ANGE POSTECOGLOU was left clinging to his job after Nottingham Forest’s second half collapse at Newcastle.
Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade sealed the 2-0 triumph to provide Eddie Howe with just a second Premier League win this term.
AlamyBruno Guimaraes found the back of the net from range[/caption]
GettyNick Woltemade’s goal made it three in three in the league at St James’ Park[/caption]
But this could well be the end for Postecoglou at Forest as his dire record stretched to seven games without a victory.
Even though the under-pressure Aussie had been in a defiant mood pre-match regarding his job, he was animated early doors here in his technical area.
And he let the fourth official have it after a coming together between Anthony Elanga and his old Forest team-mate Morato went unpunished, screaming: “Are you f***ing serious?”
Postecoglou, hands in pockets, then watched on as his men weathered the early storm.
Kieran Trippier’s pull-back was sidefooted straight at ex-Magpies stopper Matz Sels by Joelinton.
The Belgian stopper was then hit again with a one-handed dive to deny Brazilian’s header.
And once that brief wave was over, confidence began to grow amongst the visitors.
Former team-mates Elliot Anderson, desperate to show again why Newcastle should never have sold him despite their PSR woes, and a clearly frustrated Joelinton had an interesting coming together but Forest’s ploy started to become clear.
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They wanted Morgan Gibbs-White going at left-back Dan Burn as often as possible, and the gentle Geordie giant was given a torrid time of it for a good quarter of an hour.
Gibbs-White, who stung Nick Pope’s hands with a free-kick, got past him to whip in a cross, but Chris Wood’s touch let him down as the opportunity went begging.
It was not the result that under-fire Ange Postecoglou had hoped forGetty
They had Toon on the back foot, and with the game constantly stopping through niggling fouls, Postecoglou’s game-plan was working.
St. James’ Park had been silenced, so much so there was even a cheeky taunt from the Forest faithful as they sang: “Where’s your famous atmosphere?”
Sandro Tonali dragged one wide but the whistle to bring an end to a frustratingly dull and niggly opening period was met by huge cheers from the away end.
So far, so good for Ange. But it still felt like a huge half time for both camps.
He knew how much he needed a win here to stop even more storm clouds gathering.
While Howe just needed something to happen. For all the freedom and magic from their attack in Brussels in midweek, they just couldn’t get going.
For all the pride he had in the solidness of Forest’s defence, Postecoglou’s heart was in his mouth after the restart.
Anthony Gordon beat his man and crossed low into the middle. Morato made a right mess of the clearance, flicking it up perfectly for Nick Woltemade.
The big German hadn’t had a sniff in the first half but he struck this with everything he had, but Forest’s Brazilian centre-back recovered brilliantly to block a certain opener.
Toon’s tails were up. And they got the breakthrough in fashion right before the hour.
But it left Postecoglou and his players fuming. Guimaraes flattened Gibbs-White in the centre as Burn picked up the loose ball.
GettyGuimaraes was in fine form as he fired Newcastle up the table[/caption]
He galloped towards goal and played it back to his South American skipper to bend it right into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Postecoglou was furious, demanding a foul on Gibbs-White, but when your luck’s out, your luck’s out.
That was Plan A out the window. Now what could he muster up to save things… and perhaps his job.
He responded with a triple change, Igor Jesus on for Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi replacing Ryan Yates and Omari Hutchinson taking over from Dan Ndoye.
On the other side, it had felt like something special would be needed for Newcastle, and their leader had produced the goods.
And now, with momentum behind them, they were hungry for more.
Sels had to backpeddle to tip over a cushioned first-time effort from Tonali and he had his crossbar to thank from the resulting corner.
The ball fell for Woltemade, but his ferocious strike crashed back off the woodwork.
Sels kept his team in it again when he stood up well to deny sub Harvey Barnes when clean through but the pressure was mounting.
Cracks were starting to appear and it ended up being Anderson who gifted his boyhood club the chance to clinch it.
Shutterstock EditorialWoltemade smashed his penalty into the top left corner[/caption]
His loose touch let the ball get away from him in the area, and his lunge to clear sent Guimares tumbling.
Up stepped Woltemade. And he made no mistake in slamming home into Sels’ top right corner.
That was his fourth goal in five starts since his club-record £69m move from Stuttgart.
“Sacked in the morning” rang out around the ground as Postecoglou stood crestfallen in front of the dug-out.
And he now faces an anxious wait to see whether Evangelos Marinakis sticks with him as they head into the international break down in 17th.
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