Forest Have No Plans to Dismiss Postecoglou; Liverpool Keeper Out; Three Lions Squad News

Ange Postecoglou Safe - At Present

Starting from 9am this morning, the club had no plans to sack Ange Postecoglou but the unpredictable nature of the team and its proprietor Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.

The fans expressed their opinions on Thursday, calling for the exit of the coach who replaced an local favorite and it is challenging to reverse the sentiment once that happens.

Postecoglou is Marinakis’ man, the club chief having lined him up well ahead of the previous manager was sent packing. All involved with the club anticipated a time of adjustment but to be winless in six matches and losing at their own ground to opposing teams were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.

Postecoglou was intended to alter the approach but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his predecessor, so there is an acceptance that these things take time. Tolerance, however, is not a trait often seen at Forest. The upcoming league fixtures are against Newcastle, Chelsea and Bournemouth, so things are not going to get easier for Postecoglou.

Alisson Out for Liverpool

The Liverpool manager has been speaking:

“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad this weekend and he won’t travel to Brazil for the national team matches. Hugo [Ekitike] is returning to training this afternoon, let’s see where he is. The same can be said for the winger. It depends on how fast the recovery goes.

“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] returns for the first game after the national team pause. After that progress may be a bit quicker or a bit more gradual. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the identical issue.”

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

“I think we’ve observed against the Saints how well he’s adjusted. We were aware we were bringing in a very good goalkeeper. When he made his debut that’s a way of seeing he’s adapted excellently to our club. It’s expected because he’s a quality goalkeeper. Now he can do what we’ve had to do so many occasions in the past replacing the main keeper, like we’ve handled previously.”

Weekend Matches

• Friday
• Cherries host Fulham (evening kickoff)
• Tomorrow
• Whites face Spurs
• Gunners take on Hammers
• United meet Sunderland
• Chelsea v Liverpool
• Day after
• Villa play Burnley
• Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
• Wolves battle Seagulls
• Toffees vs Eagles
• Bees welcome City

European Action

The evening went well for the remaining UK teams in Europe. And a bad night for the teams from Scotland.

The Eagles extended their winning streak as Muñoz kicks off continental campaign to strong beginning.

European tournament roundup: McGinn seals 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 supporters twisted the knife, voicing the name of his former coach the ex-manager, with several turning towards Evangelos Marinakis watching on with his own large personal screen in the executive area. This resulted in a dismal spectacle.

Weekend Lookahead

Unbeaten in the Premier League since their initial match, the Cherries early momentum has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at home to the Magpies and at Leeds recently. The Cottagers visit the stadium on tonight, offering Bournemouth a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a hectic off-season, the manager has aimed for stability in his lineup choices.

Behind 2-1 at Leeds, the Bournemouth manager made a triple change to restore three usual starters – key squad members – to his XI and was rewarded with a equalizing goal. Bournemouth have also preserved defensive stability, allowing only one goal in four games between the away games to strong opponents. The defender, often featuring in an otherwise new defensive unit, has been key to the team’s continuity. The defender received accolades from Iraola for his defensive work and threat at attacking set-pieces – as shown by his aerial pass for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at Elland Road.