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Ange Postecoglou is determined to convince Nottingham Forest’s board to keep confidence in his managerial philosophy when he holds talks with the team's principal Evangelos Marinakis in coming days.

Defiant Postecoglou sees positive indicators during poor results

The former Tottenham manager was in defiant, nearly humorous form after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle. It extended his run without a win to seven games since he succeeded Nuno Espírito Santo recently. Yet Postecoglou, who surprisingly started with a five-man defense, detected signs of progress as he gets ready for crucial discussions with club officials.

"Yes, it’s a lost cause," he said, sarcastically. "I view this as an thrilling chance. One must be ready for the battle and the challenge. It would be foolish to be sitting here at the sixty years old if I was without confidence or fight. Even in the playground I picked fights with people that beat me up."

Premier League pantomime lightly criticized

Warming to his theme, the Forest manager lightly teased the drama of English top division that typically requires that at least one manager is always considered 'under pressure'. "I get that this is part of the fanfare of the Premier League that it needs one manager to be in the limelight. Should individuals wish to assess me less than a month into the job, there's no words or actions that will change that."

"However my observations and experienced in this timeframe is that we are moving in the direction I want us to. The results will arrive. In the meantime it is a battle and a fight and there is nothing wrong with that. Life doesn't give things provided easily on a plate in existence, we have to work hard. I have fought for things all my life. Why must everyone want everything perfectly arranged? The attitude today seems to be that, as soon as something goes wrong, you change it."

Embracing the test at the club

Amid much hilarity, he suggested that one reporter might have been "hopeless at some point but your parents persevered on you."

Postecoglou then restated that he had joined the Nottingham Forest with his full awareness and always understood that his effort to alter the team's approach would not be straightforward. "I knew this was a big challenge," he said. "There's nothing wrong with that. I don't know why people think difficulties are a burden, I enjoy a challenge. The other option is staying home viewing matches and I prefer not to do that. Should journalists have great enjoyment about this situation I am unconcerned. I couldn't care less."