‘We’re Not Too Far Away!’ – Ange Postecoglou Has Full Faith in Nottingham Forest Project as Under-Fire Manager Said to Be on Verge of Sack

Postecoglou Suffers Poor Start at Nottingham

When Ange Postecoglou was unveiled at the City Ground over the summer, the move was billed as the start of something bold. Nottingham Forest had secured a manager with European pedigree, a title-winner in Scotland, and someone who had tasted both the intensity and volatility of the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur. For a fan base yearning for stability and progress, his arrival carried both hope and expectation.

Yet just a handful of weeks into the new campaign, Forest find themselves staring at the wrong end of the table and their new manager staring down the barrel of relentless pressure. Six games into his tenure, Postecoglou is still searching for a first win, and the club’s limp midweek defeat to Midtjylland in the Europa League only heightened the scrutiny.

It is, remarkably, the club’s worst start to a managerial reign in over a century. For supporters, that is a statistic that bites.

A Reputation Tested

Postecoglou’s managerial reputation has been forged through resilience. At Celtic, he overcame initial skepticism to deliver back-to-back league titles and restore the club’s attacking verve. At Spurs, he introduced a brand of progressive football that won admirers, though his reign ended with the all-too-familiar fate of the modern coach: a sacking.

That experience informs his attitude at Forest. “I get it. I think it’s a valid assumption in modern football that there’s always a manager under pressure. That’s just part and parcel of what we do,” he said, unfazed by the storm swirling around him.

Crucially, Postecoglou does not allow the prospect of dismissal to dictate his work. “I knew I was getting sacked at Tottenham about three or four months before I did, but it didn’t stop me winning something. It doesn’t enter my head. My responsibility lies in making sure this football club progresses and gets to a position where it can challenge for things.”

In other words, the chatter around his job may be deafening, but Postecoglou is keeping his gaze fixed on the process rather than the noise.

A Fanbase Frustrated

If the Australian hoped for patience, the City Ground has provided little comfort. Thursday’s Europa League loss was accompanied by audible discontent from the stands, with chants calling for his dismissal echoing long before the final whistle. For a fanbase that prides itself on loyalty, it was a telling sign of just how far the mood has dipped.

Postecoglou, however, chose not to engage in confrontation. “I don’t like sending messages to fans,” he explained. “They love their football club and are obviously disappointed with the way things are going at the moment, and disappointed with last night. The one thing I can do is fulfil the responsibility I have to get the team out there to change our fortunes. If we do that, then I’m sure the fans will be happier with everything.”

It was a typically pragmatic answer from a coach who knows the currency of football is results. Words buy little time; wins buy everything.

Postecoglou Determined to Turn Things Around at Nottingham

Nottingham Forest FC v FC Midtjylland – UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2

Behind the scenes, the Australian insists there are reasons for cautious optimism. He points to the training ground, where standards are being raised, and to the squad itself, where he sees untapped potential.

“The things I control are the environment, training, and the way we play,” he said. “I am still very, very strong in my belief that we are not too far away.”

That phrase — not too far away — has become his rallying cry. Forest fans, desperate for something to cling to, will hope it proves more than just rhetoric.

Why Results Haven’t Clicked Yet

Forest’s early struggles are the product of multiple factors. Injuries have disrupted plans, with key players missing at pivotal moments. The summer’s recruitment drive left Postecoglou with a squad in flux, still learning his pressing demands and positional rotations. And then there is the fixture list: tricky opening Premier League games compounded by the demands of continental competition.

Still, excuses rarely carry weight in football. While performances have shown flashes of promise — stretches of possession, pressing triggers that hint at Postecoglou’s style — the brutal reality is that Forest have failed to convert those moments into victories.

At a club where relegation remains an ever-present fear, patience is in short supply.

Nottingham Forest Fans Get Message After Sacking Calls

Supporters are never passive observers in situations like this. Their chants of discontent may have stung, but they also reflect a broader anxiety: after years of yo-yoing between divisions and constant managerial turnover, fans crave stability. What they have instead is déjà vu.

Postecoglou, however, refuses to be drawn into war with the stands. His message is simple: judge me on whether I can turn the tide. If results improve, harmony will follow. If not, the decision may be taken out of his hands.

Forest Now Face Crucial Newcastle Test

nottingham-forest-Ange-postecoglou

Next up is a daunting trip to St James’ Park. For Postecoglou, the timing could hardly be worse. Newcastle, though not flawless this season, remain formidable at home, and Forest’s fragile confidence will be tested to its limits.

A victory there would transform the mood, buying the manager time and offering tangible proof that his methods are working. A defeat, however, would only intensify speculation, leaving his future hanging in the balance just weeks into his reign.

For all Postecoglou’s talk of process and long-term vision, football often boils down to fine margins. One game can alter everything.

A Manager at a Crossroads

So where does that leave Ange Postecoglou? On one hand, he is a seasoned operator with the resilience to weather storms. On the other, he is a manager under genuine threat, his job security dependent on results that have yet to materialise.

The paradox is clear: Forest hired Postecoglou to build something lasting, but the short-term realities of modern football may not allow him the time to do so.

For now, he clings to his conviction. “We are not too far away,” he repeats. Whether the board and the supporters believe him may define his future.

Conclusion: Faith or Folly?

Football history is littered with managers who insisted their project was close to clicking, only to be dismissed before it ever did. Ange Postecoglou knows this better than most, having walked that path at Spurs.

At Nottingham Forest, he finds himself in a familiar position: under fire, under pressure, but unwavering in belief. The question is whether that faith will be rewarded or whether, in the unforgiving world of Premier League football, time will run out before results turn.

One thing is certain: this weekend’s clash with Newcastle could prove a defining moment in his City Ground story. For Postecoglou, the message remains clear: we’re not too far away.