Ange Postecoglou’s job is already at risk, and with some difficult upcoming games, his time at Forest could end soon.
| Nottingham Forest markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| To lose to Chelsea | 1.944 |
| To lose to Porto | 3.32 |
| To lose vs Bournemouth | 1.77 |
Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Forest’s continued troubles
Nottingham Forest had a great last season under Nuno Espirito Santo, as they’ve defied all odds to qualify for European football once again. However, they had a difficult summer, leading to a fallout between the manager and owner, Evangelos Marinakis. As a result, Ange Postecoglou was brought in to try to stabilize the club.
However, the Tricky Trees are winless in nine games across all competitions, ahead of their game against Chelsea this weekend, with six of those being losses. Postecoglou has seen his side score only once in four Premier League games, and their situation is unlikely to improve.
Sean Dyche is already being discussed as the Australian’s replacement, which doesn’t suggest an organised strategy. Having this speculation hanging over him just a few weeks into the job can't be helpful for the current manager. The next few games could mark the end of his period at the City Ground.
Therefore, it’s worth backing against Forest in their upcoming domestic and international matches. They could even drop into the bottom three if other results don’t go their way, too.
Some tough tests
‘Big Ange’ will host Chelsea, who haven’t been at their best this season but have scored a lot of goals, in their next match. That’ll be concerning for a Forest side that haven’t kept a competitive clean sheet since April. Enzo Maresca’s men will be eager to try to climb up the table this weekend.
The Blues are overperforming in terms of their xG, while the opposite is true about the hosts. It could be a very difficult match for Forest if Chelsea find their rhythm. Backing an away win seems like good value, as well.
After that game, Forest will welcome Portuguese giants, Porto, to Nottingham as they return to Europa League action. Their first game back on the international stage saw them lose their two-goal lead to draw with Real Betis. Their struggles continued in their second fixture as they were defeated at home by Danish club FC Midtjylland.
Their opponents, meanwhile, have won both of their fixtures, as they defeated RB Salzburg and Red Star Belgrade. They’re unbeaten in 10 games this season, having won nine of them, and will be very confident ahead of their visit to the UK.
After that fixture, Forest will visit Bournemouth, who are in fantastic form this season. Andoni Iraola are currently fourth in the Premier League, having only lost once this season, and they’ve won three of their four home league games. They’ll consider Postecoglou’s side, if he’s still in charge, as very beatable opponents.
Given the owner's nature, the threat of Ange Postecoglou being sacked looms constantly over Forest, and that instability is clearly hurting the team's performance. Therefore, Fans of the club will probably need to prepare for a challenging period ahead.