For any Nottingham Forest fans still discombobulated by the departure of Nuno Espírito Santo, the manager who led them into the Europa League, the irony of losing to a team who defended doughtily, scored from a set piece then played the rest of the game with backs to the wall and reliant on the occasional counter attack for relief may not be lost on them. But as Omar Alderete’s first-half goal elevated Sunderland into the Champions League places, Ange Postecoglou’s wait for a first win as Nuno’s successor in charge of Forest stretched to a fifth game.
These are strange times at the City Ground. Postecoglou took an understandably low-key approach to entering the home dugout for the first time as Forest manager before the game but it was the Sunderland fans who were celebrating come full-time after Alderete, their Paraguyan defender signed for £10m from Getafe in the summer, headed in the winner.
Forest dominated throughout, and were much more forceful in the second half, obliging young goalkeeper Robin Roefs to make a sequence of excellent saves as Chris Wood had five efforts alone, but Sunderland’s obdurate defending and good organisation earned them this first away win of the season.
Postecoglou cut a sombre figure following this latest disappointment, after making five changes to the side that had so nearly won their first Europa League game, away to Real Betis on Wednesday, before succumbing to a draw. But he pointed more to his team’s need to improve their conversion rate – they had 22 attempts at goal – than the refereeing decision that led to the only goal of the game.
Nicolás Dominguez was penalised and, adding insult to injury, cautioned for simulation after he and Trai Hume contested a 50/50 ball equally. Tony Harrington could have awarded the free-kick either way, or not at all, but when Granit Xhaka floated in his free-kick, Wood had switched off and Alderete stole in round the back to head in the deciding goal.
“Regardless,” Postecoglou said, “even if the ref’s made an absolute howler, we can still defend the free-kick better.”
Sunderland’s gameplan and Postecoglou’s renowned style meant Forest were freed up for plenty of possession practice. They had 65% of the ball, with 90% pass accuracy. The contrast with Nuno’s approach was marked. But apart from Wood heading just off target three times in this period, twice from great crosses by Neco Williams, there was little threat of a Forest goal in the first half.
With only one defeat in their first six games back at this level, after their two recent promotions, Sunderland’s acclimatisation has started superbly, notwithstanding the mass turnover of players in the summer. Kudos is due to Régis Le Bris for the implementation of his strategy. But he knows his team can improve.
“The win is important because we can’t expect anything if we don’t defend properly,” the Sunderland manager said. “We had to defend really well. “The result is really positive but when you look at different phases we have many things to improve. We have to improve for example the way we build up the play under pressure.”
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Forest needed to get their fire going again. The introductions of Morgan Gibbs-White, at half-time, and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Igor Jesus, a quarter of an hour later, helped fan the flames of the City Ground roar. Roefs was required to repel rasping efforts from Omari Hutchinson and Elliot Anderson.
Sunderland were defending as stoically in the second half as they had been strategically in the first. Hutchinson did well to beat his man and cross for Wood to sidefoot goalwards at the near post, only for Roefs to save brilliantly, and then Wood somehow glanced wide with another header from the same source. Sunderland, however, stood firm.
“We can’t create any more chances than we did but it’s goals that win matches. We’ve got to have a much higher conversion rate,” Postecoglou said. “The players have the right mindset. A lot has happened in the past three weeks and I’ve been really stressing to the lads that we can’t dwell on the changes we’re making and the football shows they’re embracing what we’re trying to do. We’re just not turning our dominance into victories. It’s up to me to unlock that last bit.”
