Newcastle 2-0 Nottingham Forest
by Roger Domeneghetti 
at St James’ Park

ANGE POSTECOGLOU cut a lonely figure at the final whistle today. His search for a first win as Forest boss now stretches to seven games. He might not get an eighth.

He began the match with the angry demeanour of a man refused entry to his own daughter’s wedding reception, or someone who knew their job was on the line, screaming at fourth official Anthony Taylor after Morato and Anthony Elanga came together in an innocuous clash.

As the first half progressed, he became calmer. St James’ Park has not been a happy hunting ground for the Forest manager, who had lost on his last two visits with Spurs.

But here his team seemed determined to prove their critics wrong. This was Uefa Cup-winning Ange-ball, not near-relegation-from-the-Premier-League Ange-ball: defensive minded, not attacking focused.

They benefitted from the fact that Newcastle were themselves out of sorts. Nick Woltemade was kept quiet by Nikola Milenkovic, Toon old boy Elliot Anderson had the measure of Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the field. Anthony Elanga repeatedly squandered the good positions he found himself in. It made for a decidedly uneventful first half.

It was altogether different after the break as Newcastle took control of the game and threatened to overwhelm their guests. 

The opener came after Guimaraes won the ball of Morgan Gibbs-White and as the Forest player lay on the ground clutching his ankle, the Brazilian exchanged passes with Dan Burn before curling the ball beyond Matz Sels from just outside the box.

Then the damn threatened to burst. Sels, denied Sandro Tonali, Malick Thiaw and Harvey Barnes, Woltemade, who also cannoned a shot off the underside of the bar.

The German did eventually get on the scoresheet, slotting home confidently from the spot after Anderson’s foul on Guimaraes. It was no less than Newcastle deserved on the balance of the second half.

All Postecoglou could do was stand motionless. A slight shake of the head, the only show of emotion as both sets of fans serenading him with a rendition of “you’re getting sacked in the morning.”