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.
“We haven’t had time to bed things in because the league is up and running, but already I can see the team is transformed in the way we’re working with the ball. I’ve always thought you can make a quick impact if your message is clear.”
Postecoglou was certainly happy with the way Forest carved out chances deep into the game. He had cut a glum figure on the touchline when Burnley hit back on the 20-minute mark via the impressive Quilindschy Hartman’s dart and cross from the left. Loum Tchaouna was beaten to the first header, but the second ball fell kindly for Anthony to guide home his third goal of the season – despite the scrambling attempts of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who ended up in the net with goalkeeper Matz Sels stranded.
It took a fingertip Martin Dubravka save to keep Burnley level after a flowing Forest move ended with a rasping Dilane Bakwa effort. Another one-touch sequence conjured up a presentable chance for Chris Wood, though the New Zealander’s finish was tame and easily snaffled by Dubravka.
Burnley endured a five-minute spell on the proverbial ropes before the break, desperately defending a series of cutbacks, many of them from the luckless Zinchenko. But Forest found a Claret wall in front of them – as they did for 88 minutes and more. And so back came the hosts, thriving on the counter and almost snatching a half-time lead when Tchaouna’s free-kick cannoned off the crossbar.
Parker, who had been impressed with his players’ response in the first half, saw them fly out of the traps in the second. Anthony was denied by Sels after dovetailing intelligently with Lyle Foster, then Tchaouna teased a ball across the six-yard box which evaded everyone.
The open feel of the game continued to yield regular chances at both ends, but Forest took greater control late on, with Wood ghosting in to flick wide at the near post before he was withdrawn to a chorus of boos from fans of his former club.
Sels parried from the livewire Anthony – who was lauded as “brilliant” by Parker – then Dubravka sprawled smartly across his goal to keep out a header from Igor Jesus, Wood’s replacement. The Burnley keeper produced a similar stop minutes later from Williams, who was in disbelief that his low volley had not ruffled the net.
Postecoglou rang the changes. Forest pushed a little harder. Hartman made a crucial block from another Forest substitute, Arnaud Kalimuendo, as it gradually became clear Burnley were clock-watching, content with a point. Withstanding a heavy Forest artillery and in even heavier rain, the home team stood firm, to the delight of Parker.
“A point was probably a justified result,” he said. “I thought our reaction to the goal was unbelievable really, the fact we ended the half in the ascendancy. At times we needed to survive and we can do that. And the fans drove us on. That character and togetherness was what pleased me the most. We are showing that we’re competitive.”
