NUNO SLAMS APPEAL VERDICT TIMING

NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO has hit out at the timing of Nottingham Forest’s failed PSR appeal verdict and vowed: “The integrity of the league was harmed.”

The Reds finally discovered on Tuesday that their fourpoint deduction for breaching Premier League financial rules will remain in place after their appeal was thrown out by an independent appeal board.

It means 17th-placed Forest can still be caught by Luton and Burnley, who are three and five points behind respectively, heading into the final two games.

Nuno (left) admitted Forest were “expecting something” in terms of points back and slammed the lateness of the verdict so close to the end of the season.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Chelsea, he said: “What is important for us is that the issue is finished and hopefully will not happen again.

“But I think the integrity of the league was harmed by all these issues that happened with the points deductions, especially the timing.

“Two games to go is when the decision comes and you wonder why it didn’t come before. Then you start wondering, ‘Why is this the decision?’ It will impact on the other clubs also.

“I don’t want to raise too many issues about it but I think there are still things to be explained.

“At the end of the season everyone has to understand what happened.

“Why the decision came so late? Why we didn’t win the appeal? All these issues I would personally love to know (the answer to).”

Forest do boast a vastlysuperior goal difference over the Hatters and Clarets, meaning they could be all but safe if the results of their rivals – who both kick-off at 3pm tomorrow – go their way before they face Chelsea at 5.30pm.

Asked if they will be fuelled by a sense of injustice, Nuno added: “It’s one more (thing).

“We use everything we can that can give us an extra boost.”