The Magpies' Bruno Guimarães Compounds Ange Postecoglou's Growing Crisis at Nottingham Forest
Forest's manager strode for the exit deep in thought, gaze fixed on the ground. After 7 games in charge and zero wins, his immediate future looked as murky as a fog on the Tyne.
While Newcastle were not at their best level, second-half strikes from the Brazilian midfielder and Nick Woltemade—the latter a spot-kick—eventually secured them a restorative another Premier League win this campaign.
At kick-off, Postecoglou's padded jacket swaddled him similar to a blanket, but his restless body language indicated it offered no solace.
No coat could shield him from the fear that his winless start by the Trent—having arrived as the only manager in a century to go winless in his opening six fixtures—would continue before a possible sacking over the upcoming pause.
However, his side did not do too badly during a defensively stingy first half.
While Elliot Anderson at times upstaged even Sandro Tonali in midfield, reminding everyone why Eddie Howe was so reluctant to sell the academy product, the defender marked the striker out of the game, and Nicolò Savona gave the full-back problems down the home left.
Credit to Woltemade, who got little supply to his feet or head, his side's creative department was not quite clicking.
True, it took a fine fingertip save from the Forest goalkeeper—ex- Newcastle shot-stopper—to keep out Joelinton effort, and the midfielder failed to convert a couple opportunities, but generally, the visitors' defense was significantly better.
Considering it is only a month since the Australian replaced his predecessor and matches have come in quick succession, leaving minimal time to put into practice his ideas on the practice field, all the speculation of an impending dismissal seemed faintly ridiculous.
Or at least it did until Guimarães lifted a effort past the keeper and into the upper net from the edge of the area.
It left the manager shaking his head in apparent despair, wearing the pained look of a man who had just lost his keys.
The Forest squad complained about a perceived foul on Morgan Gibbs-White by Guimarães in the buildup, but their protests were ignored by the officials.
As the Italian now ascendant in midfield, Anderson was not the sole visiting player struggling to make an impact.
At this point, Postecoglou had removed his coat and rolled up the sleeves of his sweater. With his team seldom looking capable of finding the net and Newcastle looking to break down their previously much-enhanced defensive organisation, he was obviously under pressure.
It took a further excellent stop from Sels to deny the midfielder's volleyed attempt, before the following corner led to Woltemade's shot crashing the bottom of the bar.
Sels then made an superb two quick stops from Malick Thiaw and Harvey Barnes before finally being beaten again from the penalty spot by the German.
That spot-kick was given when Anderson's poorly timed tackle brought Guimarães crashing to the ground.
Up stepped, the German forward to beat the goalie by chipping a quite bold penalty into the top left corner.
That marked Woltemade's 4th strike for Newcastle since his £70m move from the German side in August, making a mockery of comments from senior figures at Bayern Munich that Newcastle were “idiots” to spend so heavily for the striker.
It wasn't his finest performance in black and white, but his ability to retain possession and use his sticky control to connect attacks is already well on the way to a fan favorite on Tyneside.