Nuno: We had clear chances despite loss
EMOTIONS ran high after the fulltime whistle of Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
The Reds had looked on course to claim a hard-earned point at the City Ground. Not taking their chances against the Premier League leaders should have been their only source of frustration.
However, the visitors clinched all three points in added time courtesy of a Darwin Nunez goal in controversial circumstances. Forest were left fuming as they did not get the ball back, despite having possession when play was stopped for a potential head injury.
Instead, referee Paul Tierney restarted the game with the ball at the feet of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and Jurgen Klopp’s side went on to score from a corner.
It led to chaotic scenes at the end of the game. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was on the touchline and tried to speak to Tierney in the tunnel, coach Steven Reid was shown a red card and unused substitute Felipe was booked.
Below is a look at what Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo had to say after the final whistle.
■■On referee Tierney and the winner...
“I will not comment on the referee. Let’s speak about the game.
“We have been speaking over and over again (about referees). I hope decisions come better. Let’s move forward.”
■■On Forest’s frustrations...
“Because we played a very good game. We limited Liverpool – a fantastic team with good players and a very good manager.
“They had chances and we had chances. It was a good game of football.
“We had clear chances to do better. It is repeating this situation – we play good, we should have been more clinical, we are not able to score. In the last action of the game, we require better decisions from us to clear the ball.
“It was a tough week for us because it was repeating this situation of not taking chances and getting punished in the end, so it is tough to take. I am proud of the boys because they worked very hard, they combined and they
played good. They helped each other, they covered, they did two-v-ones, they defended the box, they did everything well until the last moment.
“If you want me to say we should improve, of course we should improve. How do we improve? By committing ourselves to be better – in training sessions and then trying to do it on the pitch.”
■■On Anthony Elanga’s missed chances...
“Not only them, it was also the final pass in the right moment. We will try (to improve). We will repeat on the training ground until we get it right.”
■■On his pride in players carrying out the plan...
“We limited Liverpool very well. We controlled the middle of the park, always covering ourselves on the triangles and the sides, the wingers helping the full-backs, controlling the box. When we had the ball, the criteria was to go forward. We had some space.
“The idea of Anthony (Elanga) is clear, to take advantage of his speed. It could have happened.
“And then we change to Taiwo (Awoniyi) to have a little bit more support and go. We worked well and had moments of good football but we took nothing from the game today.
“It’s tough to take. We go home and rest, then work harder because our fans deserve to go home after a work like today happy, and they are not. We will try.”
■■On Nicolas Dominguez coming off with a knock...
“He is okay, hopefully. He said he was getting tight. Hopefully, it is nothing serious.”