Nottingham Forest Are Not Planning to Sack Ange Postecoglou; Liverpool Keeper Out; England Squad News
Postecoglou Safe - At Present
As of 9am this morning, Nottingham Forest were not intending to sack Ange Postecoglou but the volatile situation of the club and its proprietor Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.
Supporters expressed their opinions on Thursday, calling for the departure of the man who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to turn the tide once that occurs.
The Australian is the owner's choice, 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 without a victory in six games and losing at home to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he arrived last month.
The Australian was always going to change the style but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his forerunner, so there is an acceptance that these things take time. Tolerance, however, is not a quality often seen at Forest. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so the challenge will intensify for the manager.
Alisson Injured for Liverpool
Arne Slot addressed the media:
“Alisson is not part of the squad tomorrow and he will not go to his national team for the national team matches. Hugo [Ekitike] is going to train again this afternoon, let’s see 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] will be there for the initial match after the national team pause. After that things can go a bit quicker or a bit more gradual. It’s hard to predict. I’m not medically trained so I am unable to confirm if it is the identical issue.”
The backup keeper will play instead of Alisson.
“I think we’ve observed against Southampton how seamlessly he has fitted in. We knew we were signing a high-quality shot-stopper. When he made his debut that’s a demonstration he’s adapted excellently to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a skilled goalkeeper. Now he can perform the role we’ve had to do so many occasions in the past covering for the main keeper, like we’ve done so many times before.”
Weekend Fixtures
- Tonight
- Bournemouth v Fulham (8pm)
- Tomorrow
- Leeds v Tottenham
- Arsenal v West Ham
- Manchester United v Sunderland
- Blues clash with Reds
- Day after
- Aston Villa v Burnley
- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
- Wolves battle Seagulls
- Everton v Crystal Palace
- Bees welcome City
Continental Results
The evening went well for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a disappointing evening for the Scottish clubs.
The Eagles prolonged their winning streak as Muñoz gets continental campaign to flying start.
Europa League summary: McGinn secures Villa win as Scottish sides lose.
Fan Reaction at City Ground
Events were nearly unprecedented on a disheartening night, many local fans singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the same fans added insult to injury, singing the name of his predecessor the ex-manager, with a number turning towards the owner observing with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This made for a dismal spectacle.
Preview of Matches
Without a loss in the Premier League since their Friday night opener, Bournemouth strong start has been halted by back-to-back ties: at home to the Magpies and at Leeds last week. Fulham travel to the stadium on tonight, offering Andoni Iraola’s side a good opportunity of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has aimed for stability in his lineup choices.
Trailing 2-1 at their opponents, the coach made a three substitutions to reintroduce three regular players – key squad members – to his XI and was compensated with a equalizing goal. The team have also preserved defensive stability, conceding just once in four games between the away games to strong opponents. Marcos Senesi, often featuring in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been key to the team’s continuity. The defender 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.