‘I’ve picked fights’ – Postecoglou says reporter ‘might have been a lost cause’ in bizarre sack rebuttal
We’re not suggesting the pressure is getting to Ange Postecoglou, but claiming the reporter who asked him whether he fears for his Nottingham Forest future “might have been a lost cause at some point” in their life before insisting “I’ve picked fights in the schoolyard” may not be the responses of an entirely balanced man.
The Australian suffered his fifth defeat as Nottingham Forest manager on Sunday, as goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade secured victory for Newcastle in a seven-game winless run for Postecoglou.
The international break offers a very tempting opportunity for owner Evangelos Marinakis to sack his second manager of the season after Nuno Espírito Santo was shown the door last month. Brendan Rogers is now the favourite to take over, but the Greek chief has an alternative ‘prime candidate’ in mind.
READ MORE: Who will be next Nottingham Forest manager after Ange Postecoglou sack?
While the reporter covered up the track marks on their arm, Postecoglou said: “Seriously, what’s wrong with something being hard? What’s wrong with that? Why do we want everything delivered nicely packaged? I’m sure your parents had a struggle in their life and they didn’t give up. You might even have been a lost cause at some point, but they didn’t give up on you.
“It seems these days as soon as something goes wrong, it’s right, that’s it, it’s wrong, we’ll change it. Everything that needs something fixed is invariably going to go through a tough time.
“I see it being an exciting opportunity. That’s why I took the role. I still believe that now, more so than ever before. At the same time, you’ve got to embrace there’s going to be a fight and a struggle for it.
READ MORE: Angeball can’t prevent Postecoglou sack as doom-laden Forest outclassed at Newcastle
“I’m here in the Premier League at the age of 60, you reckon I lack self-belief or don’t like a fight? I didn’t get here because of my connections.
“In fact, I’ve picked fights. I have. In the schoolyard, I’ve picked fights with people I knew would beat me up. That’s the kind of person I am.
“I totally understand it’s part of the fanfare around the Premier League that there needs to be a manager under the spotlight. It’s my turn at the moment. But like most managers, we enjoy having a challenge on our hands.”
And it’s good that Forest’s playground underdog does indeed enjoy that challenge as his task gets no easier following the international break, with Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth and Manchester United to come.
Who knows whether he will last that long, but the 60-year-old will go down swinging, talking nonsense.
