BRENNAN CHEERS UP REDS FANS
MANAGER ‘FEELING BETTER’ AFTER POINT AGAINST RAMS
BRENNAN Johnson’s first Nottingham Forest goal clinched a 1-1 draw for the Reds in the East Midlands derby at Pride Park.
The visitors had fallen behind to Tom Lawrence’s strike in a poor first half against arch rivals Derby County. But they responded after the break and claimed their first point of the season thanks to Nigel Doughty Academy graduate Johnson’s 82nd-minute equaliser.
It ended a four-match losing start to the Championship season for Chris Hughton’s side which had seen the manager come under fire from supporters.
Forest still have a big few days ahead in the transfer window, before tomorrow’s deadline but at least go into the international break having got off the mark in the league.
Here’s what Forest boss Hughton had to say at the final whistle:
■■Is there a sense of relief at getting off the mark this season?
“In three of our four games before this, the margins could have gone either way.
“So when they scored, you think, ‘it isn’t going to be our day again.’
“It’s always nicer if you’re the team who has come back, because the feeling is a little bit different. “I thought we deserved it. “It was a game of two halves and not many clearcut chances. We didn’t get into as many good areas as I would have liked, but it was that type of game.
“It was a very good atmosphere, which is testament to both sets of supporters.
“Overall, I think it was the correct result – and one I hope we can build on.”
■■You changed things in the second half and it seemed to work
“If we are winning the game at that point, or if we’d played better, then perhaps you don’t make those changes.
“We put out an offensive team, particularly with what we have in the wide areas, Joao Carvalho, who we want to play in more offensive positions, and Brennan, who has generally played there. “That’s what we want. “There’s no doubt when you’re behind, you have to make the changes that can force the issue and then it can go either way, you can be too open and concede again or you can get back in the game, which is what we managed to do.
“We were up against a team who are quite expansive, and they play a very open game. You’ve got to use those spaces.
“When we won possession, we were wasteful with our balls. We knew we could get into really good attacking positions, but we were wasteful with our balls. That was the difference between the first half and the second half.
“The fact we managed to get Alex Mighten in down that left side on three or four occasions wasn’t down to the fact it was Mighten, it was down to the fact that, in gaining possession, we were able to find whoever was playing on the left more often.”
■■Does it take some of the pressure off you?
“I’m feeling better at this moment, because we have got a result that I think we deserved.
“It’s not the win we wanted, and it doesn’t change the League table or the perception of the season so far dramatically.
“But it is a better feel for us than what it would be for Derby going into this international break.”
■■Are you confident of hanging on to Brennan Johnson in the final days of the window?
“I would have to say yes, because there isn’t anything that I’ve been told any different. Yes, most definitely.
“The only thing I’m thinking about Brennan is developing his game and him being the best player he can be for his hometown club.”
■You played Gaetan Bong at leftback rather than Max Lowe, what was the thinking behind your decision?
“It was very easy, really. Max came in on Friday and had one session with us.
“He’s had a very fluctuated preseason, where he has been involved in some games.
“It would have been more of a decision if Max had come in earlier. But the fact he joined us on Friday, and was involved in a very light session, it wasn’t really enough for me to think about starting him.”
■It looked like there might have been a stamp on Philip Zinckernagel, what was your view?
“The only thing I have done is heard about it. The fact is, I don’t know.
“Because I’d heard about it, I asked our analyst to see if he could see it - but from the angle, he’s not able to see it.
“So, I don’t know.
“Different angles might say different, but at the moment I don’t know.”
■How much of a boost is it to have Joe Worrall back?
“Joe is a big player for us.
“I left Toby (Tobias Figueiredo) out, and Toby has done okay, so it wasn’t a question of being unhappy with Toby. Particularly the occasion and where we are at the moment, Joe is a big player for us. It’s good to have him back.”