Nottingham Forest Are Not Planning to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Liverpool Keeper Sidelined; England Squad News

Ange Postecoglou Safe - At Present

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 indicates circumstances may shift rapidly.

Supporters made their voices known on Thursday, demanding the exit of the coach who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to turn the tide once that happens.

Postecoglou is the owner's choice, the club chief having lined him up long before the previous manager was sent packing. Everyone at Forest anticipated a period of transition but to be winless in six matches and suffering defeats at their own ground to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.

Postecoglou was always going to alter the approach but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an acceptance that these things take time. Patience, however, is not a trait often seen at the club. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so the challenge will intensify for Postecoglou.

Liverpool's Keeper Out for Liverpool

Arne Slot addressed the media:

“Alisson is not part of the squad tomorrow and he won’t travel to Brazil for the international duty. The forward is going to train again today, we will assess where he is. The applies similarly for the winger. It hinges on how quickly they heal.

“I would not expect if he the keeper returns for the first game after the international break. After that progress may be a bit quicker or a bit more gradual. It’s difficult to say. I’m not medically trained so I cannot tell you if it is the same injury.”

The backup keeper is set to start in place of Alisson.

“I believe we’ve observed against Southampton how seamlessly he has fitted in. We knew we were bringing in a very good goalkeeper. When he plays his first game that’s a way of seeing he’s adjusted really well to the team. It’s not a surprise because he’s a quality goalkeeper. Now he can perform the role we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the previous seasons covering for Alisson, like we’ve done so many times before.”

Weekend Matches

  • Friday
    • Bournemouth v Fulham (evening kickoff)
  • Tomorrow
    • Leeds v Tottenham
    • Gunners take on Hammers
    • Manchester United v Sunderland
    • Chelsea v Liverpool
  • Day after
    • Aston Villa v Burnley
    • Magpies host Forest
    • Wolves v Brighton
    • Toffees vs Eagles
    • Brentford v Manchester City

Continental Results

It was a good night for the other English clubs in Europe. And a bad night for the teams from Scotland.

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run as Muñoz gets European tilt to flying start.

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

Supporters' Response at City Ground

Events were nearly unprecedented on a disheartening night, many local fans chanting: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the supporters twisted the knife, singing the title of his former coach the ex-manager, with several directing comments at the owner watching on with his own giant private television in the executive area. This made for grim viewing.

Weekend Lookahead

Unbeaten in the Premier League since their initial match, the Cherries strong start has been stalled by consecutive draws: at home to the Magpies and at Elland Road last week. Fulham travel to the stadium on Friday, presenting Andoni Iraola’s side a good opportunity of returning to victory and going second. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has aimed for stability in his team selection.

Behind 2-1 at their opponents, the Bournemouth manager made a three substitutions to restore three regular players – key squad members – to his XI and was compensated with a equalizing goal. The team have also maintained solidity at the back, allowing only one goal in several matches between the away games to strong opponents. Marcos Senesi, often playing in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been key to the squad's cohesion. The defender earned praise from the boss for his performances and threat at dead-ball situations – as evidenced by his headed assist for the leveling goal at the venue.

Danny Hudson
Danny Hudson

Tech enthusiast and startup advisor with a passion for fostering innovation in the Italian market.