Ange Postecoglou issues spiky response to Nottingham Forest future questions after Newcastle United loss
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Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest: Ange Postecoglou has responded to reports that he may be facing the sack at the City Ground.
Ange Postecoglou has fired back at reports that he could be sacked by Nottingham Forest following his side’s defeat against Newcastle United. Forest have now failed to win any of Postecoglou’s seven matches in charge and will head into the international break sat 17th in the Premier League table.
Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Forest at the beginning of September and swiftly replaced by the former Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur manager. However, a lack of wins in his opening few weeks in charge of Forest has led to speculation that he could also be sacked by Forest.
With an international break now on the horizon, Postecoglou’s position in the City Ground dugout will likely dominate headlines.
Ange Postecoglou fires back at future reports
In a relatively fiery post-match press conference at St James’ Park, Postecoglou was asked about his future at Nottingham Forest and whether he is under pressure to start getting results: “Do I expect that [to have a discussion with the owner]? I expect a discussion with the owner and everyone else at the football club about what we've embarked on here and where we're at and what we need to do for sure now.
“If people want to make an assessment of me after three and a half weeks, which we've had six or seven games around that, there's nothing I can do about that. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with things being tough, that's OK.
“I've sat in there and I'll say to them many times, I did have an option, I could have been sitting on the couch watching the game tonight and not be in the middle of it. I'd rather be here, much rather be here.
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“I love a fight, so it's a fight, so it's a struggle, so what? That's OK.
“If people outside don't think I'm the right person, or even internally. It makes no difference for me. I took this role on knowing it would be a massive challenge with what we were trying to do in terms of changing the direction of the club.
“Nothing I've seen in the last three and a half weeks has changed my view on that. I love the challenge of taking this club to where it needs to be and I'm very confident we'll get there.”
Postecoglou was then asked about his actions on the final whistle and a perceived lack on interaction between himself and his players. He responded: “If you want to find things here, for sure. I wore a different jacket today as well.
“Don't read anything. I mean, seriously. I guess it's a fun game, isn't it? It's fun every week.
“It's me this week and who knows, maybe you're all right and I'm gone. Next week it'll be somebody else and there's a lot of fun around it. I don't care.
“Like I said, I love the position I'm in right now where I have to fight for everything. It's what I've done my whole career.
“The kind of scrutiny around it. I'm not a woe-is-me kind of guy, man.
“I couldn't care less if people think that I'm somehow not enjoying what I'm doing at the moment then they've got no idea what I want.”
Postecoglou was then asked if he will be able to turn the tide if given time in the role. “No, no,” the Australian responded. “It's a lost cause.
“Seriously, what's wrong with something being hard? Seriously, what's wrong with it?
“Why do we want everything just delivered, nicely packaged? I'm sure your parents had a struggle in their life, right? And they didn't give up.
“You may have even been a lost cause at some point, but they didn't give up on you, right? So what I'm saying is, what I'm saying is, I'm not having a go at you. Please, don't take it away. It's that, you know, it seems to me these days that as soon as something goes wrong, well, that's it.
“It's wrong. We'll change it. We'll break it up.
“Everything that needs kind of something fixed is invariably going to go through a tough time. This is not unfamiliar territory for me, as I said. So beyond it being a lost cause, I see it as an exciting opportunity.
“That's why I took the role. And I still believe that now, more so than ever before. But at the same time, you've got to embrace it.”
He continued: “Do you think I'd be sitting here at the age of 60? I started in Australia when I was 32 years old and started professional football. And I'm here in the Premier League at the age of 60.
“Do you reckon I lack self-belief or don't like a fight? I didn't get here because of my connections.
“So, in fact, I've picked fights. I have, even in the school yard.
“I've picked fights with people who I knew would beat me up. That's the kind of person I am. So, that's fine.
“So, like I said, I totally understand that it's kind of part of the fanfare around the Premier League that there needs to be a manager who's always under the spotlight. I get that. It's my turn at the moment.
“But I think like most other managers, I think, we actually enjoy this bit. I'd be surprised if there were many managers who don't enjoy, you know, having the kind of challenge on my hands that I have at the moment.”