Hillals alive with Forest
NOTTINGHAM FOREST are in their 20th season without Premier League football – but now finally they can dream of the big-time again.
The 1979 and 1980 European Cup winners have hit problem after problem since relegation from the top flight in 1999.
But under Aitor Karanka – who won promotion at this level with Middlesbrough two years ago – along with a £25million summer spending spree and 21,000 sold season tickets, confidence on the Trent has not been this high for some time.
It was one of the new signings in super sub Hillal Soudani who saw off resilient Reading yesterday just 17 minutes into his English football career.
The Algerian star curled home a beauty on 68 minutes after climbing off the bench 12 minutes previously.
Karanka (above) said: “I don’t feel the pressure but I know expectations are high.
“It is impossible to win every single game but it is important the crowd have a team to be proud of.
“It was a very important victory in a very difficult game. We have a lot of new faces in the team and we can’t always play as well as we did against West Brom on Tuesday.
“It was a very good goal, we know Hillal is a good player, and he has desire and passion which he brings to the whole squad.”
This was far from a perfect Forest performance but their squad now oozes class. There never looked any danger that they would not win for the first time despite a performance that saw too many stray passes.
In fact after Yakou Meite had been denied by Costel Pantilimon, Forest should have won at a canter.
Lewis Grabban punished Tiago Ilori’s hesitancy but missed a sitter firing straight at Vito Mannone with only the keeper to beat.
Gil Dias also lost his footing while through on goal, while seconds after he had come on alongside Soudani, Matty Cash missed a golden chance.
Soudani eventually scored before Jon Daoi Bodvarsson was denied at the other end.
Reading are now bottom of the table albeit after just two games but boss Paul Clement is not downbeat.
He said: “We deserved more. We’re an improving team and I don’t think a positive result is far away.
“We could be top of the table in three games time!”