Nottingham Forest legend Nigel Clough has now given his verdict on Ange Postecoglou

Nigel Clough Defends Ange Postecoglou Amid Tough Start at Nottingham Forest

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Nottingham Forest has gotten off to a rocky start, with the team still searching for their first win under the Australian manager. The poor run of form has sparked intense debate among fans and pundits alike.

While Postecoglou has had his fair share of critics in recent weeks, including sharp words from Tim Howard—who questioned his tactics and cited concerning statistics—others have stepped in to defend the former Celtic and Spurs boss. Micah Richards recently downplayed the concerns, and another Australian pundit also backed Postecoglou during this turbulent spell.

Now, former Nottingham Forest midfielder Nigel Clough has added his voice to the conversation, urging patience and defending the new head coach.

Nigel Clough: “Too Early to Judge Postecoglou”

Speaking on TalkSPORT on Monday, Clough—who was part of the Forest side that won consecutive League Cups—stressed that it’s far too early to draw conclusions about Postecoglou’s impact at the City Ground.

“It’s early days,” Clough told host Jeff Stelling. “From what I saw of the Sunderland game, they actually played quite well—they just didn’t take their chances the way they did last season.”

Clough pointed to striker Chris Wood as an example: “He had a couple of chances that, last year, he’d have buried with his eyes closed. Now, he’s missed one or two, and that could be the difference in these games.”

He added, “It’s a new regime, and Ange needs more than four weeks before we start judging him.”

Postecoglou’s Own Words Adding Pressure

While patience might be the logical approach, Postecoglou’s own comments are raising eyebrows—especially given the urgency he voiced at the beginning of his Forest reign.

Following his first match in charge, Postecoglou made it clear that time was not a luxury he could rely on:

“I cannot afford to waste time. This is not a project. This football club had a strong season last year; they need to be stronger this year, and my job is to get us to where I want us as quickly as possible.”

These remarks, which echo the decisive tone he became known for during his stint at Spurs, are now adding to the pressure. With each winless game, his window to turn things around narrows—and the Forest faithful are growing increasingly restless.