Nottingham Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou has defiantly responded to the mounting pressure he’s already under following a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United. The 60-year-old is set for talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis during the international break, as questions loom over his future after a seven-match winless streak to start his tenure at the club.
Despite the loss at St James’ Park, a spirited Postecoglou insisted he’s ready for the challenge, buoyed by an improved performance from his side in the north east. Postecoglou declared: “Seriously, what’s wrong with something being hard? What’s wrong with that? Why do we want everything delivered nicely packaged? I’m sure your parents had a struggle in their life and they didn’t give up. You might even have been a lost cause at some point, but they didn’t give up on you.
“It seems these days as soon as something goes wrong, it’s right, that’s it, it’s wrong, we’ll change it. Everything that needs something fixed is invariably going to go through a tough time.
“I see it being an exciting opportunity. That’s why I took the role. I still believe that now, more so than ever before. At the same time, you’ve got to embrace there’s going to be a fight and a struggle for it.
“I’m here in the Premier League at the age of 60, you reckon I lack self-belief or don’t like a fight? I didn’t get here because of my connections.”
“In fact, I’ve picked fights. I have. In the schoolyard, I’ve picked fights with people I knew would beat me up. That’s the kind of person I am.
“I totally understand it’s part of the fanfare around the Premier League that there needs to be a manager under the spotlight. It’s my turn at the moment. But like most managers, we enjoy having a challenge on our hands.”
