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IT CAN’T BE HIM! BUT IT IS!

Arguably the most disliked Aussie to make an appearance in this part of England since a villainous hotelier from a famous TV drama starred in a local pantomime 20 years back, the Greek-Australian’s time in charge at the City Ground could hardly have begun more poorly. Although the boos and catcalls that actor the Neighbours star was subjected to during a seasonal stage show were mostly in fun, the venom of the invective directed at the Australian coach during the team’s European setback by Midtjylland on Thursday was so severe that it is hard to believe the manager who has been in charge for just six matches will remain in post to endure the festive cat-calls this December. Repeatedly the experienced coach’s shouts of “He’s behind you!” went ignored by his unfortunate players, especially when the visiting team scored their initial strikes from poorly handled dead-ball situations. Nowhere near the joyous atmosphere they’d hoped for, the team’s first continental match at home in 29 years ended in acrimony with supporters telling the boss he’d be “dismissed soon”, before praising his popular, newly sacked former boss, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I get the mood around the place isn’t going to be great, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but that doesn’t concern me, it’s not unfamiliar territory for me,” the coach retorted in answer, while aiming the ground near him to the typical intense glare. “Football holds no surprises for me, it’s the way things are. It seems that’s the way things are going. It’s nothing I can control. Supporters are upset, they can think what they like. I listened to what they said.” And while those followers are entitled to vent, it could be suggested that they might be more sensible picking a better aim for their ire. Ultimately, it was the Greek businessman who dismissed a beloved manager to appoint the Australian, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Looking on from the owners’ area as he went through a range of angry, grim faces unseen since that period he heard the North London club had activated the player’s transfer clause, the Greek tycoon has thus far mostly avoided any kind of major backlash from supporters, a good number of whom remain certain the he is beyond reproach.

As the clock ticked past noon on Friday, speculation of the coach’s imminent dismissal proved to be greatly exaggerated and reports suggest his job remains safe until such time as … well, it isn’t. Even though the club boss can offer a partial defense that he has had little or no time on the training pitch to introduce the style and strategic detail that resulted in the London club losing more than half their league matches last term, his side’s schedule remains forbidding and relentless. Up against the Magpies, Chelsea, Porto and the South-Coast team coming soon it is hard to predict from where a first Postecoglou win will come before what could surely be the mother of all El Sackicos against the Old Trafford side.

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BEST REMARK

“I steer clear of heated debates, who names people, actually, I’ll refrain from naming names. Yet I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, along with some incivility, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – Antony slams the Red Devils over the unfriendly setting at Old Trafford, where warmth has likely worsened like the side’s performance.

READER COMMENTS

Is there truth the coach has promised Forest fans he guarantees victory in his next campaign?” – Pete Negri.

It’s not my place to want to amplify the cliché that Arsenal supporters are the game’s biggest moaners, but Thabo Caves (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) does make you think. Pointing out that rather than a couple of matches weekly, the Gunners are having to play more than two fixtures each week (wow, 30 additional minutes!) over a specific three-week period (for a squad with double coverage in all roles to boot) is not the argument-settler he might imagine. Instead it’s just going to have the orchestra of the world’s smallest violins tuning up their instruments once more, while the wider sport look on with exasperation” – a different supporter.

I can’t work out whether your recent correspondents (on multiple matches weekly) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the classic instances of online debate (SFW), or accidentally confirming Marx’s adage about history repeating first as tragedy, then as farce” – a respondent.

To comfort you, yesterday’s letter-writer (yesterday’s letters), I’ve always been like that [wishing wealthy English teams to lose in Europe]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, European competition for me has caused a state of seething impotent rage, broken up only sometimes by Steaua Bucharest and, maybe, the Spanish club. I care not one jot for the Merseyside club’s successes from the 1980s right up to the Champions League win. I’m indifferent to {‘that