This was supposed to be a night for Nottingham Forest to savour. ‘For a new generation, our time has come,’ read the gigantic banners unfurled from the Trent End as the City Ground hosted its first European fixture in nearly three decades.

The last time such occasions came here, Forest’s vanquishers FC Midtjylland had not even been formed. Those supporters who had only ever experienced Forest’s European Cup triumphs from memories passed down through the generations, this was supposed to be one to enjoy.

That, however, was made much less possible as they had to watch their side labour in the same, predictable ways under Ange Postecoglou, whose record since taking over the club now reads: six games, zero wins.

Alex McLeish lasted seven games. How many will Ange Postecoglou get? 

Postecoglou heard them. You bet that owner Evangelos Marinakis heard them too.

McLeish lasted just 40 days in what is, until now, the shortest managerial reign of Forest’s modern era, back in 2013. Postecoglou is up to 24 now (as of Friday) since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo, whose name the Forest fans sung at full-time. He’s got Newcastle on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest fans chanted ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ at Ange Postecoglou

Alex McLeish lasted just 40 days at Forest in 2013, and Postecoglou is yet to win in six games

‘They are entitled to have an opinion,’ said Postecoglou. ‘I heard their opinion. Nothing surprises me in football anymore. I guess it’s just the climate we are in and it seems this is the way things are going.

‘It’s nothing I can control. I have just got to make sure we get some wins for this football club.

‘Yes, I do,’ he replied when asked if he still believed he could change Forest’s fortune around. ‘Nothing I saw tonight changes any part of that. I believe we are on the right track.’

This was supposed to be a night for Forest to savour. ‘For a new generation, our time has come,’ read the gigantic banners unfurled from the Trent End as the City Ground hosted its first European fixture in nearly three decades.

That, however, was made impossible as watched their side labour in the same, predictable ways.

Midtjylland set-piece expertise

Above the coffee machine at Midtjylland’s training ground a graph is pinned to the wall showing their goal difference from set-pieces. Not surprising for a club formerly owned by Brentford’s Matt Benham, a man who’s made a living from finding an edge. Well, the dead ball masters can add another couple to their tally.

How deadly, too, for a Forest side who have clearly inherited the same inability to defend them that plagued Tottenham under Postecoglou. An unmarked header at the back post from a simple free-kick in defeat here to Sunderland, another two from set-pieces here.

The first was a simple free-kick curled into the box, flicked on at the near post and stabbed in at the back by Ousmane Diao after just 18 minutes. The second, six minutes later, came from a corner, flicked on again at the near post and prodded in again from close range, this time by Mads Bech.

The handful of Midtjylland fans who had sneaked into the home end rejoiced, filmed themselves on their phone as furious Forest supporters demanded the stewards kick them out.

Ange Postecoglou stood with his hands on his head as FC Midtjylland scored their third – the Aussie is without a single win as Nottingham Forest boss

The Tricky Trees were unsurprisingly done by two set-pieces early on

Diao almost had a second from another corner on 32 minutes when he was afforded a free header on the penalty spot but, this time, Mats Sels in the Forest goal could watch it drift past the far post.

All seven of FC Midtjylland’s shots in the first half were from set-pieces. The near two Expected Goals they racked up in the opening 45 minutes alone was most by any side in an entire Europa League match in the last five seasons.

Postecoglou has many, many things to sort out to turn Forest around if he gets the chance. Defending the simplest of set pieces is top of the list. Maybe pin it above the coffee machine.

All change for Ange

If it were not hard enough for Postecoglou to implement a brand new style, moving from their rope-a-dope under Nuno Espirito Santo, he tried to bring in a brand new system too.

For the first time under Postecoglou, he started in a back three with goal scorer Dan Ndoye starting at wing-back and Morgan Gibbs-White, back into the starting line-up, on the right wing drifting central.

It didn’t work. Forest barely mustered a chance of note in the opening stages. Of their 12 shots on goal in the first half, six of them were from outside the box.

To compound matters, Postecoglou brought back defender Murillo from injury to play as one of the back three but injured himself again after less than half an hour. That, at least, saw Forest switch back to their usual system.

It was all just so disjointed. It was almost as if a team of players so drilled at playing one way was being asked to play in a completely different one.

It was not until late on when Chris Wood had two goals ruled out for offside before slotting home a penalty after a foul on Elliot Anderson that Forest looked threatening.

When it finally clicks, declared Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of the game, Forest will be ‘unstoppable’. They could be waiting a while. Marinakis is not, however, a man who likes waiting.

For the first time since he moved to the City Ground, Postecoglou started with a back three

It didn’t work. Postecoglou brought back Murillo from injury to play as one of the back three but he injured himself again after less than half an hour

A familiar goal

For all the new approach it was a shade ironic, and perhaps a little comforting for the suffering Forest fans, to see their equaliser come straight out of former manager Nuno Espirito Santo playbook.

Back to front, three passes, bish, bash, bosh. After Midtjylland cleared their lines, Forest fed the ball all the way back to Matz Sels, who launched the ball forwards into the right-hand channel for Morgan Gibbs-White to collect on the run, square it for Ndoye who had the easy job of tapping it in.

And then as if to really stick the knife in, Midtjylland’s third was a Nuno-esque counter-attack too as Valdemar Andreasen raced clear to slot home with two minutes to spare.

Dan Ndoye’s bagged Forest’s first goal in a familiar style for home fans at the City Ground

Evangelos Marinakis looked anything but pleased as he watched on from the stands

Postecoglou needs to find results – and quick – if he’s to see the end of the season

Under pressure already?

Forget the mist rolling in from the Trent, it’s the dark clouds rumbling into view that Forest and Postecoglou have to be worried about.

Those six winless games include ones against Championship side Swansea and newly promoted clubs Burnley and Sunderland. And now Midtjylland, a club that wasn’t even formed the last time Forest played a home game in Europe.

Marinakis has made it clear: he wants Forest to win the Europa League. That’s the priority.

Postecoglou was able to prioritise last season. If you believe the narrative, he jacked in Tottenham’s league hopes in January to focus purely on Europe. He cannot do that this season.

That was fine last year, when the promoted teams were dreadful. Forest’s defeat here just a few days ago proved the same luxury does not apply. Postecoglou has to find a way of balancing both. He has to find a way to win a game first and time is running out.