Nottingham Forest fans have faced many ups and downs over the years with promotion and relegation battles. Now, they have a chance to compete for the Premier League title.
It took 23 years, 1000 league and play-off matches and a total of 20 different managers for Nottingham Forest to make their much-anticipated return to the Premier League. Good news is they are savouring the moment.
Initially, many betting odds predicted Forest would be relegated, but they have surprised many by defeating top teams. The idea of chasing the title seemed unreachable for three decades.
However, under Nuno Espirito Santo, things have changed. Santo took over a year ago and has helped the team rise quickly from relegation candidates to title hopefuls, similar to Leicester City’s rise in 2016.
Forest is also in a good position to secure a spot in the Champions League, a tournament they won in 1979 and 1980. So far this season, they have won 10 out of 18 matches, which is more wins than they had in the last two seasons combined.
In both the 2023/24 and 2022/23 seasons, they only managed nine wins in 38 games. The last time Forest was this successful at this stage was in 1995, before smartphones and Google existed. That season, they finished in third place.
So, what changed over the off-season break?
Santo said: “There is no way to play in the Premier League if you are not solid, compact and strong in defence,”
“The team is doing well defensively, basically because of the hard work of the players, their resilience and commitment to put their body in front of the ball. We are stronger as a team this season.”
Santo went on to reveal his determination to keep his team “humble” regardless of the path their recent success takes them on.
“I’m always confident the good work, dedication and commitment can achieve good results and I’m very proud of the players. The way they work every day, staying humble and recognising we have a lot of things to improve and a long way to go.”
“Very pleased that players are stepping in (to help contribute goals) either on set-piece situations or (from) our centre-halves. It’s important that many players are having good chances and it’s crucial that anyone can help.
“They make the things happen, the players make it happen. You can try and do what you want and the detail, but they are the ones that make it happen so credit to them.”
Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo lead the defense for Nottingham Forest. Up front, Chris Wood from New Zealand is a standout player. Wood has been key to Forest’s success this season, scoring 10 goals in 18 appearances.
However, his Premier League journey could have been very different. He joined the club in 2022, but his season ended early due to injury. He showed his ability to perform under pressure when he returned last season.
Since Nuno arrived, Wood has scored 21 goals for Forest. He is currently fifth in the league for top scorers this season. Even though Forest has only scored 24 goals overall, they have allowed the third fewest goals.
In contrast, Ange Postecoglou’s team has scored 39 goals and sits in second place. Liverpool leads with 40 goals. Santo is likely focused on the Premier League title, but Champions League qualification seems close.
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