Second-half goals from Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimaraes sealed a 2-0 win for Newcastle over Nottingham Forest to pile the pressure on winless Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou has now gone seven games without a win. The question marks over his future will dominate the international break after claiming a solitary point from his first four league matches to leave Forest just above the relegation zone.
The Forest head coach, who was already on thin ice heading into this game, dispensed of Angeball at St James’ Park and set up to defend with a back five but once their stubborn resistance was broken, the Australian had no answers.
“It’s alright. It’s a struggle, it’s a fight. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports after the game. “It doesn’t worry me. That’s why I love what I do.
“I could’ve been sitting on a couch watching you guys, depending on who’s on, probably on mute, but I prefer to be here, you know, prefer to be right in the middle of it, where I can have an effect. And I believe I will.”
Guimaraes’ stunning strike just before the hour evaded Forest keeper Matz Sels to open the scoring and Newcastle doubled their lead from the penalty spot late in the game through club-record signing Nick Woltemade for his third goal in three games.
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Bruno Guimaraes’ stunning strike breaks the deadlock for Newcastle in their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest
Newcastle had made their worst start to a league season under Eddie Howe, with just one victory in their first six, but momentum is now gathering after they followed up their 4-0 thrashing of Belgian side Union SG with another convincing win against Forest.
They had made life tough for Newcastle, though, until Guimaraes curled in the opener from 20 yards after winning the ball from Morgan Gibbs-White in midfield and getting it back from Dan Burn on the edge of the box. Not even Sels, who made some fine saves, could keep it out.
VAR checked the goal for a potential foul on Gibbs-White after Forest’s complaints but it was deemed that goalscorer Guimaraes got enough of the ball before the subsequent contact.
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Bruno Guimaraes’ stunning strike breaks the deadlock for Newcastle in their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest
Elliot Anderson, the star man at Forest this season, brought down Guimaraes in the box in the final 10 minutes to give away a penalty on his return to boyhood club Newcastle. Woltemade found the top corner, dispatching one of the best spot-kicks you will see this season.
Forest striker Chris Wood, last season’s hero, spurned a glorious chance early in the first half when found at the back post by Gibbs-White on a disappointing afternoon for him, but other than that Postecoglou’s side never posed a genuine threat to Newcastle.
Carra: It will be a long international break for Ange
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:
“It’s going to be a long two weeks for Ange Postecoglou to get those players back, a few of them may go away on international duty.
“So it’s been a really tough start for him. Tough season last season, he went out with a bang with what happened at Tottenham, with a trophy. Fantastic way to go out for him.
“But for the majority of last season, he was in this position, losing games of football. Uncomfortable isn’t it for him right now until he gets that first win on the board, and he’s going to have to wait another couple of weeks at the very least.”
Bruno: Break comes at the wrong time for Newcastle
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes speaking to Sky Sports:
“Has the international break come at a bad time? I think so, even more two weeks in a row, like I said, and now I have to stop a little bit.
“But yes, let’s, let’s see. Let’s go. For myself, going to South Korea and Japan, with Brazil two friendlies. A little bit far away, but have to be ready to go there and play well and come back.
“We have Brighton and after the Champions League game, so we have to be in our best international as well.”
