Reds will need to be on front foot from start at Brighton
FINE MARGINS HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE FOR NUNO’S MEN
NOTTINGHAM Forest make the trip to the south coast on Sunday for a big Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
March did not get off to the start the Reds had hoped for as they fell to a controversial 1-0 defeat at home to Liverpool last weekend. That made it three losses in a row in all competitions for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who sit four points above thirdbottom Luton Town in the Premier League.
Ahead of the match at the Amex Stadium, there was plenty for Forest reporter SARAH CLAPSON to discuss in a live Q&A on our Reds Facebook page. Below is a look at how it panned out.
■■Q: Won’t be easy but we might be getting Brighton at the right time after they’ve been beaten in the league and play Thursday night...
A: Brighton are a really good team. It will be a difficult game.
But there is still an opportunity for Forest to go there and cause problems. Forest are capable of giving any side a go, they showed that against Manchester United in the FA Cup and against Liverpool on Saturday. They have been competitive in most games under Nuno.
Fine margins are proving the difference at the moment. Forest have a lot to be encouraged by and plenty of positives to take from recent games, even though the results haven’t been coming. Little things are costing them.
For the most part under Nuno, scoring goals and creating chances haven’t been a problem. However, in the last couple of games sometimes the final balls or the finishing haven’t quite been there.
And then they have had little lapses defensively. On Saturday, Forest defended brilliantly for 97 minutes but then got punished for one lapse. The Premier League is so tough. If you’re not 100 per cent at it for 98-odd minutes, teams are capable of punishing you.
Forest showed what they are capable of earlier in Nuno’s reign, particularly away from home in that Newcastle game. That really set the standard of what they can do under Nuno, so they are capable of going to Brighton and getting something.
We are getting to the stage of the season where there is still some way to go but games are running out, so Forest do need to start turning good performances into results.
Having said that, a draw would not necessarily be a bad result on Sunday.
■■Q: Key to Sunday is not to capsize in the first half. We go into many games feeling positive but poor starts leave us with too much to do.
A: Completely agree. Forest have started slowly in some games and then they end up having to play catch-up or they’re having to find their rhythm and it takes a while for them to get going.
They need to be at it from the off and really play with intent from the start.
If they can get at Brighton early, then you never know. Away from home, the atmosphere can turn or teams can start to get a bit edgy. A good start can make such a big difference.
You don’t want to leave yourself facing an uphill battle, as Forest ended up doing at Villa. Starting well and building the positivity and belief can only be a good thing.
It is an important game because of recent results. If Forest can put in a good performance and this time get a good result to show for it, that could spark something for some really big matches coming up. They want to be going into some big games confident and full of belief.
■■Q: When we score early, though, we don’t always hang onto it?!
A: Good point. If Forest do score early, the challenge then shouldn’t necessarily be to hang on but to build on it – to get more goals.
Get an early goal but then kick on, get another and really put a marker on the game. Put the game to bed.
Against Liverpool, defensively
Forest were excellent as a team and as a back four. Prior to that, they had been a bit vulnerable at the back, so Saturday can be a building block in that sense.
That can help when you talk about scoring early and not necessarily hanging on to it. Forest can look back at that Liverpool game and reflect on how solid they were, how disciplined they were and how organised they were. They should take confidence from that.
■■Q: Taiwo Awoniyi is out of condition, so play Divock Origi.
A: It is a difficult decision to make. If Divock Origi does miss out on the 11, he would have every right to feel hard done by because he’s done really well of late.
He’s starting to show what everybody hoped he would. He has started to look like the player Forest hoped they were getting. He’s looked really bright, really lively and has had an impact on games.
Decision-making and the final finish have sometimes let him down. He had that big chance on Saturday and wasn’t too far away. A goal could really get him going.
I do think he’s going to be important between now and the end of the season. He can be a big player for Forest now he is finding form.
But I just think Forest look a different team with Taiwo Awoniyi in, when he is on top form. He is not there yet and Nuno has spoken about how he is still managing him carefully.
But when he is at his best, Awoniyi is crucial. He gives defenders headaches, scores goals and is such an important player.
He just needs to get going again. And playing games – while managing his workload – can help him find that sharpness.
He has had to play more minutes in a shorter space of time than Forest would have liked because of the injury to Chris Wood but I would still start him on Sunday.
There is the option of having Origi and Awoniyi both start, with Origi on the right. But I just think Anthony Elanga is capable of having a big impact there at Brighton, so I would start with the three of Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-white and Callum Hudson-odoi, with Awoniyi up front.
Origi has shown he can make a difference from off the bench and having Chris Wood hopefully back in the squad will also be a big boost.
Nuno needs as many options as possible.
■■Q: Why was Gio Reyna missing at the weekend? Needs to be given a chance.
A: He picked up a knock in the build-up to the game. Nothing serious.
Forest were expecting him to be available again for Sunday.
Reyna hasn’t really been able to get going yet. He has shown glimpses of what he can do and has looked okay but has mostly been restricted to a few minutes here and there.
But, as was the case with Origi, you have to take your chances when you get them. Origi has done that of late, whereas Reyna has looked good without necessarily standing out.
You have to really grasp opportunities with both hands, catch the eye and give the manager a decision to make. Force your way into the team. Reyna does deserve more chances but I’m not sure he’s worked his way into the starting 11 yet. And who do you leave out if you do start him?
■■Q: What’s our first-choice back four? I’m not sure, and in March that isn’t a good place to be.
A: Good point. And I’m not sure I know the answer, either.
It is particularly difficult to pick the centre-back pairing. Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo have worked really well together. Maybe they are first-choice at the moment?
I agree, though. I’ve banged the drum several times about the importance of having a settled back line. It can make such a difference, especially with a goalkeeper who is still pretty new to the team.
Willy Boly has done really well previously and Felipe was crucial to survival last season. At some stage, an experienced head in there might be needed.
Boly could make a difference when he is fit – somebody who has been there and done that and can handle tricky situations, as well as deal with the tension of crucial games. Felipe is the same.
Injuries are limiting options at full-back at the minute, so Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo have to be first-choice. Even if Gonzalo Montiel were fit, I’m not sure he’d get past Williams right now as the Welshman is in excellent form.
Ola Aina did well earlier in the season, so maybe he would be in a first-choice back four. At left-back, perhaps?
Toffolo is generally pretty solid defensively and can put some terrific crosses in. Nuno Tavares had just started to get going, so it was unfortunate he picked up an injury.
Having options and competition for places is tough but it is tricky to pick the strongest defence. It probably says a lot that we are debating what we think the first-choice back line is.