Latest Nottingham Forest talking points as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds defeat Fulham 3-1 at the City Ground.
It was the kind of night that gives you chills. The kind of night that raises the hairs on the back of your neck as you take a moment to soak it all in. This is the kind of night that will give Nottingham Forest a fighting chance.
It was one of those special evenings at the City Ground, with the lights on the banks of the Trent and a steady rain in early April. The football was thrilling, the stadium was rocking, and the roar at the final whistle shook the stands.
There is still a long way to go, as Nuno Espirito Santo pointed out at full-time. However, the Reds’ performance in a 3-1 defeat of Fulham on Tuesday night demonstrated their potential. It demonstrated the standard they can meet. It demonstrated why they have the ability to pull away from difficulty if they maintain those levels.
Morgan is magical.
Morgan Gibbs-White appeared to take a brief look at Forza Garibaldi’s Trent End performance soon before kickoff. If he needed more motivation, it was staring him in the face.
“Shut everything out and play your game,” said the placard. It was followed by a massive image of Gibbs-White, replete with fingers in ears.
After a brilliant first half from the 24-year-old, his famous celebration posture was put to use on the pitch. A goal was not less than he deserved. He had been a delight to watch.
“It’s just another game for me,” he admitted afterwards, modestly. However, the truth was rather different. This was a masterclass.
For the first 45 minutes, Gibbs-White was unplayable. He was at the heart of everything for the Reds, following on from his superb second half against Crystal Palace the previous Saturday. Every touch was magical, every turn was fluid, and every ball was perfect. His goal was fantastic, but his assist to Callum Hudson-Odoi was exquisite.
If Forest are going to survive this season, the former England Under-21 international will be critical to their success. After being replaced to a standing ovation with less than 10 minutes remaining, he sprang up from the bench and punched the air as the whistle blew.
Selection decisions
In the lead-up to the midweek game, there was some controversy about whether Gibbs-White should start in a deeper role. He had excelled there following a reshuffle on Saturday, when Gio Reyna came on and impressed at No.10 versus Palace.
Gibbs-White is undoubtedly capable of dropping back. However, the first half against Fulham demonstrated why Nuno must be reluctant to play him in that position for the full 90 minutes, especially when he is in magician mode.
Fans have been urging Nuno to use the attacking trio of Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, and Anthony Elanga for some time. The Reds’ head coach has faced criticism in previous weeks for his line-ups and replacement decisions, but this time he was spot on.
In addition to Gibbs-White’s antics, Hudson-Odoi was outstanding, while Elanga’s pace caused havoc. Goals have been in limited supply of late, but on Tuesday, fans were given to three of the best, with Chris Wood also scoring in style. Forest may have gotten more, too.
However, the platform offered by Ryan Yates and Danilo should not be underestimated. The latter had struggled to get going this season, but he produced his greatest performance of the year on this occasion.
Defiant defence.
After an exciting first half, the second half had a different feel to it. Fulham grabbed one back immediately after the restart, putting nerves, courage, and game management to the test. The Reds haven’t always been able to close out such games.
Not this time, however. They were dragged over the boundary by the wall of noise that echoed throughout the City Ground. Forest dug in. They fought. It was a team effort from start to finish, with every ounce of energy expended.
During his time in command, Nuno has chopped and swapped centre-backs, sometimes by choice and sometimes out of necessity. If Willy Boly had been fit, he might have started. How many more appearances Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo make this season remains to be seen, but the combination clearly has enormous potential.
Meanwhile, behind them, Matz Sels has discreetly explained the club’s choice to sign another goalkeeper in January. He produced an excellent save at 3-1, which was critical.
The man Sels replaced even contributed to a wonderful evening, albeit unwittingly. In an unusual occasion, referee Michael Oliver penalized replacement goalkeeper Matt Turner for leaving his spot on the bench to kick a second ball back into play. When the American sat back down, he appeared to be smiling wryly.
The Relegation Battle
Forest has regained four points after being punished for breaking financial rules in their relegation struggle. The midweek victory put them three points clear of the relegation zone, albeit ahead of Luton Town’s trip to Arsenal tonight (Wednesday).
It is tempting to wonder where Tuesday night’s performance has gone. It was reminiscent of Nuno’s early days, when the Reds went into games on the front foot.
They were on top of their game from the start against Fulham. The fact that Marco Silva felt compelled to make three substitutions with half an hour remaining told it all.
Forests have always had this quality about them. It was about unlocking it again.
There is little dispute about the squad’s individual talent, but it has not always been displayed together. On Tuesday night, however, you could have made a case for any of numerous man-of-the-match choices.
The challenge now is to build upon it. Owner Evangelos Marinakis was in attendance at the City Ground and will be expecting to see the Reds open up some gap between themselves and the bottom three teams.
Play like that again, and there is no reason why they cannot. Consistency is the next challenge.
