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Nearly three weeks after he was appointed, Ange Postecoglou will finally take charge of a game at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest boss.
The Australian would prefer to be heading home to face Sunderland on Saturday with at least one win on the ledger, instead of two draws and two defeats.
But Postecoglou insists his messages are starting to be heard and as Forest opened their Europa League campaign with a 2-2 draw at Real Betis, there was some evidence he is right.
After a thrilling clash at La Cartuja stadium, Daily Mail Sport examines the key issues facing Forest as they learn the ropes under their new boss.
More attacking options
Last season Chris Wood struck 20 goals in the Premier League – more than a third of Forest’s final total of 58. Under Postecoglou, Wood has yet to find the net. Yet in contrast to last season, there are others to pick up the slack if Wood is not scoring, notably Igor Jesus.
The Brazilian, a £16.5million capture from Botafogo, was not highly rated by Nuno Espirito Santo but Postecoglou has placed faith in him and been repaid with four goals in three matches, including two against Betis.
Ange Postecoglou is still without a win as Nottingham Forest manager
New recruit Igor Jesus is flying under his club's new Australian boss with four goals in three matches
The Tricky Trees blew a lead to draw 2-2 in Seville on Wednesday night
Jesus’ heatmap suggests he has the ability of Wood to stay between the posts and poach, while also coming deeper to link the play. Against Betis, he touched the ball 24 times and also wasted two glorious chances.
It is an impressive start for a player in a new league. Jesus was also booked in the first half and may need to curb his enthusiasm when tackling, but the early signs are very positive.
Gibbs-White’s new role – and what it may mean
Under Nuno, Gibbs-White was Forest’s attacking fulcrum. Operating in the No10 role, Gibbs-White was able to move largely where he pleased when Forest had the ball and he produced some brilliant moments, finishing the campaign with seven goals and 10 assists.
Based on those displays, Forest refused to sell Gibbs-White to Tottenham for £60m in the summer and instead made him the highest-paid player in the history of the club.
Recently, the 25-year-old has struggled for form, which happens to all but the greatest players. Yet there are signs that he no longer has the keys to the team. Increasingly, those belong to Elliot Anderson.
Against Betis, Postecoglou switched to 4-3-3/4-1-4-1, with Gibbs-White in an unfamiliar spot wide on the right and Anderson in the No8 role. While Gibbs-White did well in patches, and moved back inside for the second half, Anderson was excellent throughout.
Morgan Gibbs-White is another star who's flourishing under Postecoglou
While his midfield compatriot Elliot Anderson is becoming his side's main man
Anderson is developing into the main man for this side. It will be fascinating to see how Gibbs-White adapts to that.
Learning to be ruthless
Under Nuno, Forest won 12 league games without conceding and while they owed some of those victories to the brilliance of goalkeeper Matz Sels, they knew how to see games through once ahead.
With Postecoglou in charge, Forest are the opposite. Despite taking the lead in three of his four matches, they are yet to win one.
More worryingly, they are conceding late. Swansea scored twice in stoppage time to knock Forest out of the Carabao Cup last weekend, and Antony’s equaliser for Real Betis came in the 85th minute. In Postecoglou’s first season at Tottenham, his side conceded 14 times after the 80-minute mark, including eight in stoppage time.
It is no surprise that Forest tired against Betis. The home side are accustomed to heat and humidity in September, whereas Forest are not. Swansea’s late goals were somewhat freakish, especially the winner. But still Postecoglou will want to stamp on these late lapses early in his reign.
Forest must however learn to be ruthless if they're to turn their poor form around
Former Man United winger Antony bagged the equaliser with a right-footed half-volley late on
Wood fighting for spot
Not only was Chris Wood left out of the starting XI against Betis, he spent the full 90 minutes on the bench. Last season, this would happen only if Wood were unavailable, or in a match Nuno really did not care about.
With Jesus in this sort of form, Wood now his serious competition for his place. And it felt significant that Arnaud Kalimuendo, rather than Wood, was introduced in the second half when Jesus was brought off.
Asked why he had picked Jesus, Postecoglou referenced the Brazilian’s ability to stretch defences by running into space behind then. Wood is no slouch but he is not as quick as the other two.
Wood scored twice in the opening day win over Brentford but has not found the net since. He will be determined to show he is the No1 striker once more.
