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Taking over from a club icon was consistently going to be a challenging assignment, but the previous manager managed to pull off a smart strategy after the former coach’s departure: winning his initial pair of matches. Much is forgotten about the opening six months of his time in charge, when the squad stayed up just one place above the drop zone and endured a stretch of winning only one time in 10 Premier League games.

Nuno had accomplished the crucial task of boosting morale and gaining the backing of the fans by defeating an opponent away and generating excitement by overcoming Manchester United at home, and nobody was demanding aesthetic football. The home stadium was buzzing in late December 2023, and local supporters were not overly concerned that they saw only another two wins there for the remainder of the campaign.

The club supporters demand the manager axe after 23 days following continental loss.

Ange Postecoglou is still waiting to taste a win, becoming the first Forest head coach in a hundred years to be unable to win any of their first six fixtures. There was a toxic atmosphere at the stadium on Thursday night as they succumbed to the runner-up team in the Danish league. When supporters are calling for your sacking after three weeks, it is reasonable to say things are not progressing smoothly. On the next day there were no plans to fire the manager but a defeat at St James’ Park on the weekend could cost him his position.

Everyone at the club accepted there would be a period of transition because the new manager’s tactical approach is almost a complete contrast to the one Nuno carefully developed there. The plan was evolving under the Portuguese but not at the speed Postecoglou is attempting to implement.

Starting with four away games was consistently going to be a difficult ask for Postecoglou. Kicking off at a top side meant building momentum from the first whistle was unlikely but suffering a defeat at a Championship team in the Carabao Cup and tying at another opponent put Postecoglou on the defensive. The game at a Spanish club seemed to be a positive shift because the performance was impressive and in line with expectations regarding the manager’s style. The processes were correct and, if not for a last-minute Antony goal, success would have begun.

However Forest are still grounded. If Postecoglou could have been excused for the performances on the road, losing at home to Sunderland and Midtjylland was never part of the plan. There was a element of mitigation in the initial home loss: a generous free-kick decision that resulted in the decisive goal and appalling finishing from Forest meant the points went away to the north-east. Forest had almost the majority of possession and multiple attempts but outscoring an opponent on expected goals is meaningless.

Ange Postecoglou and a key player will want to turn Nottingham Forest’s fortunes around at Newcastle on Sunday.

There was a hope that once the strikers regained form, all aspects would be fine but ineffective finishing is only a single of the problems confronting the boss. The solid defensive unit constructed by Nuno has been dismantled, leaving Postecoglou awaiting a shutout. Stopping set pieces has been an issue, two of the opponent’s goals originating from them, and the remaining goal Forest conceded was from a fast break, the type that were a regular feature during Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham.

Postecoglou was keen to get back to management quickly after being sacked by his previous employers, particularly with a European winner’s medal around his neck. He wanted to show critics wrong and Forest offered that chance, with the added bonus of being in the tournament he had triumphed in in the spring. The Hellenic connection with Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, helped make the hiring straightforward and Postecoglou, in spite of his detractors, does have the qualifications required – but practicality was unlikely to be part of the equation.

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Nuno was never sacked for sporting reasons but for initiating a fight with the owner that he was never going to win. Finishing in seventh place and guiding Forest into continental competition made him incredibly beloved. Despite his complaints, a squad capable of ending in the top half was assembled and a lot of money was spent. After far too much immediate thinking at Forest, they had a clear future plan and strategy, which featured a team that fit the previous boss. Now it feels as if a new figure has entered the house and the residents are displeased.

Visits to one opponent and another rival frame the visit of a top team in the next three league fixtures, implying the situation is only going to get more difficult. Marinakis made the selection with his emotions and is urgently hoping to prevent another dismissal because firing Postecoglou would be an acknowledgment that he made a pair of dreadful choices in letting go of the former coach and choosing the successor. The sport is one big public approval competition and Nuno began gaining his at St James’ Park. The current manager needs to emulate that or he risks losing his permanently.