Ange Postecoglou must unleash new Nottingham Forest star vs Newcastle to save his job
Ange Postecoglou will be depending on individual stars to drag Nottingham Forest out of their current slump.
Morgan Gibbs-White should have won a penalty as the Reds fell to a 3-2 defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday, 2 October, greeted with a chorus of boos at the City Ground.
Just six games into his tenure, however, and Forest fans already want Postecoglou sacked. He is still searching for his first victory after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in the dugout.
While sources continue to suggest that the new manager is not in immediate danger, uproar from the fans could see Forest’s clash with Newcastle United on Sunday, 5 October, already be his last.
Ange Postecoglou already under crushing pressure at the City Ground
Eddie Howe’s position at Newcastle is also being questioned, but even with the Magpies sitting 15th in the Premier League table, they will feel confident of all three points at home.
The reigning Carabao Cup winners are still coming to terms with Alexander Isak‘s exit, but there has been an entirely new playing style introduced at the City Ground since Nuno’s exit.
Postecoglou does not appear to know his best starting lineup, and that could not have been any more obvious when the team was announced to face Midtjylland in the Europa League.
Dilane Bakwa was benched once again after a decent display in the defeat to Sunderland, and neither manager has gotten the best out of the new signing since his arrival from Strasbourg this summer.
Dilane Bakwa can make the difference vs Newcastle United
Bakwa was one of the most entertaining wingers across Europe last season, notching six goals and eight assists in 31 games, and his start to life in England has been almost as exciting.
However, until the 23-year-old is given a consistent run of games by Forest, he will not be able to unlock his previous form, which could ultimately save Postecoglou from another job search.
| Dilane Bakwa’s stats [FotMob] | Burnley | Real Betis | Sunderland |
| Minutes played | 59 | 45 | 72 |
| Chances created | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Dribbles attempted | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Ground duels entered | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Fouls won | 2 | 4 | 1 |
Very few players have taken to the pitch for the Reds and got stuck into as many challenges, created as many chances, and tried to push their teammates up the pitch, also in half the time.
While it will take more than just one player to save Forest’s entire season, Bakwa could be the difference between Postecoglou continuing his tenure and Evangelos Marinakis searching for a new manager.