Nottingham Forest could be in for a long and difficult season if the latest supercomputer projections are accurate.

Despite a tough start to life at the City Ground, manager Ange Postecoglou insists he can reverse the Reds’ fortunes. However, data analysts at Opta suggest otherwise, forecasting another battle for Premier League survival for Forest this campaign.

After seven league matches, Forest sit 17th in the table with just five points to their name. Their only win came on the opening day — a 3-1 victory over Brentford — when Nuno Espírito Santo was still in charge. Since Postecoglou’s arrival, the team has yet to register a single victory, with his record standing at five defeats and two draws in all competitions. The Australian has collected just one Premier League point so far, a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Unsurprisingly, pressure is mounting on the 60-year-old coach, whose appointment raised eyebrows among supporters given his struggles with Tottenham Hotspur last season — a campaign that ended with Spurs narrowly avoiding relegation.

Opta’s latest projections aren’t likely to reassure the Forest faithful. Their model predicts that the Reds will finish 15th in the Premier League table with an expected total of around 40 points — a modest return that would only just keep them above the drop zone.

Hopes of a push toward the upper half of the table appear slim. The data gives Forest a mere 0.38% chance of qualifying for the Champions League and just 0.46% of securing a Europa League spot. By contrast, there’s an almost 30% likelihood — precisely 29.91% — that they will be relegated.

Still, the forecast suggests they should finish clear of several other struggling sides, including Burnley, Wolves, West Ham United (now under Nuno Espírito Santo’s management), Leeds United, and Sunderland.

While the numbers paint a bleak picture, Postecoglou will be determined to defy the odds and steer Nottingham Forest to safety in what already looks like another tense Premier League survival fight.