Nottingham Forest

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest resume Premier League proceedings aiming for a first win at the eighth attempt under Ange Postecoglou against a Chelsea side who defeated champions Liverpool last time out.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's lunchtime clash at the City Ground.

Postecoglou's poor start

Five defeats, two draws and 15 goals conceded is not the start Ange Postecoglou may have envisaged when replacing Nuno Espirito Santo as Nottingham Forest boss.

The Australian has barely been in the job a month but is already facing question marks over his future, with reports last weekend suggesting former Everton manager Sean Dyche is waiting in the wings should Forest's poor form continue.

Postecoglou has now lost 30 of his past 49 Premier League games with former club Tottenham and Forest, a recent record that may not help dissuade his detractors.

However, Forest's problems, particularly in defence, predate Postecoglou's arrival: they haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their past 15 Premier League games, their joint-longest run since returning to the competition in 2022.

And the task for Forest's manager does not get any easier. Next up, its Chelsea and Postecoglou has lost all four Premier League meetings against the Blues.

Chelsea aim to back up Liverpool win

Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca had been under some pressure following back to back defeats to Manchester United and Bayern Munich, although a 2-1 victory against Liverpool ahead of the international break has assuaged some of the unease at Stamford Bridge.

Willian Estevao's stoppage-time goal knocked Liverpool off top spot in the Premier League and he is one of several key players whom Maresca will rely on as injuries continue to take their toll on Chelsea's squad.

Maresca could be missing up to nine players for the trip to the City Ground, including Cole Palmer, who has been ruled out for another six weeks due to an ongoing groin injury.

In the absence of other star names, Chelsea's key performer so far this season has undoubtedly been Moises Caicedo.

The combative Ecuador international has been one of the most effective midfielders in the Premier League this season, making more tackles and more interceptions than any player so far.

On Saturday he will face another in-form midfielder in the guise of Forest's Elliot Anderson, who again impressed on international duty with England in the World Cup qualifying win against Latvia on Tuesday night.

The 22-year-old has won back possession a league-high 55 times this season and his battle with Caicedo could go a long way to deciding the outcome of a crucial match for Forest's manager.

The treatment that Ange Postecoglou is getting from Nottingham Forest fans is just ridiculous.

It saddens me, actually, that they are calling for him to be sacked after just seven games - and I don't think it's fair at all.

I covered Forest's defeat at Newcastle before the international break. That was the result I expected, and Newcastle thoroughly deserved to win too, but it still showed all this talk of how Ange can only play one way is wrong, because Forest were not open at all at St James' Park - they tried to contain Newcastle and played on the counter.

The problem they had was that they could not get up the pitch, but if you were a Forest fan watching that game then you would be thinking that Ange did try and play with a bit of balance.

Now they are at home, the onus will be on them to go forward more against Chelsea, whose manager Enzo Maresca has also come under pressure this season.

Chelsea's late victory over Liverpool last time out was important for Maresca after back-to-back league defeats.

In many ways I hope Forest win, to take the heat off Postecoglou a little, but I don't see it happening.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Ange Postecoglou dismissed any suggestions he should be concerned about his role with others under consideration to replace him at Nottingham Forest.

The 60-year-old is under pressure after seven winless games to start his reign as Forest boss going into Saturday's visit of Chelsea.

Sean Dyche has been considered as a replacement while Forest have been long-time admirers of Fulham's Marco Silva, who managed Olympiacos under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

"I don't need reassurance. I'm in a no-win situation," said Postecoglou, with Forest 17th in the Premier League.

"So if you [the media] write about me getting replaced and naming replacements, either it's pure fabrication and lies the club is looking to move me on and talking to other candidates for my role, or there is some truth in it.

"Either way, what can I do about it? I'm not going to go suing a newspaper or the media and I'm not going to go to the owner because who knows what the truth is and I don't care.

"If people have made up their minds internally or externally after five weeks...

"OK, well, what am I supposed to do about that? It depends on the prism you look at.

"What I consistently say and I was mocked and ridiculed for it last year is: if you let the story play out, I'll tell you how it finishes, but I don't hold that decision in my hands."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou is not the most expressive of managers, his tone of voice rarely changes, but there is always honesty.

That may have counted against him in his career - and it still may do at Nottingham Forest - but you cannot deny Postecoglou will always make his feelings known.

That's what he did with his five-minute and five seconds monologue in his pre-match press conference at the City Ground on Friday.

As expected he came out fighting, defending his record at Tottenham and how he changed them from 'Spursy' to becoming winners with their Europa League victory.

He argued his first season there, finishing fifth in the Premier League, has been airburshed with the focus on last term's 17th place to highlight he was a bad manager.

The reality, he said, could be that winning the Europa League proves if given time he will win trophies.

That is what he was brought to Forest for but so far Forest have already assessed their options during the international break and Saturday's visit of Chelsea appears vital to his future.

