Nuno’s anger sums up the challenge ahead for Reds
He had a point, of course. Few would argue Moder’s lunge on Williams was not worthy of a dismissal.
It is also the case that the Reds have had plenty of cause for complaint over refereeing decisions. Only a few days prior to Sunday’s game the club and coach Steven Reid had been charged by the Football Association for their protests after the loss to Liverpool in which referee Paul Tierney made a significant error.
But while it is impossible to say what difference having a man advantage for 20 minutes would have made on the south coast, that moment was not why Forest lost. It was not why they didn’t get anything out of the game.
Both points can be true at the same time. The hosts should have gone down to 10 men but Nuno’s side also needed to do better.
■ Team selection
Eyebrows were raised when the Forest team news came out at 1pm. It was not the starting 11 many would have expected or predicted for this game.
Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-odoi were on the bench, along with Taiwo Awoniyi.
Chris Wood was thrown straight into the 11 on his return from injury, with Ryan Yates, Danilo, Nicolas Dominguez and Divock Origi also in the line-up.
They were big calls. But risky ones, too.
Nuno explained that he wanted to pack the middle of the park initially to try to exert some control on the game. He reasoned he could then turn to the pace of Elanga and Hudson-odoi at the “right moment”.
“We wanted to start the game having a little bit more superiority in the midfield with Nico,” said Nuno.
“It worked out. We had good moments. And then in the right moment try to use the pace and the speed of our wingers.”
The problem was, by the time changes were made, the visitors already had work to do and were trying to get going after a flat first half.
The positives from the Liverpool performance were not carried over. It was difficult to think anything other than this was a gamble which didn’t quite pay off.
■ Improvement required
Forest took on a Brighton side in similar form to themselves, with both teams having suffered three straight defeats in all competitions prior to Sunday.
The hosts had gone into the clash on the back of a 4-0 Europa League thumping at Roma on Thursday night. However, Roberto de Zerbi’s side didn’t exactly have to go full throttle to claim the three points against the Reds.
Forest should have been fired up by the feelings of injustice from the Liverpool fallout. They were positive in the opening minutes but then tailed off.
Brighton well and truly gained control, while the Reds lacked intensity and ideas – even if they could have equalised almost immediately after falling behind.
The second half was better but the
Seagulls were not made to work hard enough. The same could be said for what proved to be the winning goal; that it was another to come from a set-piece rather sums up Forest’s woes at present.
They continue to struggle in front of goal – although Nuno will hope the return of Wood from injury can help with that by providing another option.
Meanwhile, they have kept only the one clean sheet in the league this calendar year.
■ Refereeing calls
Nuno said it was unlikely Williams would upload a picture of his leg, which no doubt bore the signs of Moder’s challenge, on social media. But the Welshman did post a picture of the incident, accompanied by an eye-roll emoji.
“It is getting ridiculous. Honestly ridiculous. The amount of decisions that have gone against us is outrageous this season,” Morgan Gibbs-white said in his post-match interview.
The Reds have every right to be outraged by a string of poor refereeing and VAR calls this season. Fans had already started to compile lists and the numbers are totting up.
Some of those decisions are gamechangers. They can be costly. They can amount to a number of dropped points and over the course of a campaign that can make a huge difference.
But Forest also have to look past all of that. They have to look at what they can do to get results on their own merit.
■ Challenges ahead
Nuno’s side are in a tough run of form. Their buffer above the relegation zone has been cut to three points and could be slashed further when third-bottom Luton Town play their game in hand, away to Bournemouth, tomorrow night. And then there is the outcome of last week’s hearing into the club’s charge for breaching financial rules to come. In short, the Reds’ situation could get worse before it has a chance of getting better. But they still have plenty of points to play for. The relegation battle will have plenty of twists and turns ahead. They have some crucial games on the horizon - come away with results from them and the picture could look a lot different.
The race is not yet run. Not even close. But improvement is required. “I cannot question the workrate and the commitment of the players,” said Nuno.
“All of them gave it their all because we are in need. And when you need something, you fight for your life and this is the moment that we are in.
“We are going to fight, like we are fighting, like we are trying.”
When you need something, you fight for your life and this is the moment that we are in
Nuno Espirito Santo