Forest Are Not Planning to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Liverpool Keeper Sidelined; England Team Updates
Postecoglou Safe - For Now
Starting from 9am this morning, the club had no plans to fire their manager but the unpredictable nature of the team and its owner Evangelos Marinakis indicates circumstances may shift rapidly.
The fans expressed their opinions on the previous day, demanding the departure of the coach who took over from an local favorite and it is difficult to turn the tide once that occurs.
Postecoglou is the owner's choice, the club chief having lined him up long before the previous manager was dismissed. Everyone at Forest anticipated a period of transition but to be winless in six matches and losing at their own ground to opposing teams were not anticipated outcomes when he joined recently.
The Australian was intended to change the style but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an acceptance that adjustments require patience. Tolerance, however, is not a quality often seen at the club. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for the manager.
Alisson Injured for Liverpool
Arne Slot addressed the media:
“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad 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 the winger. It hinges on how fast the recovery goes.
“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] returns for the initial match after the international break. From there on things can go a bit quicker or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I am unable to confirm 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 seamlessly he has fitted in. We knew we were signing a very good shot-stopper. 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 skilled player. Now he can perform the role we’ve had to do so many occasions in the past replacing the main keeper, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Weekend Matches
- Friday
- Bournemouth v Fulham (evening kickoff)
- Saturday
- Leeds v Tottenham
- Gunners take on Hammers
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Chelsea v Liverpool
- Sunday
- Villa play Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves v Brighton
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Brentford v Manchester City
Continental Action
It was a good night for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a bad night for the Scottish clubs.
Crystal Palace extended their winning streak as Muñoz gets European tilt to strong beginning.
Europa League roundup: McGinn seals victory as Rangers and Celtic lose.
Supporters' Response at City Ground
The scenes were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, thousands of home supporters singing: “Your job is at risk.” Then the same fans added insult to injury, voicing the name of his former coach Nuno Espírito Santo, with a number directing comments at the owner watching on with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This made for grim viewing.
Preview of Matches
Unbeaten in the league since their Friday night opener, Bournemouth early momentum has been stalled by consecutive draws: at their stadium to the Magpies and at Elland Road last week. The Cottagers visit the Vitality on tonight, offering Andoni Iraola’s side a good opportunity of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has sought stability in his team selection.
Trailing 2-1 at Leeds, the coach made a triple change to restore three regular players – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was compensated with a late leveller. The team have also preserved defensive stability, allowing only one goal in several matches between the trips to strong opponents. The defender, often playing in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been key to the squad's cohesion. The defender received accolades from the boss for his performances and danger at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his aerial pass for the leveling goal at the venue.