Seven winless games to open his reign since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo last month, Postecoglou has no room for error at the City Ground.

The last home game saw fans turn and chant "you're getting sacked in the morning" during the Europa League defeat to Midtjylland and words will not appease the Forest supporters who have already turned.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at the City Ground (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Those who played for their national teams have "all come back in good condition and are ready to play".

• He confirmed he had no meeting with owner Evangelos Marinakis over the break and added: "We are just getting on with it."

• On needing to turn results around: "It's always important to win the next game, irrespective of what's happened previously. We're facing a very good opponent and we're at home, which is the good thing."

• In response to pressure being on him: "I just don't fit. Not here, but just in general. If you look at it through the prism that I'm a failed manager who is lucky to get this job – I know you are smirking at me but that has been said and I can find the print [that says it] – then, of course, these five weeks look like I'm under pressure."

• He went on to say: "There is of course an alternative story you can look at. I came here to the Premier League two years ago and took over Tottenham. 'Spursy' Tottenham. I was told by the chairman at the time this club has to win a trophy. We win a trophy, we shed the tag of being Spursy and it's Champions League football. But all I've heard since is that we finished 17th and I'm a failed manager who is lucky to get another opportunity."

• More on his previous achievements: "Maybe I'm a manager where, when given time, the story ends the same - that's with me and a trophy."

• He acknowledged "there's been a major change" at Forest, but he is still "excited" by the job because "the players are willing to change" and there is "fresh young talent" in the squad.

• Postecoglou concluded: "Some will look at the weeds - I will look at what's growing."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

It is understood the process of identifying replacements in the event of Ange Postecoglou's sacking are under way, and developed during the international break.

Of course, it makes common sense for all clubs to have contingency plans in place for every scenario.

On Forest's radar is Fulham head coach Marco Silva, with sources indicating that the Portuguese is the preferred option of a number of internal figures at the City Ground.

But Silva is under contract at Craven Cottage, with sources informing BBC Sport that the 48-year-old has a "significant" release clause in his contract.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the prospect of re-appointing Steve Cooper, who led Forest back to the top flight in 2022 before being sacked and replaced by Nuno in December 2023, has been considered.

But Cooper was recently appointed head coach of Danish club Brondby.

Another option explored, as reported by BBC Sport last week, is the appointment of Sean Dyche.

Dyche lives close to Nottingham and is available for nothing, having left Everton earlier this year.

However, whether Forest and Dyche would be able to reach an agreement on terms should the club formalise their interest in the manager remains to be seen.

Read more from Sami here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou faces the media on Friday afternoon with the spotlight on his Nottingham Forest future.

There has always been talk about it, in reality, after he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo last month and was never the first choice of supporters.

Seven winless games have naturally failed to win over fans, who goaded Postecoglou with "sacked in the morning chants" in the Europa League defeat by Midtjylland last month.

The mitigating circumstances - injuries, loss of form of some players and the fine lines which could have seen wins at Real Betis and Burnley - will not cut any ice without victories.

Chelsea arrive at the City Ground on Saturday in a pivotal moment for Postecoglou, with Forest already assessing their options, having considered Sean Dyche.

Beforehand, Postecoglou will be grilled on his future and whether he has spoken to owner Evangelos Marinakis during the international break and what the nature of discussions were.

The former Tottenham boss has come out fighting before when his job was on the line in north London, and you would expect him to do the same with his future uncertain once again.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is certain to feature on a long list of summer transfer targets for Newcastle, who are keen to bring the 22-year-old England international back to the north east. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest have been criticised by the Football Association for failing to address their behaviour on the pitch.

The club and Chelsea were charged and fined for failing to control their players during a mass confrontation in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last October.

They were fined £125,000 and £40,000 respectively, although Forest appealed and their punishment has now been reduced to £112,000 following a hearing last Friday.

It was a sixth issue in two years and eight months for Forest. The club was fined following similar incidents against Derby and Crystal Palace in 2022, twice against Wolves in the EFL Cup and Premier League in 2023 and last year against Liverpool, which resulted in a £75,000 fine.

The FA has now released its written reasons and, despite giving Forest credit for their guilty plea, has been critical.

"We accept that their role within the incident itself was a lesser one but nevertheless contributed to a deeply unseemly scene," it wrote.

"Their position is aggravated by a significantly worse misconduct history for E20 offences. It seems to this commission that the club are doing very little to address this sort of behaviour."

The FA had previously criticised Forest following their EFL Cup quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Wolves in January 2023.

Tempers boiled over at the City Ground after the west Midlands side lost on penalties and former Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White celebrated in front of the travelling fans.

The commission said at the time: "There has been no evidence put forward to the commission to demonstrate that the club are addressing what is now becoming a serial problem."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Saturday's visit of Chelsea appears crucial to Ange Postecoglou's future at Nottingham Forest.

