Nottingham Forest were beaten by Arsenal as Ange Postecoglou received a baptism of fire.
Forest saw Murillo limp off in the 37th minute of a 3-0 defeat, and from that point it was largely one-way traffic with the Gunners barely breaking sweat.
Elliot Anderson lauded Postecoglou for the message he gave his players after the game, and it would appear that better days will be on the horizon for Forest.
Postecoglou has hinted at changes to his Forest team for Wednesday’s game against Swansea in the Carabao Cup, and it will be fascinating to see what he picks.
After the defeat, Gary Lineker has been delivering his verdict on the defeat for Forest away at Arsenal.
Ange Postecoglou on the sideline as Nottingham Forest manager
Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images
Gary Lineker thinks Ange Postecoglou missed a trick vs Arsenal
Postecoglou was very impressed with three Forest players against Arsenal, but it was a day to forget.
The new Forest head coach was ridiculed by Arsenal fans throughout the clash and he will hope to start proving some people wrong this season.
Lineker thinks he might have missed a trick by even agreeing to take charge of the game against Arsenal as his first match in the Forest dugout.
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He said on The Rest is Football podcast: “I wonder if Ange Postecoglou missed a trick. Do you know that new manager thing where they say, ‘you know, I think I will watch the first one from the stands’, Arsenal away, it obviously didn’t bother him to take charge, but I think he only had one day of training with his team. It’s a tough game to judge him on.
“The injury to Murillo was a real shame for Forest as well, he was brilliant in that opening period.”
Forest have to beat Swansea on Wednesday
Given the plethora of talent sitting on the Forest bench for the last three Forest matches, there’s no excuse to be on the wrong end of a cup upset against Swansea.
Postecoglou will almost certainly make changes to the side that lost to Arsenal, and with Burnley to play on Saturday, it looks like a big week for the Reds.
With Postecoglou proving an unpopular Forest appointment, the Australian needs to get the team firing quickly and get the fan base united behind him.
Lineker perhaps as a point but the fact the head coach did take charge of Forest against Arsenal perhaps speaks volumes over how he will try and conduct himself at the club.