Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is not getting involved in the debate over whether Nottingham Forest is in the title fight before of their match against Liverpool.
When the league leaders visit the City Ground on Tuesday (8 p.m. kick-off), the third-placed Reds hope to complete a double over them. They also understand that victory would reduce the gap at the top to just three points, despite Liverpool having a game in hand.
In his pre-match press conference, Slot stated that Forest are his title rivals. But Nuno played down any such suggestions when he faced the media ahead of the clash.
When asked if the Liverpool manager was playing mind games with his words, the Portuguese replied, “I’m not sure. We do our best to ignore what is going on around us.
“We never change.” The way we view things is the way we see competition, and I would argue, life itself. It’s day by day, focusing on our tasks, and tomorrow will be another challenging one.
“We need to play the games. We are here to compete against all of the teams, and I believe we are performing well.
“Nothing changes in our approach; it remains the same. More importantly, we know what we can accomplish and how we want to do things, as well as our own strengths and weaknesses.
“If we start thinking about ifs, it becomes if, if, if, if. That is why we always try to plan how we will prepare for and play the game. At the end of the game there will be no ifs.”
The Reds have been labelled by many as this season’s surprise package, given the way they are competing at the top end of the table. After successive relegation battles since their return to the Premier League, Nuno says nobody would have expected the club to be where they are in their third campaign back among the elite.
“No one in this room could have predicted what was unfolding. It is the players’ drive and desire to succeed, as well as their hard work and dedication,” he said.
“It’s going to continue, and we have to enjoy it together. However, nobody can anticipate what will happen.
“I see a group of players who are genuinely committed to achieving well. We don’t know what will happen in the future, but we’ve done it before (won games).
“The competition helps us improve. I honestly feel that the more time players spend together, the better they will play together. I see a good group of individuals, not just athletes, who want to do things together. This is crucial; togetherness is what I truly appreciate.”