After seven winless games to open his reign, having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo last month, the pressure remains on the Australian.

Sources close to the squad feel Postecoglou could get Chelsea and Thursday's Europa League visit of Porto, but only if the result against the Blues on Saturday is positive and the fans do not turn.

Ultimately, it will be the decision of owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has been considering Sean Dyche as Postecoglou's replacement just five weeks after appointing the former Tottenham boss.

Should Forest supporters snap again, like they did after FC Midtjylland went 3-1 up in the Europa League last month - chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" towards their own head coach - then a way back for Postecoglou would appear remote.

Postecoglou has said he did not expect it to be love at first sight with the fans but, so far, it is a tense relationship and you sense some chocolates and a bunch of flowers are not going to repair things.

The international break arguably came at a bad time for Postecoglou, who will be desperate for more time on the training pitches with his Forest squad.

He had six games in his first 23 days, limiting the time to implement his style of high pressure and pressing, which is vastly different to the compact and direct counter-attacking nature of predecessor Nuno's team.

Postecoglou has been without 12 players who have gone away with their countries, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson with England.

During the break, Chis Wood became New Zealand's joint most capped player with Ivan Vicelich, with 88 appearances.

But, despite positive noises from All Whites coach Darren Bazeley, Wood came off after an hour of the 1-1 draw in Norway on Tuesday with a knee problem.

The striker will be assessed by Forest ahead of the weekend.

The latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football is available now - BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson and supporter Matt Davies-Adams discuss the latest on manager Ange Postecoglou.

They reflect on Nottingham Forest not winning a match in seven games so far in the Premier League season and how that shapes the position of the manager.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson may only be 339 minutes into his England career but he already looks totally at home on the international stage.

His confident displays have firmly endeared himself to manager Thomas Tuchel and he has seemingly put himself in pole position to wear the previously troublesome number six shirt when the World Cup kicks off next summer.

The 22-year-old has described the step to the senior side as "tough", but so far he has passed his test with flying colours and the Reds midfielder was again instrumental against Latvia on Tuesday.

One of the standout statistics was him completing a whopping 115 passes in the opposition half, compared to just 66 made by the entire Latvia team in England's half.

Since coming into the side in September, no England player has made more forward passes than his 98.

But it is not only his progressive passing that has stood out. Tuchel has also been quick to praise his physicality and he tops England's charts for possession won and tackles made since his debut.

Another string to his bow is a fitness record of missing just one league game for Forest since signing for the club in the summer of 2024.

He was a key part of England's success at the European Under-21 Championship last year, which he feels has helped him make the step up to the senior side. "The pressure of tournament football, and having to win, has really helped me feel at home here," he said.

"I have come in here and been able to relax and do my own thing."

Harder tests than those posed by Andorra, Serbia, Wales and Latvia await, but there is optimism Anderson could be the answer to solve the puzzle of England's midfield balance that has historically caused so many issues.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League table is starting to take shape and while results are obviously what matter most, they don't tell the whole story in terms of how teams have been playing so far.

Expected goals (xG) tells us how much teams have been dominating games by creating lots of good chances up front and restricting opponents to few, bad ones at the back.

Penalties are excluded because they distort a team's numbers on how threatening or vulnerable they are in general, especially at this early stage.

Below is a graphic showing how good teams have been in attack and defence, with the most dominant teams in the top-right corner and the least impressive in the bottom-left corner.

Arsenal and Manchester City have been the most dominant sides, with the Gunners having the best defence and fourth-best attack and City the joint-best attack and fourth-best defence.

High-flying Crystal Palace are the only side to rival City's attacking threat, while Newcastle are living up to their name by being almost as impregnable at the back as Arsenal.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea have one of the top five attacks in the league but worryingly also rank in the bottom five defensively.

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Liverpool's back-to-back defeats following five straight wins gives a more accurate picture of how they have been playing, while Tottenham have needed to be very efficient to make up for their lack of dominance in games.

Aston Villa's early-season struggles are no longer to do with finishing - they have now scored six non-penalty goals from an xG of 6.0 - but simply because they have not been playing well.

While promoted sides Leeds and Sunderland have adapted quite well to the top-flight, Burnley have struggled to make the jump so far with both the worst attack and the worst defence.

Read more on what expected goals tell us about the start to the season

Manchester City are plotting a £75m bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson next summer but are likely to face stiff competition from Chelsea for the 22-year-old England international. (Express), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Manchester City are plotting a £75m bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson next summer but are likely to face stiff competition from Chelsea for the 22-year-old England international. (Express), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on why Nottingham Forest's Europa League tickets are not all being bought immediately, after the Reds' first two home fixtures in this year's competition failed to sell out at season ticket and membership level.

