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Forest's manager walked for the exit with a puzzled expression, his eyes downcast. Following 7 games as manager with no victories, his immediate future looked as unclear as thick mist over the river.

While Newcastle were not at their dominant level, late goals from Bruno Guimarães and the German striker—the latter a spot-kick—eventually secured them a restorative another Premier League win this campaign.

At kick-off, the manager's insulated anorak wrapped him like a duvet, but the Australian's restless gestures suggested it provided little comfort.

No coat could protect Postecoglou from the fear that his winless start at Forest—taking over as the first coach in 100 years without a win in his first half-dozen fixtures—would continue before a possible sacking over the upcoming pause.

And yet, his side performed reasonably well during a defensively stingy opening period.

While Elliot Anderson at times outshone even the Italian star in midfield, showing everyone why Eddie Howe was so reluctant to let go of the homegrown talent, the defender contained the striker out of the game, and Nicolò Savona caused the full-back difficulties on the flank.

In fairness to the forward, who received minimal service to his feet or head, his team's creative department was not quite clicking.

True, it took a superb fingertip save from Matt Sels—a former Newcastle goalkeeper—to keep out Joelinton header, and the midfielder failed to convert a couple other chances, but generally, the visitors' defending was much improved.

Given it is only a month since Postecoglou succeeded Nuno Espírito Santo and games have come thick and fast, leaving minimal time to implement his ideas on the practice field, all the speculation of an looming dismissal seemed faintly ridiculous.

Or at least it did until Guimarães curled a right-foot shot past the keeper and into the upper net from the edge of the area.

That saw the manager shaking his head in apparent frustration, with the pained look of a man who had misplaced his house keys.

His players complained about a possible infraction on Morgan Gibbs-White by the scorer in the lead-up, but their protests fell on deaf ears by the referee.

With Tonali now ascendant in the middle, the youngster was not the only visiting player being put in his place.

By now, Postecoglou had removed his coat and rolled up the arms of his sweater. With his team seldom looking likely of scoring and Newcastle threatening to shred their earlier improved backline, he was clearly feeling the heat.

There was another fine stop from the goalkeeper to keep out Tonali's driven cross-shot, before the resultant set-piece led to the striker's half-volley hitting the bottom of the bar.

Sels then made an excellent two quick stops from the defender and the winger before finally being beaten again by a penalty by Woltemade.

That spot-kick was given when Anderson's mistimed challenge brought Guimarães tumbling down.

Up stepped, the German striker to beat Sels by chipping a quite audacious penalty into the upper left side.

It was his fourth strike for the club since his seventy-million-pound transfer from Stuttgart in the summer, contradicting claims from officials at the German giants that Newcastle were “idiots” to spend so much for the centre-forward.

This may not have been his finest game in Newcastle colors, but his ability to hold the ball up and use his adhesive touch to connect attacks is already making him a cult hero on Tyneside.