Latest Nottingham Forest comments following the Reds’ disputed defeat to Liverpool at the City Ground.
If Nottingham Forest players needed any more motivation for their Premier League survival effort, Saturday’s defeat to Liverpool gave it.
The refereeing disaster that resulted in Darwin Nunez’s stoppage-time winner was heartbreaking for any Forest supporter. Many fans leaving the City Ground would have felt a feeling of unfairness after witnessing their team fight tooth and nail for a crucial point, only to see it snatched away at the death.
However, the Reds cannot allow the events of Saturday afternoon to linger as they enter a critical point of the season. If Forest are relegated, it will be down to their on-field performances across a 38-game season, not one poor decision by referee Paul Tierney.
Instead, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team must exploit any sense of injustice, beginning with Sunday’s game away to Brighton. Uncertainty looms over the club as they await the decision of their appeal against an alleged violation of the league’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations.
However, the Forest players have little control over what happens off the pitch, so they must approach the game with the goal of gaining as many points as possible, making any potential deduction meaningless. Sheffield United and Burnley appear condemned to relegation, which, unless the Reds receive an unusually punitive punishment, should leave only one relegation spot.
And Saturday’s incident must serve as fuel in their efforts to survive. Any perception that the Reds were treated unfairly should be utilized as a symbol of defiance, demonstrating that one bad choice will not determine their fate.
Forest have a critical stretch of games following Sunday’s meeting at the Amex Stadium. Nuno’s team will face Luton Town, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, the last two of which are at home.
The Reds suffered terribly in March of last year, when they appeared to be on their way back to the Championship after a winless streak that lasted from February until April. This cannot happen again. If the Forest players need any more motivation, they only need to recall what occurred against Liverpool and avoid letting it define their season.
