Latest Nottingham Forest news as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds fight for Premier League survival.
Nottingham Forest are entering a critical moment in their quest for top-flight survival.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side is 17th in the table, four points ahead of third-bottom Luton Town with 11 games remaining. However, the Hatters have a game in hand, while the Reds face a potential points deduction.
All of this suggests that Forest’s upcoming games may soon become “must-win” situations. As the run-in approaches, we look at what needs to happen for the Reds to stay in the Premier League.
Chances taken
Nuno commented on “repeat situations” at his post-match press conference following Saturday’s contentious loss to Liverpool. Forest played well for the second game in a row but came away with nothing.
Aside from the refereeing blunder, as was the case against Manchester United in the FA Cup on Wednesday night, the Reds were penalized for failing to capitalize on their opportunities against Jurgen Klopp’s side. Not being clinical in front of the goal proved costly.
“Not taking chances and getting punished in the end,” Nuno went on to say. “This situation is repeating itself: we play well, but we could have been more clinical, and we can’t score. In the final action of the game, we must make better decisions to clear the ball. It was a difficult week for us because the circumstance kept repeating itself, which was difficult to accept.”
Forest has been competitive in games under Nuno. Indeed, they more than held their own against title contenders Liverpool.
They are capable of playing some excellent attacking football. They routinely get into promising positions and have created opportunities. However, lately, that last little bit at the end has been absent – whether it’s the final pass or the finish.
The fact that opportunities are still being created should be seen positively. As should the fact that Divock Origi is beginning to demonstrate his abilities, and striker Chris Wood may return from injury this weekend. The Reds will also hope Taiwo Awoniyi returns to full fitness and sharpness soon. In the next weeks, they’ll need as many players as possible to be on top form.
Selection Stability
Nuno has faced various hurdles since taking over at the City Ground in December. One example is the number of absentees he has had to deal with over the years.
Injuries and unavailability have made it tough for the head coach to have a stable lineup. Different games will require different approaches and lineups, of course, but Forest might benefit from some stability in the starting XI, particularly at the back.
The Reds’ last two games have been settled by a single goal, but they had previously been too porous at the back. Nuno has stated that they must continue to concentrate on eliminating individual mistakes and set-pieces (at both ends of the game).
Forest should draw positives from their performance against Liverpool. They played excellent defense for 97 minutes. Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo were rock-solid, leaving Nuno with a tough decision on whether to remain with that centre-back pairing this weekend. Matz Sels also performed well in goal.
Nice combinations and link-ups could be observed all around the pitch. The Reds already have the foundation for a successful team; all they need now is to gain momentum.
Points verdict.
Forest’s survival hopes are not only dependent on what occurs on the pitch. The outcome of this week’s hearing on their charge of violating financial regulations will also have a significant impact.
In January, the club was charged with failing to follow the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). They will begin their defence against the charge by appearing before a three-person independent commission on Thursday and Friday of this week.
However, the ruling may not be known until April. Even so, there is the chance of an appeal.
The Premier League has set a backstop date of May 24 for finishing any appeals processes, which is five days after the final round of fixtures. It means Forest’s fate could still be in the balance after the season’s final whistle.
Nuno has made it plain to his players that they must tune out the outside noise and concentrate on what they can control, but uncertainty is bad for everyone. The sooner we have clarification on the situation, the better. If there is to be a points deduction, the Reds must adopt a siege attitude to get through.
