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Postecoglou Secure - At Present

As of the early hours today, Nottingham Forest had no plans to sack their manager but the unpredictable nature of the club and its owner Evangelos Marinakis means that circumstances may shift rapidly.

The fans made their voices known on Thursday, calling for the exit of the coach who took over from an local favorite and it is difficult to reverse the sentiment once that happens.

The Australian is Marinakis’ man, the owner having lined him up long before Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed. Everyone at Forest anticipated a time of adjustment but to be without a victory in six games and suffering defeats at their own ground to Sunderland and Midtjylland were not part of the thoughts when he joined recently.

Postecoglou was always going to change the style but he has his way of playing, which is distinctly unlike to his forerunner, so there is an understanding that adjustments require patience. Patience, however, is not a quality often observed at the club. The upcoming league fixtures are against tough opponents, so the challenge will intensify for the manager.

Liverpool's Keeper Injured for Liverpool

Arne Slot addressed the media:

“The goalkeeper is not part of the squad this weekend and he will not go to Brazil for the national team matches. The forward is going to train again this afternoon, we will assess where he is. The applies similarly for the winger. It hinges on how quickly they heal.

“I will be surprised if he [Alisson] returns for the initial match after the national team pause. From there on things can go a bit quicker or a bit slower. It’s hard to predict. I’m not medically trained so I cannot tell you if it is the identical issue.”

The backup keeper will play instead of the first choice.

“I think we’ve seen against Southampton how well he’s adjusted. We knew we were bringing in a high-quality shot-stopper. 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 skilled player. Now he can perform the role we’ve needed to accomplish so many occasions in the past covering for the main keeper, like we’ve done so many times before.”

Upcoming Matches

• Friday
• Cherries host Fulham (evening kickoff)
• Saturday
• Whites face Spurs
• Gunners take on Hammers
• United meet Sunderland
• Chelsea v Liverpool
• Sunday
• Aston Villa v Burnley
• Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
• Wolves battle Seagulls
• Toffees vs Eagles
• Brentford v Manchester City

Continental Results

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 winning streak as their manager kicks off continental campaign to flying start.

European tournament roundup: McGinn secures victory as Scottish sides lose.

Supporters' Response at City Ground

The scenes were close to extraordinary on a sobering evening, thousands of home supporters singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then the same fans added insult to injury, voicing the title of his predecessor the ex-manager, with several directing comments at Evangelos Marinakis watching on with his own large personal screen in the directors’ box. This resulted in a dismal spectacle.

Weekend Lookahead

Without a loss in the league since their Friday night opener, the Cherries early momentum has been halted by consecutive draws: at home to the Magpies and at Leeds last week. The Cottagers travel to the Vitality on tonight, offering Andoni Iraola’s side a presentable chance of returning to victory and going second. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has sought consistency in his lineup choices.

Trailing 2-1 at Leeds, the Bournemouth manager made a three substitutions to reintroduce three usual starters – key squad members – to his XI and was rewarded with a late leveller. Bournemouth have also maintained defensive stability, conceding just once in several matches between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. The defender, often playing in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been key to the squad's cohesion. The defender received accolades from Iraola for his defensive work and danger at attacking set-pieces – as shown by his headed assist for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at Elland Road.