Forest held by Betis as Postecoglou’s early tenure shows signs of direction

Nottingham Forest could not claim a first win under Ange Postecoglou as they drew 2-2 with Real Betis in Seville on Wednesday, keeping the new manager’s start in a winless run at four matches. The result, earned in the Europa League opener at the La Cartuja stadium, left Forest with two draws and two defeats as they begin to test Postecoglou’s methods on big-stage fixtures and in unfamiliar conditions.

Forest took the lead into the latter stages of the first half but Betis struck back twice, with Antony’s late equaliser in the 85th minute denying a potential shock win for the visitors. The Spanish side preserved their momentum after a tense 45 minutes in which Forest full of pace and intent did not shy from pressing high. The match highlighted a clash of styles: Betis’ fluency and movement against Forest’s new formation and energy under their Australian boss. Forest also carried over a familiar dilemma from previous campaigns: regulation of late goals, an issue that has cropped up in recent fixtures.

The match also provided early glimpses of the strategic choices Postecoglou is making. A key theme has been increased attacking options. Last season, Chris Wood scored 20 Premier League goals for Forest, a substantial portion of the team’s output, but the Australian has given Wood less of a starting role in the early games and instead leaned on Igor Jesus to spearhead the attack alongside other midfielders with pace and goal threat. Jesus, a £16.5million signing from Botafogo, has started three matches and already has four goals in those appearances, including two against Betis. The Brazilian showed a propensity for running in behind and stretching defences, while also showing the composure to be involved in build‑up play. His movement has helped Forest open spaces for teammates, but he also had chances against Betis that did not yield a goal, including a couple of gilt-edged opportunities that they could not convert.

The way Forest use their attackers is also evolving. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Gibbs-White operated as the primary attacking fulcrum in a No. 10 role, drifting and linking play with relative freedom. He finished the previous season with seven goals and 10 assists and became Forest’s record signing, but his form has flickered in the early weeks of Postecoglou’s tenure. In Seville, Gibbs-White was pushed into a wider right role as Elliot Anderson took up the No. 8 position in a 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 shape that Postecoglou tried to implement to maximize his midfield depth. Gibbs-White complied with the tactical shift, while Anderson, more or less newly integrated with the first team, impressed with continued energy, ball progression and off-ball running.

Anderson’s rising influence is perhaps the most immediately noticeable evolution. The 21-year-old midfielder has seized a central role in the implementation of Postecoglou’s approach, filling the space behind the striker and driving Forest’s tempo in midfield. Gibbs-White has shown flashes of his old creativity in stretches, but there is clear intent that Anderson is becoming the team’s primary driver in the middle, a development that could shape how Forest balance attack and defense as the campaign progresses.

Learning to be ruthless remains a work in progress. Under Nuno, Forest won several matches by defending a lead, sometimes impeccably, and absorbing pressure late in games. Under Postecoglou, they have taken the lead in three of four matches but have yet to win one, and late concessions have become a worrying pattern. Swansea’s stoppage-time goals knocked Forest out of the Carabao Cup last weekend, and Antony’s late strike for Betis at the weekend mirrored that vulnerability. Postecoglou’s experience at Tottenham has shown him how rapidly matches can tilt after the 80th minute, and he will be eager to stamp out such lapses as he shapes a more ruthless unit.

For Forest’s personnel decisions, the match at Betis underscored a shift in how the squad will rotate around the fit of Jesus and Wood. Wood started on the substitute bench, a change from expected norms for a player who had previously been the first-choice striker in many games. With Jesus providing pace and a desire to stretch defenses, Wood found himself contending for a spot in a competition where his finishing pedigree is no longer the sole criterion for selection. Kalimuendo’s appearance in the second half—rather than Wood—suggested a willingness to use different profiles in forward positions. Postecoglou explained that Jesus’s pace and ability to run into space behind the back line can threaten opponents in different ways than Wood, whose strengths lie in hold-up play and finishing on through balls.

As Forest turn toward their next assignment, the plan remains to give the new system time to bed in while Capitalising on the team’s rising confidence in Jesus and the evolving partnership with Anderson in midfield. The manager wants to maintain an attacking edge without abandoning defensive responsibility, a balance that proved delicate as Betis pressed late, and one that will continue to be tested in the Europa League group stage.

Forest will return to domestic action against Sunderland on Saturday, a match that provides an immediate barometer for how well Postecoglou’s ideas are translating to results in England. The manager has suggested his messages are starting to land, but his team is still chasing a first win in his tenure and will need to maintain the momentum built against Betis while closing the door on late goals that have hampered their chances in recent fixtures. The ongoing task is clear: maintain the attacking pressure that Jesus has introduced, find a finishing touch in the final third, and sharpen the late-game discipline that has cost Forest points in both the Carabao Cup and their Europa League opener. If Forest can do that, there is potential for a more consistent run as Postecoglou’s imprint grows through the team.