Ange Postecoglou finds himself in an awkward spot. As Midtjylland streamed forward on the counterattack to score their third goal of a sobering evening, the Nottingham Forest head coach rested both hands on his head. The scenes that followed were close to extraordinary, sections of the home support, just 23 days into the manager’s reign, singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” Then things got even more painful, the same fans singing the name of his predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo and many turning towards Evangelos Marinakis, watching on his own private television in the directors’ box.
Postecoglou insisted Forest had done their homework and understood what was always going to be a tricky assignment. He acknowledged Midtjylland would be messy opponents but their direct “vertical football” proved Forest’s undoing, the Danish side twice scoring from set pieces before Valdemar Byskov Andreasen capped the scoring after Dario Osorio pinched possession from Callum Hudson-Odoi. Chris Wood’s stoppage-time penalty proved merely a consolation. Postecoglou is now six games without victory.
Before kick-off at least, this was another moment to cherish for Forest, as they staged their first European fixture here since Bayern Munich’s 5-1 triumph in March 1996. At which point Midtjylland had not even been formed, that coming three years later when Herning, the 55,000-population town in western Denmark where they play home games, and Ikast, where they now train, merged. Marinakis, the night after watching his first club, Olympiakos, at the Emirates Stadium, was in the building, sauntering on to the pitch to survey the scene prematch.
Everything was in place for the occasion: the pyrotechnics as the players emerged, the Europa League-branded tunnel arch and a sellout crowd. The tifo in the Trent End was typically brilliant, an image of a Forest campervan with Postecoglou at the wheel and the words: “For a new generation our time has come”. So, everything was primed for Postecoglou to register that elusive first win?
And yet at the same time it was impossible to avoid the sense that this game had the hallmarks of a trap. Forest are grappling with heightened expectations and they trailed at the interval after again being exposed at set pieces. On Saturday, Sunderland profited from a free-kick to score the only goal of the game and Midtjylland twice found joy from set pieces in the first half, Ousmane Diao prodding in at the back post after captain Mads Bech Sørensen, formerly of Brentford, flicked on a free-kick. Cue a few Midtjylland supporters making themselves known in the home end.
Dan Ndoye forced the visiting goalkeeper Elias Rafn Ólafsson into a save and the winger restored parity a few minutes later, applying the finishing touch to a marvellous first-time Morgan Gibbs-White cross. But Forest were level for just two minutes, Bech Sørensen poking in from close range after the hosts failed to deal with a corner. The former Bournemouth midfielder Philip Billing won the flick at the front post and Martin Erlic forced Matz Sels into an instinctive save on the goalline but Bech Sørensen was on hand to feast on the leftovers.
Postecoglou’s Tottenham team were vulnerable from set pieces last season – only Arsenal, Southampton and Wolves conceded more from set plays in the Premier League – and it was a recurring problem here. Forest have now failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their nine matches this season. Things got worse when Murillo, back in the starting lineup after injury, limped off before the half-hour mark. There was further alarm for Forest in the first half when Diao peeled off his man at another corner and directed a header wide of goal. The inquest had already started in the stands.
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Forest enjoyed the better of the second half, Elliot Anderson – again the best player on the pitch – curling an early shot wide to leave Postecoglou slapping his thighs. Then came a more hopeful effort by Neco Williams, who operated as a left wing-back until Murillo’s exit triggered a shift to a 4-1-4-1. Ibrahim Sangaré hammered a sizzling 30-yard shot wide from Anderson’s free-kick layoff. Midtjylland seemed content to dig in, though their overzealousness in the challenge led Postecoglou to ask questions of the officials; Anderson’s shirt was plainly pulled before Kevin Mbabu was cautioned for clattering Hudson-Odoi.
The ground fell silent as Ndoye spurned a late chance and then the substitute Wood twice had the ball in net, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside on both occasions. Forest attempted to dial up the pressure and Gibbs-White sent an inviting ball across the six-yard box to force a panicked defensive clearance. Forest pushed but it was the pocket of 200 away fans in the lower tier of the Bridgford Stand who were the ones bouncing at the full-time whistle.
