Ange Postecoglou stood on the touchline with mouth agog at the final whistle, stunned at what he had just witnessed from his Nottingham Forest team.
This was supposed to be the match where his tenure had lift-off. It was supposed to be the game where his ideas and identity really took hold.
Wednesday night, he had promised, would really mark the start of Ange-ball. In the end, it did, but not exactly in the way the 60-year-old had intended it.
The Reds showcased two very different sides to their game as they threw away a two-goal lead in their third-round tie. Championship Swansea City dumped them out of the Carabao Cup courtesy of a dramatic finale in which they scored twice in added time.
It means Postecoglou’s wait for his first win as head coach goes on. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the big talking points from Forest’s 3-2 defeat in south Wales.
Positive performances
Despite the outcome, it wasn’t all bad against the Swans. As Postecoglou shuffled his pack, this was an opportunity for a number of the squad to show what they are about, and several of them caught the eye.
Three players were handed their debuts in John Victor, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz. Meanwhile, Nicolo Savona, Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa, James McAtee and Igor Jesus all made their first starts.
The Reds spent big in the summer transfer window, and they have received much praise for the business done. Here was a chance for some of their new recruits to push their way into the manager’s thinking.
Bakwa must certainly have done that. He picked up from where he had left off against Arsenal with another fine performance. He will surely soon be a regular starter.
Luiz likewise, as he looked a class act. Zinchenko, too, impressed and seems capable of filling in while Ola Aina is sidelined. Jesus’ two goals will do him the power of good, while Arnaud Kalimuendo came on for the Brazilian at half-time and also proved to be a handful.
Postecoglou now has some food for thought when it comes to picking his team. Some established starters might find their places under threat.
Ange-ball in full flow
Postecoglou pledged to get the Reds playing exciting football when he was unveiled last week. They did indeed put together some lovely passages of play in this cup clash.
If anything best summed up Ange-ball and the style the Greek-born Australian will want to see more of it was Jesus’ second goal. It was a terrific team move with some sublime passing.
The finish was a simple one - just a tap-in - but the build-up was superb. Savona threaded the ball perfectly for McAtee, who sent it across to the opposite flank for Hutchinson. The £37.5 million man might have gone for goal himself but instead laid it on a plate for Jesus.
When Ange-ball works like that, it is a delight to watch and can be brilliantly effective. Forest had plenty of other opportunities to build on that lead and kill the game off, they just couldn’t take them.
According to the stats, the visitors finished with an xG (expected goals) of 2.83, whereas Swansea’s was just 0.72. For all the entertainment, there is still a need for the Reds to be more ruthless and clinical.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
Complacency the killer
At 2-0 up, Forest should have had enough about them to see the game out at the Swansea.com Stadium. A raft of changes made - a couple at half-time and another two just past the hour mark - perhaps didn’t help matters on this occasion but it was more about the Reds’ mindset.
Postecoglou put their collapse down to complacency. It was an honest assessment, and hard to argue otherwise.
Not putting away chances played a part, as did struggling to defend set-pieces - something which is already clearly an issue that needs to be addressed. But whereas Swansea had the bit between their teeth in the latter stages, Forest just switched off.
“I just got the feeling tonight that towards the end we just thought it would naturally pan out that we would win the game,” Postecoglou said. “That’s not how football works.”
What happened on Wednesday night will be a harsh lesson for some. But some experienced players were on the pitch right at the death and ought to have seen the tie out professionally.
What next?
Two games into his tenure, Postecoglou undoubtedly has some work to do. Burnley on Saturday (3pm kick-off) has suddenly become an even bigger game, particularly coming before next week’s Europa League opener against Real Betis.
The Reds really need a win and to get off the mark under the new man. They need to build a bit of momentum and get a shot of confidence.
Prior to the midweek game, Postecoglou had built up the Carabao Cup as a big opportunity to stake a claim for silverware. Instead, it was one that went begging.
For the most part, there was much to like about Wednesday’s display. A number of players put in good performances and there was some delightful football played.
But the end result changed the narrative. Forest shouldn’t be conceding two goals in stoppage time like that in any competition or to any team.
“You learn a lot from everything. From my perspective, you understand some of the things we need to work on so we can get to where we want to,” Postecoglou said afterwards.
There is no doubt the Reds have a good squad, packed with exciting talent. Postecoglou has much to work with but also plenty to work on.
What went wrong for Forest at Swansea? Click HERE to have your say