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Postecoglou Safe - At Present

As of the early hours today, Nottingham Forest had no plans to sack Ange Postecoglou but the unpredictable nature of the team and its proprietor the chairman means that things can change quickly.

Supporters made their voices known on Thursday, demanding the exit of the man who replaced an East Midlands hero and it is difficult to turn the tide once that occurs.

Postecoglou is the owner's choice, the club chief having lined him up long before the previous manager was sent packing. All involved with the club anticipated a period of transition but to be winless in six matches and suffering defeats at home to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he arrived last month.

The Australian was always going to change the style but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his predecessor, so there is an understanding that these things take time. Tolerance, however, is not a trait often seen at Forest. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so things are not going to get easier for Postecoglou.

Liverpool's Keeper Out for The Reds

Arne Slot has been speaking:

“Alisson is not part of the squad tomorrow and he will not go to his national team for the national team matches. The forward is going to train again today, let’s see where he is. The same can be said for Frederico [Chiesa]. It depends on how quickly they heal.

“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] returns for the first game after the national team pause. After that things can go a bit quicker or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not medically trained so I am unable to confirm if it is the same injury.”

The backup keeper is set to start instead of the first choice.

“I think we’ve seen against Southampton how seamlessly he has fitted in. We were aware we were bringing in a high-quality shot-stopper. When he plays his first game that’s a way of seeing he’s adapted excellently to the team. It’s expected because he’s a quality player. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the past replacing Alisson, like we’ve handled previously.”

Upcoming Matches

• Friday
• Bournemouth v Fulham (8pm)
• Saturday
• Whites face Spurs
• Arsenal v West Ham
• Manchester United v Sunderland
• Chelsea v Liverpool
• Day after
• Aston Villa v Burnley
• Magpies host Forest
• Wolves v Brighton
• Everton v Crystal Palace
• Brentford v Manchester City

Continental Action

It was a good night for the other English clubs in continental competitions. And a disappointing evening for the Scottish clubs.

Crystal Palace prolonged their unbeaten run as Muñoz gets European tilt to strong beginning.

Europa League roundup: Aston Villa star secures Villa win as Scottish sides lose.

Supporters' Response at City Ground

The scenes were close to extraordinary on a disheartening night, thousands of home supporters chanting: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the same fans added insult to injury, singing the name of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with several turning towards Evangelos Marinakis observing with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This resulted in a dismal spectacle.

Weekend Lookahead

Without a loss in the Premier League since their Friday night opener, Bournemouth early momentum has been halted by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to the Magpies and at Elland Road last week. Fulham visit the Vitality on tonight, presenting Andoni Iraola’s side a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and going second. After a hectic off-season, Iraola has sought stability in his team selection.

Behind 2-1 at Leeds, the coach made a three substitutions to restore three usual starters – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his starting eleven and was compensated with a late leveller. Bournemouth have also preserved defensive stability, allowing only one goal in several matches between the away games to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often featuring in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been crucial to the squad's cohesion. The defender earned praise from Iraola for his performances and threat at dead-ball situations – as evidenced by his headed assist for the leveling goal at the venue.