Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest’s head coach, has declined to claim credit for Chris Wood’s recent goal scoring spree.
Wood’s equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace was the New Zealander’s seventh goal in eight league appearances following an injury, a run that coincided with Nuno’s arrival at City Ground. He will be an important player for the Reds in the final stretch as they seek to avoid relegation.
Nuno previously worked well with Raul Jimenez, a target man, at Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, he has stressed that it is up to the players to make an influence on the pitch.
“I think it’s not my credit,” Nuno remarked ahead of tonight’s match against Fulham. “It’s all about them; their attributes are more essential than anything else around these kind of players. Chris’s quality differs from that of Raul.
“But as long as Chris is on the pitch, we are confident that he will deliver for us.” He is a terrific professional. We need to keep him well and help him, and he will undoubtedly lend us a helping hand.”
Wood was fit to play against Palace after recovering from a knock suffered against Luton Town before the international break, although the 32-year-old had been out for a while after suffering a hamstring injury in late January. Nuno is eager to keep his forward man fresh, especially because Taiwo Awoniyi is still out injured.
“We need to look after all of the players,” Nuno stated. “Chris is one such case. We look at all of the players in the same way, but you should not be scared that something will happen. If you don’t work, you lose shape, therefore we need to strike a balance.”
Forest is likewise looking for a balance in their team selection. Nuno has faced criticism for this.
The Reds struggled in the first half against Palace but improved after the interval, with a reshuffle proving helpful. Substitutes Anthony Elanga and Gio Reyna had an impact, while Morgan Gibbs-White moved into a deeper role.
“I think Morgan can play as a 10 and he can play as a midfielder, of course – if the game requires that, if the opponent is the right one,” Nuno said in a statement. “We will try to make the best decisions.”
