Ange Postecoglou holds explosive press conference amid immediate threat of Nottingham Forest sacking

Ange Postecoglou came out fighting on Friday amid serious uncertainty over his immediate future as Nottingham Forest boss.

The Australian is without a win in his first seven games in charge of the Midlands club after succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo in the dugout last month.

His shaky start has been made tougher by disgruntlement in the stands - and talkSPORT understands owner Evangelos Marinakis could sack him if Forest lose against Chelsea on Saturday - live on talkSPORT.

Ahead of that clash, Postecoglou hit back at the media over his reputation in a tense press conference.

When asked about Forest's run of form and the pressure he is under just weeks into his tenure, the former Tottenham boss gave an impassioned answer which lasted more than five minutes.

What did Postecoglou say?

"I guess from my perspective I just don't fit, not here, just in general,” Postecoglou said in response to the journalist's question.

"If you look at it through the prism of ‘I'm a failed manager who’s lucky to get this job’... I know you’re smirking at me but that’s what’s been said, right? I can find the story…

“…then of course this first five weeks, it looks like this guy’s under pressure, but there’s an alternative story you can look at.

“I came into the Premier League two years ago, I took over Tottenham, Spursy Tottenham, I was told by the chairman [Daniel Levy], ‘This club has to win a trophy, we tried to bring winners in, Jose [Mourinho], Antonio [Conte], is hasn’t worked, we need something different’.

“I was slightly offended by that because I see myself as a winner.

“I took over a Spurs that had finished eighth, Massive club but no European football, can’t go two years without European football. We finished fifth in my first year and every time Harry Kane scores a goal [for Bayern after leaving Spurs] I wished he just stayed one more year… it would have been handy to have him after finishing fifth.

“But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books, in fact it was used as a reason for me losing my job because even Tottenham decided to exclude the first ten games, because they were an anomaly, apparently… although the first ten games here are very important, apparently.

“But anyway, we finished fifth, I got them back into European football where a club like Tottenham should be, and I was in meetings and was told winning a trophy is everything for this football club. That’s fine.

“So we win a trophy, we shed the tag of being 'Spursy', we get Champions League football which brings some rewards, the opportunity to bring in better players.

“But all I've heard since I left Tottenham is that we finished 17th last year... so if you look at it through that prism, then yeah, I‘m a failed manager who was lucky to get another opportunity.

“But if i have to explain why he finished 17th, it’s very basic, it doesn't have to be too in-depth - just have a look at the last five or six teams sheets in the league last year and see what I prioritised, see who was on the bench and who was playing…

"And the last game against Brighton the players were out partying for two days [before], which I sanctioned because I felt they deserved it.

“So we get to the current space [at Forest], and there’s a different story to tell… that maybe I’m not a failed manager who was lucky to get this job, and instead maybe I’m a manager who, if you give them time, the story always ends the same, at all my previous clubs it ends the same - with me and a trophy.

“So, just to finish up, and it’s a long-winded answer which probably won’t get any coverage… you can look at this first five weeks and say, ‘He’s under pressure', and, 'He was lucky to get this job'.

“Or you can look at it and say, ‘There’s been a major change’, because I am trying to change the way we play, the players are adapting but there’s inconsistency in there for sure. Some will look at the weeds but I look at what’s growing.

"I'm really still excited about the opportunity here. I’ve got a group of young players who are willing to change, which is the first thing, and we're heading down that road.

“The rest of it, whether people don’t want to see that, I'm not going to waste my time or my energy worrying about that, and whether that’s internal or external, I couldn’t care less.

“At the end of the day I will do what I think is the right thing to do to bring success to this football club, and that’s what I'm focused on."

"Should have stayed in temporary digs"

Postecoglou then offered a cheeky response to claims that he is on the brink of a departure by admitting he may have jumped the gun a little by securing a new apartment.

He said: “The difference is saying that somebody should lose their job after five weeks…

"I mean I’ve only just found an apartment to move into, mate, which may be a bad decision on my behalf. I should have stayed in temporary digs… that’s how early it is.

“Yeah, we haven’t won a game, and I'm as disappointed as anyone about that, no one likes not winning games of football.

“The pressure is there, but the pressure is always there, the pressure is part of managing at this level. Does a win at the weekend ease the pressure? No, there’s always pressure.

“We’re all judged by our results and at the moment results are suggesting I'm not doing a very good job, but that’s a far cry from people speculating I should lose my job after five weeks.”

Pressure continues to mount

Postecoglou remains under significant pressure at Nottingham Forest with no guarantee he is given until the next international break to try and turn things around, talkSPORT understands.

Although Postecoglou will be in the dugout for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday, defeat in the game could result in owner Marinakis making an immediate change.

The former Spurs boss was made aware during the October break he must turn form around quickly.

Nottingham Forest used the October break to sound out replacements in case a change is needed.

And although Postecoglou was hired for his attack-minded approach, Marinakis is not afraid to bring in a more defensive-minded coach realising the season may require a different kind of style than first targeted.

Nuno was sacked due to a breakdown in relationship with Marinakis and tensions with global head of football Edu, but also because Forest wanted to build a different on-field identity.

Yet with Forest 17th in the table, Marinakis is now prepared to think shorter-term to try and ensure the club are not sucked into a relegation battle.

Sean Dyche is one option considered and is still a free agent after leaving Everton.

Fulham's Marco Silva is also high in Forest's thinking and is believed to have a release clause in his contract.

He is also known to Marinakis from their time together at Olympiacos.

US men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino is another name discussed, but sources close to the Argentine insist he is not looking to leave is current post before the World Cup.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is another name appreciated and if a change is not made now, could be a longer-term target due to the fact his contract expires next summer.

A Steve Cooper return is unlikely due to the fact the ex-Forest manager has only just started his role as head coach of Danish club Brondby.

Marinakis, who will be the primary decision maker despite consulting Edu, would still like it to work with Postecoglou, which is why he wasn't simply sacked in the immediate aftermath of a 2-0 loss at Newcastle before the international break.

But the Forest owner is also not afraid to be cut-throat.

talkSPORT understands Postecoglou is under review game-by-game and if results and performances don't improve, there is a strong chance a new manager is hired before the next international break.

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