Now We Will See If Nottingham Forest Chokes Like Its Enemy

Forbes

21-04-2025

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: A dejected Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest at full time following the ... More 2-0 defeat during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on April 21, 2024 in Liverpool, England.(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
As the season nears its climax, Nottingham Forest finds itself in an unthinkable position.
While megabucks-spending Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur languish above the relegation places, the Reds, with just two seasons of Premier League soccer under their belts, are on course to qualify for the Champions League.
Having occupied third place for most of the season, the East Midlanders know that even dropping to fifth will guarantee a place in Europe's elite competition.
Only one of Nottingham Forest's remaining games is against a team from the top half of the table, unlike rivals Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Manchester City, who face more demanding schedules.
But confidence on the River Trent is starting to falter after successive defeats to Aston Villa and Everton.
Losing to the Toffees was especially painful because it was caused by ever-reliable defender Murillo suddenly making a mistake on the ball, which enabled the visitors to break away and score a late winner.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo declined to criticize the Brazilian for the uncharacteristic error.
'It was not normal. The decision-making was not the best,' he said.
'It is not about players; it is about us as a team. When someone makes a mistake, we always have someone to try to correct it and help. It didn't work out today.
'We are disappointed because with an offensive corner in the last minutes of the game, we want to try to score. It is not even a counterattack.
'Credit to Everton, they were physical and didn't allow us too much time on the ball. But we should do much better. We are disappointed in the end with the way we conceded. If you cannot win because we didn't play good, at least keep what you have.'
But Nuno, like most followers of the Premier League, will know that the list of sides who massively overachieved and looked on course for Champions League qualification only to fall away at the end is lengthy.
Newcastle United was all set to surprise everyone back in 2011-12, but they tailed off as the campaign reached its conclusion. West Ham United spent much of the 2020-21 season in the top four, then fell to sixth at the last.
Sheffield United was an even more unlikely challenger in 2019-20 and entered spring in the top four. However, the Blades dropped, eventually finishing 9th.
Ahead of all those examples sits one club: Leicester City, the bitter East Midlands rivals of Nottingham Forest. Twice, the Foxes had fourth spot in their grasp, in 2019-20 and 2020-21, only to throw it away.
In both seasons, Leicester spent more days in the top four than any other team but threw it away when it mattered.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Nuno Espirito Santo, Manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on prior to ... More the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at City Ground on April 28, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by)
'It is in our hands but nobody will give us anything, we have to do it by ourselves. It is up to us to improve and compete much better — like we did before,' said Nuno after the Everton loss.
'We cannot get away from the fact it is a decisive moment of the season. We were not comfortable and the fans also saw the boys were struggling. We are in this position, and we want to try to give it a go. But nobody is going to give us anything.
'We are disappointed. Disappointed with the performance. We were not comfortable and didn't play good. The game didn't flow. Everton caused us a lot of problems. They won the duels and the second balls. They were putting us under pressure. In terms of our offensive play, we didn't create much.'
The Portuguese coach is known to take defeat heavily, so his negativity after the encounter should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Having processed the sucker punch by Everton, his rhetoric was more positive.
'They should feel proud and committed to the final sprint of the competition,' he said several days later on the impending Champions League battle.
'That's why we as a group and as a club are proud to be in this fight.
'In one week's time we will be speaking about another huge moment for us, so we embrace it.
'We are delighted. The criticisms will come, the opinions will come, the doubts will come - and we are here for that.'
In the eyes of some pundits, however, the suggestion that Forest might choke is already being aired.
Alan Shearer, whose beloved Newcastle United is one of the challengers for the Champions League places, tipped the Reds to bottle it.
'It is hard enough to predict results in the Premier League anyway, but at this stage of the season, it is even more difficult,' Shearer told the BBC.
'Looking at each club's remaining games now doesn't really help in deciding what might happen, because some of the teams they face may have different priorities, or nothing to play for full-stop.
'It's the same for anyone who plays Manchester United and Tottenham before the end of the season, too, because the Europa League is their priority now. Right now my guess would be that maybe Chelsea and Forest will be the teams who miss out - but that situation could change very quickly.
'There will be ups and downs for all five clubs involved but they have all got valid reasons for thinking they can and will make it. They all have the same incentive too - getting in the Champions League, or not, is massive because of the financial rewards it brings.
'For Manchester City, who have qualified every year since 2011, it is part of their model and although Chelsea have not been in it for a couple of seasons, that applies to them too. Chelsea finished sixth last season, and failing to improve on that will probably be deemed a failure, even if they win the UEFA Conference League.
'In contrast, no one saw this coming from Forest, but they have now spent so much time in the top five that they will be disappointed if they don't make it from here. The picture is going to keep on changing.'
Nottingham Forest fans will hope those changes are not reminiscent of the collapse of their bitter rivals Leicester City.