Postecoglou ‘excited’ to defend his trophy with Forest

Four months aft starring Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League triumph successful Bilbao Ange Postecoglou has returned to Spain and UEFA’s second-tier nine contention with a caller challenge, and helium cannot wait.

Postecoglou ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for a large trophy with that win implicit Manchester United – and was rewarded with the sack.

He is present astatine Nottingham Forest, and their trophy drought is twice arsenic agelong astatine 35 years. But it is not that 1990 Football League Cup win that Forest fans are recalling arsenic they hole for the club’s visit to Seville to play Real Betis.

Forest are two-time kings of Europe, winning the European Cup (now Champions League) successful 1979 and 1980 under the charismatic managerial genius Brian Clough, and the memories still pain brightly.

But this will beryllium their archetypal Continental necktie successful 10,781 days, since a UEFA Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich successful March 1996.

Asked if it feels similar a large infinitesimal for the club, the Australian said: “Oh absolutely. Without a shadiness of a doubt.

“Thirty years, a nine that’s perfectly climbed to the highest of European shot successful the past and you tin conscionable ideate however the supporters are feeling.

“There’s astir apt a mates of generations successful there who’ve heard the stories but not lived the experiences. Now they tin unrecorded their ain experiences.”

For Postecoglou himself the run is simply a title defence and helium added: “I’m excited by it. When I made the determination to judge the position, it was 1 of the astir enticing bits.”

Forest will beryllium cheered connected by 3,385 travelling fans astatine the cavernous La Cartuja successful Seville, where Betis are playing while their Estadio Benito Villamarin is redeveloped.

Postecoglou is successful the aboriginal stages of transforming Forest from the safety-first shot practised by his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo to the attacking style helium is known for.

He is yet to win a lucifer aft two defeats and a draw, each distant from home, since taking implicit earlier this month.

While the team transitions helium recognises helium whitethorn person to compromise, successful Europe astatine least.

“It’s just to accidental that the world is crying retired for maine to beryllium pragmatic,” helium said. “But I’m conscionable not built that way.

“I’ve ever said what I similar to bash and what I bask much than thing is winning, so whatever it takes we’ll do.

“In the last we [Tottenham] had to play a definite way due to the fact that of the availability of the players we had.

“I think you bash person to attack the Europa League a small spot differently.

“Tactically, there’s some tweaks you request to marque to let the players to execute astatine their best. I still want to win each game.”

Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who played under Postecoglou astatine Spurs, praised the Australian.

“Obviously helium is simply a large coach,” the Argentina planetary said. “He is simply a manager that likes the champion benignant of football.”

Betis mislaid the third-tier Conference League last to Chelsea past play and with Forest are among the Europa League favourites.

Coached by erstwhile Real Madrid and Manchester City brag Manuel Pellegrini they person made a mixed start to the Spanish league play with three draws distant and two wins and a nonaccomplishment astatine home.

Source: AAP with PA