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NO WAY! ABSOLUTELY YES!

Quite possibly the least favored Aussie to show up in the Nottingham area since a notorious innkeeper from a long-running series took part in a local pantomime two decades ago, Ange Postecoglou’s reign at the City Ground could hardly have begun more poorly. Although the heckling and shouts that TV star Stefan Dennis was faced during Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood were mostly in fun, the venom of the criticism aimed at Postecoglou during the club’s Europa League loss by the Danish side on the previous night was so severe that it is hard to believe the manager who has been in charge for just six matches will remain in post to hear the Christmas jeers this holiday season. Repeatedly the 60-year-old’s shouts of “Watch out behind!” went ignored by his struggling players, especially when the opposition scored their first two goals from badly organized dead-ball situations. Far from the joyous atmosphere they’d anticipated, the team’s first continental match at home in nearly three decades ended in rancour with home fans telling the manager he’d be “sacked in the morning”, before chanting for his favored, just-removed former boss, the ex-Wolves coach.

“I understand the atmosphere won’t be positive, I understand people’s attitude, particularly towards me, but I don’t fret over it, I’ve been here before,” the manager snapped in answer, while aiming the floor around his feet to the usual fierce look. “Nothing surprises me in football, it’s the way things are. That appears to be the trend. It’s nothing I can control. The fans are disappointed, they are allowed to have an opinion on it. I took in their thoughts.” And while those supporters are entitled to vent, it could be contended that they might be wiser choosing a more fitting focus for their ire. In the end, it was the club owner who dismissed a firm fan favourite to bring in the Australian, who was always going to face a tough task from day one. Watching from the executive seats as he went through a range of sullen, fierce looks not seen since that occasion he found out Tottenham had triggered the midfielder’s release clause, the wealthy owner has up to now dodged any kind of serious criticism from fans, a good number of whom remain certain the he can do no wrong.

When Friday lunchtime arrived, speculation of the coach’s imminent dismissal proved to be greatly exaggerated and reports suggest his job remains secure until such time as … in reality, it changes. While the team manager can argue with some mitigation that he has had little or no time on the practice field to implement the approach and gameplan subtleties that resulted in Tottenham Hotspur failing to win a majority of their Premier League fixtures last term, his club’s upcoming matches remains forbidding and relentless. Facing the North-East side, the London club, Porto and the South-Coast team coming soon it is hard to predict from where a initial success under the new boss will come before what could likely be the ultimate sack-race clash against the Old Trafford side.

COVERAGE ON MAJOR SITE

Join the journalist at evening UK time for Women’s Super League news on the stalemate between United and Chelsea.

BEST REMARK

“I steer clear of heated debates, who points fingers, truthfully, I won’t mention anyone’s name here. However I feel there was a slight disregard, along with some incivility, with no one giving you a ‘good morning’, a ‘good afternoon’” – the United player takes a pop at his club over the cold atmosphere at their stadium, where friendliness has likely worsened like the team’s form.

READER COMMENTS

Is there truth the coach has vowed supporters he never loses a game in his next campaign?” – a reader.

I wouldn’t normally to wish to reinforce the stereotype that Gunners fans are the sport’s most complaining followers, but Thabo Caves (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) does make you think. Noting that rather than a couple of matches weekly, Arsenal are having to play over two matches weekly (ooh an extra 30 minutes!) over a particular 21-day span (for a roster with two good options for every position to boot) is not the debate-ender he might imagine. Rather it’s just going to have the smallest fiddle players tuning up their instruments once more, while the other fans look on with exasperation” – another reader.

I’m puzzled whether your recent correspondents (on two or three games a week) are deliberately, mockingly repeating one of the memorable moments of online debate (safe for work), or inadvertently demonstrating the philosopher’s saying about past occurrences returning as comedy” – a fan.

For what it’s worth, the previous correspondent (yesterday’s letters), I’ve always been like that [wishing rich Premier League sides to lose in Europe]. From the time Forest stopped competing in Europe, continental matches for me has led to a state of seething impotent rage, broken up only sometimes by Steaua Bucharest and, if pressed, the La Liga outfit. I couldn’t care less for Liverpool’s exploits from the 1980s right up to the Champions League win. I am unmoved by {‘that