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Ange Postecoglou is determined to persuade Nottingham Forest’s board to retain faith in his coaching approach when he meets with the team's principal Evangelos Marinakis this week.

Defiant Forest boss sees signs of progress amid winless run

The former Tottenham manager was in defiant, almost jocular mood after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle. It prolonged his run without a win to seven games since he replaced Nuno Espírito Santo recently. Yet the experienced coach, who surprisingly started with a five-man defense, detected signs of progress as he prepares for crucial discussions with club officials.

"Indeed, this is hopeless," he said, with irony. "I see it as an thrilling chance. You have to be ready for the fight and the struggle. I’d be silly to be sitting here at the age of 60 if I was without self-belief or determination. Back in the playground I picked fights with people that defeated me."

Top flight pantomime gently mocked

Warming to his theme, the Forest manager lightly teased the pantomime of Premier League football that almost demands that at least one manager is always deemed 'under pressure'. "I understand that this is part of the fanfare of the Premier League that it requires a coach to be in the spotlight. If people want to evaluate my work less than a month into the role, there's nothing I can say or actions that will change that."

"But what I have seen and experienced in this period is that we are moving in the direction I desire us to. Positive outcomes will come. For now it is a struggle and a contest and there is no issue with that. Life doesn't give things handed to us on a plate in life, we have to fight. I've struggled for things throughout my career. Why does everyone want everything neatly packaged? The attitude nowadays seems to be that, as soon as something goes wrong, you replace it."

Embracing the challenge at the club

During the lighthearted exchange, he suggested that one reporter might have been "hopeless at certain time but your family didn't give up on you."

Postecoglou then restated that he had joined the Nottingham Forest with his full awareness and always understood that his effort to alter the team's approach would not be straightforward. "I knew this was a big challenge," he said. "There's nothing wrong with that. I don't know why people think difficulties are a problem, I love a challenge. The other option is sitting at home watching games and I prefer not to do that. Should journalists have great enjoyment around it I don't care. It doesn't bother me."