Postecoglou Safe - At Present

Starting from 9am this morning, the club were not intending to sack their manager but the unpredictable nature of the team and its owner Evangelos Marinakis indicates things can change quickly.

The fans made their voices known on the previous day, calling for the exit of the coach who replaced an East Midlands hero and it is challenging to reverse the sentiment once that occurs.

Postecoglou is Marinakis’ man, the owner having lined him up well ahead of the previous manager was dismissed. All involved with the club anticipated a time of adjustment but to be winless in six matches and suffering defeats at their own ground to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not anticipated outcomes when he joined recently.

The Australian was intended to alter the approach but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his predecessor, so there is an understanding that these things take time. Patience, however, is not a quality often seen at Forest. The next three Premier League games are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for Postecoglou.

Alisson 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. The forward is returning to training this afternoon, let’s see where he is. The same can be said for the winger. It depends on how fast the recovery goes.

“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] will be there for the first game after the international break. After that things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the same injury.”

Giorgi Mamardashvili will play instead of Alisson.

“I believe we’ve seen against Southampton how seamlessly he has fitted in. We were aware we were signing a very good shot-stopper. When he made his debut that’s a demonstration he’s adapted excellently to our club. It’s expected because he’s a skilled player. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many times in the previous seasons covering for Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”

Weekend Fixtures

• Tonight
• Cherries host Fulham (8pm)
• Saturday
• Leeds v Tottenham
• Gunners take on Hammers
• Manchester United v Sunderland
• Blues clash with Reds
• Sunday
• Aston Villa v Burnley
• Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
• Wolves battle Seagulls
• Toffees vs Eagles
• Bees welcome City

European Action

It was a good night for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a bad night for the Scottish clubs.

The Eagles extended their winning streak as Muñoz kicks off continental campaign to flying start.

Europa League summary: McGinn seals victory as Rangers and Celtic suffer defeats.

Supporters' Response at City Ground

Events were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, many local fans singing: “Your job is at risk.” Then the same fans added insult to injury, voicing the title of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several turning towards Evangelos Marinakis observing with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This made for a dismal spectacle.

Preview of Matches

Unbeaten in the Premier League since their initial match, Bournemouth strong start has been halted by consecutive draws: at their stadium to the Magpies and at Leeds recently. The Cottagers visit the Vitality on tonight, offering Bournemouth a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a hectic off-season, the manager has sought consistency in his team selection.

Trailing 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 compensated with a late leveller. The team have also maintained solidity at the back, allowing only one goal in four games between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often featuring in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been key to the team’s continuity. The centre-back received accolades from Iraola for his defensive work and danger at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his aerial pass for the leveling goal at the venue.