Is the lack of appetite due to a disappointing start to life under head coach Ange Postecoglou or something else?

Here are some of your replies:

Peter: It is a winning combination of supporters almost universally disliking Ange, coupled with high ticket prices. Even season ticket-holders are forking out £50 or more per match. It will sell out, but the club should remember we are the lifeblood of it, not a commodity with a bottomless pit of money.

Martin: It's down to cost and poor form. Asking people to pay upwards of £60 per ticket is excessive, especially when I paid £17 for my ticket to the Betis game. The 'Ange-factor' is massive because fans have no expectation we will win or stand a chance. A colossal cock-up by the club. This season was about building on the last, not destroying it.

Simon: The silver lining for me is that I've been able to get tickets for the first time in ages.

Caroline: I will be there. It is the only chance that I will get to go to a Forest game. It's the first game I'll have been to since Covid, so it is worth the expense if we win.

Martyn: The shambles start to the season on and off the pitch has really taken the gloss of what should have been a once-in-a-generation campaign. Plus £60 per ticket, on top of season ticket prices, also makes one think twice. I went to the Midtjylland game and, aside from the pre-show, it was an unmitigated disaster and the fan reaction was embarrassing. I don't want to rush back, that's for sure.

Tony: I travel a 200-mile round trip to watch Forest. With train fares, a bite to eat or an overnight stay for Europe or weekday night games, it was worth it when we had a manager to give us dreams. Now that we have a manager who believes in the 'headless chicken' style of play, the cost vs entertainment value does not stack up. So I will pick and choose which games may be worth travelling for, and I suspect that won't be many unless things change. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Image source, Getty Images

Tickets for Nottingham Forest's Europa League home fixture against Porto, which was previously touted as their biggest game in the league stage of the competition, have gone to general sale.

After securing a European spot for the first time in 30 years, it was probably reasonable to expect tickets for the club's Europa League fixtures to be at a premium.

However, their first home match against FC Midtjylland also failed to sell out at season ticket and membership level.

The club promised supporters "unforgettable nights under the lights at the City Ground", external, but a disappointing start to life under head coach Ange Postecoglou appears to have cast a shadow on their highly-anticipated European tour.

The Reds are still waiting for their first win under the Australian, having already played two Europa League matches, four Premier League fixtures and one Carabao Cup tie under his leadership.

Has recent form taken the shine off Nottingham Forest's European achievement?

Is there fatigue in the fanbase and if so, what needs to happen to get supporters on side again?

Let us know your thoughts

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Morgan Gibbs-White is a real talent and the Nottingham Forest player has won four caps under Thomas Tuchel, who is clearly an admirer of his quality.

The problem for Gibbs-White may come with competition for places in the areas he likes, especially with Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden not currently in England's squad and Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers producing excellence.

This is no slight on Gibbs-White, who has been outstanding at Forest. Tottenham Hotspur were left desperately disappointed in the summer when Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis persuaded him to stay by offering an improved contract.

It is simply that, when the final numbers take shape, Gibbs-White could be in an area where there are just too many names to fit into a limited pot.

Gibbs-White has the ability to be in that shake-up, although he may hope for some stability at the City Ground to make that happen.

Read the full list of players with points to prove here

Former Tottenham chief football officer Scott Munn's decision to take up a position at Italian club Parma rather than Nottingham Forest is a further indication boss Ange Postecoglou's future is uncertain at the City Ground. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts on Ange Postecoglou's future, and whether Sean Dyche would be a good replacement if the Australian manager leaves the City Ground.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: I want Ange to be successful and hope he can turn things around. If he does not, the more I think about it I would not be opposed to Sean Dyche. He did a good job for Everton under extremely difficult circumstances.

Ian: If you thought the reaction to Ange was extreme, expect worse if Dyche is hired. What we don't want is fans turning on the owner. He has made his first significant error in sacking Nuno Espirito Santo and hiring Ange. I'm also not a fan of Ange, but I'd rather give him more time than appoint Dyche, whose style of play is not for us or the players we have bought. There is talk also of Rafael Benitez - not sure he is a good fit either, but he is perhaps more palatable than Dyche

Peter: Dyche is who we should have appointed once Nuno had got his engineered exit granted. Appointing Ange has been Evaangelos Marinakis' worst ever decision - and this is someone who once appointed Chris Hughton. Dyche would implement a similar style that has served us so well, so give him until the end of the season and we can reassess the position then.

Kevin: Absolutely not Dyche. He is a survivor who can get a tune out of average players, but we need a winner who can improve quality players. We should stick as we are until Christmas, unless we keep getting hammered. Marco Silva would be able to do a job if he can be influenced over.

Dave: I would take Dyche over Ange any day of the week. We currently have the leakiest defence in the whole of the league and so we need somebody to stop the rot. Dyche is a defence-minded manager and much more in the Nuno mould.

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