‘Sacked in the morning’: Ange reacts to fan chants as nightmare continues with horror 100-year first

Ange Postecoglou’s winless start to his tenure at Nottingham Forest has continued, with the club suffering an agonising 3-2 loss at home to Danish side Midtjylland in the Europa League on Friday morning AEST.

Despite dominating the contest — including several close chances in the second half — Nottingham Forest couldn’t claw their way back after Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech Sørensen scored off set pieces within six minutes.

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Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood was twice denied goals due to off-side while Midtjylland goalkeeper Elías Rafn Ólafsson made a superb save before Valdemar Andreasen found the back of the net in the 87th minute to seal the upset win, leaving Postecoglou with his head in his hands.

“Really disappointing,” a dejected Postecoglou said after the defeat.

“Really, really poor goals we conceded in the first half that allowed the opposition to get comfortable in the game.

“It’s been the story of our last few games.

“We just let ourselves down in key moments.”

Home fans chanted “sacked in the morning” after Midtjylland’s third goal, directing the taunts at the Australian manager.

“I heard it,” Postecoglou responded when asked about the chants.

“They’re fans, they want to see their team win and they’re entitled to their opinion.”

Wood scored from a penalty during injury time, but it was too little, too late. Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis watched from the stands as fans left the venue early.

Asked whether the team has made any progress, Postecoglou continued: “Progress is us winning games of football. We haven’t done that.”

Nottingham Forest registered 22 shots, with nine on target, compared to Midtjylland’s eight shots with five on target, continuing a recent theme of Postecoglou’s side dominating chances but being unable to capitalise.

“Forest fans are frustrated yet again,” Sky Sports’ Anton Toloui said.

“But Forest’s wounds are partly self-inflicted and their supporters know it.

“The inability to defend corners has been their downfall, something that seems so fixable.

“Yet again, there’s a lot for Postecoglou and his staff to mull over.

“Tonight was supposed to be a celebration of Forest’s return to Europe, instead it marks another low during a dismal season.”

Forest, playing in Europe for the first time in 30 years, have just one point in the Europa League after last month’s 2-2 draw to Real Betis.

Postecoglou has become the first permanent Nottingham Forest manager in last century to fail to win any of his first six games in charge of the club – John Baynes didn’t win any of his first seven games in 1925.

“Nothing surprises me anymore in football. I guess it’s just the climate we’re in and it seems that’s the way things are going,” Postecoglou said in the post-match press conference.

“That’s nothing I can control. My responsibility is to make sure we get some wins for this football club and progress it. That’s what I’ll be focused on.

“Of course I would prefer people were optimistic in their outlook about what I’m doing, but I can only change that by winning games of football.

“It’s not unfamiliar territory for me. I really believe in the process of what we’re doing and I don’t think we’re far away from being a team that eradicates the situation we’re in at the moment and gets the results we need.

“I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great. I understand people’s attitude at the moment, particularly towards me, but I never worry about that.

“I really believe we’re on the right track and I really believe when we get through this period of uncertainty we’ll be on a good path. I firmly believe that will happen.”

Former Leeds striker Lucy Ward continued on TNT Sports: “There is something not quite right and it has manifested onto the pitch.

“That is a poor result for Forest.”

Nottingham Forest will next face Newcastle St James’ Park on Sunday.