Nottingham Forest host Southampton to the City Ground on Sunday, hoping to take advantage of their opponents’ poor Premier League form.
The Forest squad is now seven games unbeaten following Tuesday’s stalemate with Liverpool, in which Arne Slot praised Matz Sels for his heroics between the sticks.
In comparison, Southampton have lost four consecutive Premier League games and have not won a league game since early November.
The two sides’ current situations could not be more different, with Clinton Morrison forecasting a top-four finish for Forest and the football world unanimously anticipating Southampton’s relegation.
Given their need for a radical turnaround of fortune, it’s no surprise that Saints manager Ivan Juric is hoping his team will display some very specific characteristics on Sunday that would upset Nuno Espirito Santo’s customary Forest approach.
Ivan Juric bets on ‘evil’ performance vs Nottingham Forest
Juric used some harsh words to explain what he expected from his team at the City Ground on Sunday following their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Juric stated: “There are times when you need to be more nasty and manage the game differently. […] I’m from Italy, and we have the best mentality and game-winning strategies in the world.
“There’s a point where you have to be Italian! “We’re missing time, fouls, and going back a bit more.”
Southampton have conceded 47 goals in the Premier League this season, in stark contrast to Forest, who currently hold the most clean sheets in the league, prompting Paul Robinson to praise Sels’ performance in goal.
Juric will be seeking for some indication that his team is capable of the “Italian” performance he desires, but no such inspiration can be found in the reverse fixture between the two sides.
Nottingham Forest dominated Southampton in August.
Espirito Santo’s squad defeated Southampton in August, due to a Morgan Gibbs-White goal.
Gibbs-White was chastised by Forest fans for his performance on the South Coast, but the same cannot be said for the Forest manager, who demonstrated his quality against Southampton.
Despite owning 65% of the possession, Southampton only had one shot on target versus Forest’s eight, resulting in an xG of 2.45 for the visitors.
The Forest coaching staff appeared to devise the ideal gameplan to neutralize then-Saints manager Russell Martin, with 25 crisp long balls and five crosses.
Defensively, Espirito Santo’s team was also flawless, winning eleven aerial duels and 45 ground challenges, with Sels making only one save.
Juric’s plans may alter the outcome of the game, but Forest can take heart from their impressive performance in August.
