After a difficult 23/24 season, both on and off the pitch, who would have thought that Nottingham Forest would be one of the four remaining sides to be unbeaten after the first five games of the new season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have come out fighting and have surprised a lot of people as to how well they are playing presently. What is it exactly that Forest has done to spark this rejuvenation?
A lot of credit must be given to Nuno as he has galvanised his squad and has instilled belief that they belong at the top tier of English football. Looking at this stage last season, Nottingham Forest were in eighth position, the exact same position they are in now, but are two points better off. Although their league position is indifferent, their style of play and belief are no comparison. Steve Cooper, current Leicester City boss, was at the helm this time last year and it looked promising from the opening five games of the season. However, they went on a winless five game run which dented their momentum and were conceding soft goals in the process. Cooper didn’t make it past the Christmas schedule and he was replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo.
Analysing the side this season, Nottingham Forest remain unbeaten. They are one of four teams who remain undefeated thus far and an impressive feat considering they’ve had to travel to Liverpool and fellow unbeaten side, Brighton. While the victory over Liverpool at Anfield has been their most impressive performance this season, last weekend’s draw at Brighton was particularly noteworthy, considering they had to finish with ten men. Pat Ridell, a Nottingham Forest fan, wrote that this game has shown that this side are different to last year’s team.
Sunday’s draw against Brighton & Hove Albion was exactly the kind of game we’d have lost last season. And, hopefully, proves to be exactly the sort of game we can continue to compete in this season.
(Pat Ridell, BBC Sport)
Defensively, this side has improved drastically and have earned valuable points for Nuno’s men. Last season, Nottingham Forest had four clean sheets in 38 games. This season, they already have two after just five games. The defensive work implemented during the coaching staff’s first pre-season has had a huge bearing on the strong start to the season. Forest conceded 67 goals last season and this area has been highlighted as a weak point. So far, they’ve only conceded four goals and have an average of 0.80 expected goals conceded per match. Last season, this number was 1.76 which was almost a guarantee of conceding at least once in each game. It’s been a big improvement but they will need to maintain this level of defending to keep on this run.
Over the past couple of seasons, Forest have been quite busy in the transfer market and this has impacted their ability to select a consistent starting eleven. The year they were promoted, 2022, Forest signed 23 new players for the first team. Their head of recruitment at the time George Syrianos was dismissed in October 2022 after review by owner Evangelos Marinakis and then-sporting director Filippo Giraldi after the club picked up only five points in their opening nine games. They still had an active summer with a host of new signings joining the club under the guidance of Nuno and his team. It has aided their squad depth and the team has evidently developed in a matter of months. Questions were raised when Nuno made specific changes in the second half in the games between Liverpool and Brighton. At Anfield, he made the decision to switch record signing Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez for Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi early in the second half. Ten minutes later, the duo combined to take the lead and inevitably the three points home. Similarly on Sunday, Nuno decided to bring in Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa early in the second half and was rewarded when the players combined to equalise and earn a point for the club. These decisions highlight the strength in depth the side has this season and a squad that was one inflated with summer signings.
Their belief for each other and a spirited squad has evolved in a matter of months and they have flown out of the blocks. Attacking wise, they have shown resilience and determination to challenge defenders and apply pressure at critical points. Last season, Forest managed just 451 shots in 38 games with 148 of those shots on target. A staggering 33% of shots taken were on target which shows their struggles in front of goal last season. This year, after five games, their percentage has risen to 44% with 27 shots on target out of 62. It may just be an 11% increase but these small steps are critical in progress and have been evident with the club so far this year.
Nottingham Forest will not be contending for the Premier League nor will they be focusing on challenging for a place in Europe next season. Nuno and Nottingham Forest will be hoping for a continuation of their progress and to finish safely away from the relegation zone. Since their illustrious promotion in 2022, Forest have finished 16th and 17th respectively and a season without a relegation scrap would be a dream scenario for the Forest faithful. No doubt they have begun brilliantly and they will endure a difficult spell, but there is something clicking at Nottingham Forest and it could be a sign of better times ahead.
