Chris Sutton defends Ange Postecoglou amidst Forest fire

The former Celtic Treble winning manager has faced intense scrutiny in England following a challenging start to his tenure at the City Ground.

During the international break, Forest fans have voiced their discontent, with a number calling for Postecoglou’s dismissal after only seven matches in charge. The backlash has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from Chris Sutton, who argues that the ex-Celtic boss has been treated unjustly.

Sutton, a frequent champion of Postecoglou’s achievements at both Celtic and with Spurs, reminded audiences that Forest’s difficulties predate the Australian’s appointment. He noted that the team’s struggles originated towards the end of last season under Nuno Espírito Santo, arguing that Postecoglou has inherited long-standing problems rather than created them himself.

Sutton has often praised Postecoglou for the remarkable turnaround he achieved at Celtic, leading the club to consecutive Scottish Premiership titles, a Treble in his second season and establishing a side defined by attacking flair. As the 59 year-old Forest boss faces fan-furore in England again, Sutton insists he should be granted patience rather than criticism.

Speaking via BBC 5 Live, Sutton said: “This isn’t like me to hold grudges. But this is under my skin a little bit. The treatment of Ange Postecoglou from Nottingham Forest fans. I mean, I think that’s been absolutely shocking. Singing for their own manager to be sacked after six games. I mean, they’re better than that, aren’t they?

“I mean, when you look back to last season, had a little look, they won two out of the last nine Premier League games. This has certainly been festering for a while. But to take it out on the manager, I’ve never known anything like it.”

There has been speculation in recent days of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis potentially sacking Postecoglou while eyeing up Fulham boss Marco Silva and out-of-work Sean Dyche.

Whether or not it was the right career move for Postecoglou remains to be seen, but he has been in this movie plenty of times before, including at Celtic. By his own self-admission, the first few months are turbulent, but it always ends well as exemplified by his stellar managerial CV.

Hopefully Marinakis – who is not only Postecoglou’s boss but a personal friend – has the patience to stick by him and doesn’t succumb to fan pressure or outside media noise. As has been proved in the past, if given time, Postecoglou will be a success wherever he goes.

For Ange, Nottingham, at the moment, seems a very long way from the adoration at Paradise…

Well done to Chris Sutton for the backing he’s giving Ange on national radio.

Conor Spence

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