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Postecoglou Secure - At Present

As of 9am this morning, Nottingham Forest were not intending to sack Ange Postecoglou but the unpredictable nature of the team and its owner the chairman means that things can change quickly.

Supporters made their voices known on the previous day, calling for the exit of the coach who replaced an local favorite and it is difficult to reverse the sentiment once that happens.

The Australian is the owner's choice, the owner having lined him up well ahead of the previous manager was dismissed. Everyone at Forest anticipated a time of adjustment but to be winless in six matches and suffering defeats at their own ground to opposing teams were not anticipated outcomes when he joined recently.

Postecoglou was always going to change the style but he has his tactical philosophy, which is very different to his predecessor, so there is an acceptance that adjustments require patience. Patience, however, is not a trait often seen at Forest. The next three Premier League games are against Newcastle, Chelsea and Bournemouth, so things are not going to get easier for Postecoglou.

Alisson Out for Liverpool

Arne Slot has been speaking:

“Alisson is absent from the team this weekend and he won’t travel to Brazil for the international duty. Hugo [Ekitike] is going to train again today, we will assess where he is. The same can be said for Frederico [Chiesa]. It depends on how fast the recovery goes.

“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] will be there for the first game after the international break. From there on things can go a bit faster or a bit more gradual. It’s hard to predict. I’m not a doctor so I cannot tell you if it is the same injury.”

Giorgi Mamardashvili will play in place of the first choice.

“I think we’ve seen against the Saints how well he’s adjusted. We were aware we were bringing in a very good shot-stopper. When he made his debut that’s a way of seeing he’s adapted excellently to our club. It’s not a surprise because he’s a quality player. Now he can do what we’ve needed to accomplish so many times in the previous seasons covering for the main keeper, like we’ve handled previously.”

Upcoming Fixtures

• Friday
• Bournemouth v Fulham (evening kickoff)
• Tomorrow
• Leeds v Tottenham
• Arsenal v West Ham
• United meet Sunderland
• Blues clash with Reds
• Sunday
• Villa play Burnley
• Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
• Wolves battle Seagulls
• Everton v Crystal Palace
• Brentford v Manchester City

European Results

The evening went well for the remaining UK teams in continental competitions. And a bad night for the Scottish clubs.

The Eagles extended their unbeaten run as their manager gets continental campaign to flying start.

European tournament roundup: Aston Villa star secures victory as Scottish sides suffer defeats.

Supporters' Response at City Ground

Events were nearly unprecedented on a sobering evening, many local fans singing: “Your job is at risk.” Then the supporters added insult to injury, voicing the title of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, with a number turning towards the owner watching on with his own giant private television in the directors’ box. This made for grim viewing.

Weekend Lookahead

Unbeaten in the Premier League since their initial match, Bournemouth strong start has been stalled by back-to-back ties: at their stadium to the Magpies and at Elland Road last week. The Cottagers visit the Vitality on tonight, presenting Bournemouth a good opportunity of recapturing winning ways and climbing the table. After a hectic off-season, Iraola has sought stability in his team selection.

Behind 2-1 at their opponents, the Bournemouth manager made a triple change to reintroduce three regular players – key squad members – to his starting eleven and was rewarded with a late leveller. The team have also maintained solidity at the back, allowing only one goal in four games between the away games to strong opponents. Marcos Senesi, often playing in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been crucial to the squad's cohesion. The defender earned praise from the boss for his performances and danger at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his headed assist for the leveling goal at the venue.