Nottingham Forest fans spot a major problem in Ange Postecoglou’s system in Burnley draw

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Nottingham Forest got their first point of the Ange Postecoglou era against Burnley, but Reds fans have spotted an issue that the new head coach must solve.

Forest drew 1-1 with Burnley, which ended a run of three consecutive defeats, but perhaps wasn’t the result required to truly kickstart the Postecoglou reign.

Neco Williams fired the Reds into a very early lead, but defensive frailties were on show once more as Jaidon Anthony benefited from Forest not dealing with a cross to equalise.

It was these defensive issues that had Forest fans concerned once more, with one specific aspect of the set-up at the back leading to supporters on social media voicing their concerns.

Nottingham Forest fans spot defensive issue vs Burnley

It’s no secret that Postecoglou prefers his full-backs to invert in possession, overloading the midfield to help his side dominate the ball.

However, this creates space out wide, with Reds fans worried about how dangerous Burnley looked when exploiting this area.

One fan said: “We’re wide open in the full back areas just generally,” while another added: “We are so shaky at the back.”

Another said: “He has no idea how to set a team up to defend,” with one more adding: “How have we gone from Golden Glove-level defensive solidity, to looking like we’re going to concede 3 every game?”

One more Forest fan said: “The defence is playing far too centralised, allowing the wings to get exploited too often.” Another added: “Defensively, a mess. If Ange wants to stay in the long term, we absolutely need some defensive training.”

Ange Postecoglou will need to find a balance at full-back

Defensively, it’s fair to say that leaving any team’s wide players in space to attack won’t ever be the smartest tactical move, but in possession, the advantage the system brings was evident.

When Forest had the ball against Burnley, Oleksandr Zinchenko essentially played as a midfielder alongside Douglas Luiz and Elliot Anderson, often finding space to influence the game going forward.

However, this position then requires the right back to tuck in and form a three at the back, but Neco Williams’ naturally attacking tendencies meant that he wasn’t really fulfilling this role.

The positives and negatives were evident against Burnley, so it’s up to Postecoglou to find a way to exploit Zinchenko’s talents without harming the defence.