Nottinghamshire

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

John: After Wednesday's good away performance in Spain, my expectations against Sunderland at home were high. But with a very changed team Forest never got going. The refereeing was suspect, with several poor booking decisions including protests about the goal - but we need to do better with these new players. It was a very disappointing result after last season and Nuno's departure.

Peter: It remains early days but there is a worrying theme developing with Ange which is either suspect team selection, baffling substitutions, or both. Forest have some excellent players, but as a team we look like a Championship side. Ange says he has nothing to prove - well I for one sincerely hope he has.

Mike: Awful. Players seem confused, as were we in the stands. Schoolboy stuff. Out-thought and out-fought by a streetwise opposition. Ange has to go.

Tony: 18 months creating a winning team, destroyed in 18 days by an egomaniac with no idea.

Sunderland fans

Phil: Critics of the club have been silenced by the astute, decisive action in the close season transfer market, with Xhaka and Mukiele in particular being brilliant signings. Regis le Bris and his team are building a squad fit for the Premier League. It's intriguing that there's relatively little comment about Sunderland on the big phone-ins etc; we're just quietly going about our business and getting results. Long may it continue!

Bry: Alderete has been the touch of class and composure at the back we've missed. Tie that to a top keeper and several other excellent signings and we are going to shake the world this season.

Scott: What a performance. The manager knows what to do. The players know what to do. We have strength off the bench. I am excited to see where we can finish this season.

Simon: To have lost only once in the first six games is some achievement but the fixtures have been kind so much tougher challenges ahead. Points on the board though!

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday’s Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist at the City Ground

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

There had been a mixed response among Forest fans to the bringing in of Ange Postecoglou as Nuno Espirito Santo's successor.

The Australian coach led Spurs to Europa League triumph in May but their Premier League form last season was awful as they finished just one place above the relegation zone.

A quirk of the fixture list meant that Postecoglou's first four games at Forest were all away. But while he failed to win any of them, that run did include a loss at last season's runners-up Arsenal and a draw at Burnley, who boasted an incredible defensive record last season on their way to promotion back to the Premier League.

The only real disappointment will have been the Carabao Cup defeat to Swansea - and they will be at a loss as to how they didn't get anything from this game.

In the second half, they created chance after chance but either found Robin Roefs in inspired form, or could not get their shots on target.

Five games without a victory is undoubtedly a poor start to any head coach's career but there have been some signs of encouragement that the results will start to come.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

There had been a mixed response among Nottingham Forest fans to the bringing in of Ange Postecoglou as Nuno Espirito Santo's successor.

The Australian coach led Tottenham to Europa League triumph in May but their Premier League form last season was awful, as they finished just one place above the relegation zone.

A quirk of the fixture list meant that Postecoglou's first four games at Forest were all away. But, while he failed to win any of them, that run did include a loss at last season's runners-up Arsenal and a draw at Burnley, who boasted an incredible defensive record last season on their way to promotion back to the Premier League.

The only real disappointment will have been the Carabao Cup defeat to Swansea - and they will be at a loss as to how they didn't get anything from this game.

In the second half, they created chance after chance, but either found goalkeeper Robin Roefs in inspired form or could not get their shots on target.

Five games without a victory is undoubtedly a poor start to any head coach's career, but there have been some signs of encouragement that the results will start to come.

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to BBC Match of the Day after defeat in his first Premier League home game in charge of the Reds: "It was one of those evenings where we should've got the outcome we wanted. We had enough chances to certainly win the game.

"We conceded a really poor goal, albeit from a poor decision from the official, but after that we had enough chances to win the game. We are in a cycle at the moment where we are getting every outcome out of the game except the win - and that is the most important thing."

On Chris Wood's missed chances: "There are others as well. We need to take those chances because ultimately you pay a price in games that you should be winning comfortably."

On why they are struggling to score: "It's hard to say, but we don't really have the luxury of time to analyse that. We have the foundation to win games of football but we aren't and we need to change that.

"The fans have got every right to be disappointed. They want to see their team win. I understand their disappointment, it's certainly shared by us in the dressing room and by me. My job is to rectify that."

Defender Neco Williams also spoke to Sky Sports after the match: "It's a tough one to take. It was a game where we just didn't finish off our chances. We created many chances but just couldn't put it to bed.

"We should have defended the free-kick better but, at the same time, I've never seen a referee give one of those free-kicks before in all my time of playing football. There was contact, so he got it wrong, and for the goal I was held back. He had two arms around my waist and that played a key factor in their goal. It is two poor decisions, especially by the referee and then the people on VAR.

"We kept going until the end. They didn't create many chances, we created many but the end product just wasn't there. We couldn't put our finishes to bed so it was just one of those games.

"We are working hard in training. We are still learning the style of the manager and, as soon as it clicks, we'll be good to go. We will get there but it's just about getting that first win."

Did you know?

• Since the start of 2023-24, sides managed by Ange Postecoglou have conceded more Premier League goals from set pieces (34) than any other manager (Gary O'Neil closest on 26).

Hear more from Postecoglou on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Forest's performance

What did you make of Sunderland's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies