Welcome back to English football, Ange Postecoglou. In the teeming rain at Turf Moor, with the home fans baying for blood, it was the kind of environment the former Tottenham manager must have missed in his short time away. Against a spirited Burnley side who have a clear identity and a point to prove in the Premier League, this was a test Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest ultimately failed. He is now winless in three games in charge.
It looked unlikely Forest would drop points at Burnley after Neco Williams’ early thunderbolt, but a Jaidon Anthony equaliser 18 minutes later capped a dogged display by Scott Parker’s side, who were good value for the draw.
The second-minute opener, smashed home by Williams when Burnley failed to deal with Douglas Luiz’s inswinging corner, represented an early tonic for Postecoglou. The Australian, who was without two of his first-choice back four with Ola Aina and Murillo stricken, had looked shellshocked after their late Carabao Cup collapse at Swansea in midweek.
“It was important we didn’t lose today,” said Postecoglou, who believed there were signs his players are acclimatising quickly to his style of play. “I was very encouraged by the way the players endeavoured to play their football.
