'If Forest ever needed a 12th man, it is now'
FA Cup or Champions League? Well, Nottingham Forest do not have that choice any more. But now the decision has been made for them, concentrate on the league it is.The permutations of qualifying for European competition are no longer endless but nothing, of course, is guaranteed. Three points should be enough for the Europa League. Nine points might be enough for the Champions League. The Conference League is a distinct possibility for the team finishing seventh, or even eighth.But all that really matters right now is the five cup finals Forest have between now and the end of the season - three of them at home - starting on Thursday when Brentford visit the City Ground.That game promises to be a cauldron of noise following Sunday's incredible scenes at the FA Cup semi-final. Despite the disappointment of losing 2-0 to Manchester City, the sea of 35,000 Reds at Wembley was something not to be forgotten - and if Forest ever needed a 12th man, it is now.The depth of our resources has been highlighted by Sunday's injuries and suspensions, but there is hope that we have a fully fit squad for the run-in now. And glory does not need to be defined by winning a cup, it can equally be defined by welcoming Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Lazio and Roma to the banks of the Trent next season.Whatever happens, there is nothing but pride for Nuno Espirito Santo's team - but, as he often says, nothing has been achieved yet.The thousands of fans who were at Wembley on Sunday, and the thousands who could not make it, are right behind them - and this, surely, is just the start of things.Concentrating on the league is the next step.Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Rangers ‘interested in Jamie Vardy swoop as they eye sensational deal for Premier League legend'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS are reportedly among the clubs showing interest in Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy. The 38-year-old striker is a free agent after leaving the Foxes at the end of his contract. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Jamie Vardy acknowledges the fans following his final appearance at Leicester City Credit: Getty 3 Leicester City's Jamie Vardy silences Ipswich crowd after scoring Credit: Reuters 3 Vardy in action in final game for Leicester Credit: Getty He scored nine goals in the Premier League last season, which was not enough to keep Leicester from being relegated. Vardy has been linked with moves to clubs in England, Spain, the MLS and Saudi Arabia. And it now seems Rangers - under new American ownership - could also be in the hunt for his signature, according to the Daily Mail. The England international struck 200 times for Leicester in 500 appearances after signing for £1million from Fleetwood Town in 2012. He fired Leicester to a historic Premier League title in 2016 with 24 goals that season. Leicester's success is widely considered to be one of the best sporting achievements, starting the campaign as 5000/1 outsiders. They also clinched their first FA Cup in 2021 in what was a remarkable period for the club. Rangers icon Ally McCoist, who revealed he tried to sign the striker during his spell as manager at the club, recently said he would "take him in two minutes". He told TalkSport in 2020: "I remember looking at him when he was at Fleetwood and I was at Rangers. "I had John Brown, my chief scout, look at him two or three times and it was an absolute no-brainer but we couldn't get the money to sign him. Emotional Leicester fans say 'delete this' as club share pics of Jamie Vardy packing his things into a cardboard box "He's been fantastic. I couldn't get the money at that time, and we weren't talking about a lot of money. "It was unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. It was more the position our club was in at that particular time to tell you the truth. "Thankfully for Jamie he made the correct decision and never let me anywhere near him!" The Rangers revolution is beginning at Ibrox with the club under new American ownership. They are also being linked with Europa League winner Almamy Toure. The 29-year-old defender is a free agent after leaving German second division side Kaiserslautern. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mirror
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Chelsea in talks over £50m deal for England wonderkid they had in their academy
Chelsea are looking to wrap up a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who was once in their academy, with a £50million deal possible before the Club World Cup Chelsea are in talks to land Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens for £50million - despite previously having him in their academy and allowing him to leave. Back in January, the Blues expressed an interest in the Englishman and now they want to conclude a deal before both clubs go to the Club World Cup. Gittens has earned England U21 recognition and was on the books with Chelsea as a child. He is understood to have a release clause in the region of £50m, reports the Telegraph, and has shone with Dortmund since joining the club in 2020 to play with one of their development teams, before rising through the ranks to become a first-team regular. This year, despite a mid-season managerial change due to a dip in form, Gittens played 48 times and scored on 12 occasions as the club made it into the top four. One of his strikes coming in the Champions League against Real Madrid. Former Dortmund striker Karl Heinz-Riedle told The Sun earlier this season that Gittens has the potential to emulate the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham. He said: 'Jamie is still not 100 per cent what we expect from a world-class player - but he has all the talent to become one of those. He can become the next Sancho, Erling Haaland or Bellingham.' The German side have shown themselves willing to sell their top stars for the right fee, often making huge profits as a result. They sold the likes of Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Sancho for huge sums. The latter moved to Manchester United but has just spent the season on loan with Chelsea, where he's been inconsistent and now faces an uncertain future. Chelsea have a contractual obligation to buy him for between £20m - £25m due to their finish in the Premier League. If they want to back out, they must pay a £5m exit penalty fee. Chelsea's qualification for the Champions League on the final day of the season will aid their recruitment this summer. They are poised to win the race for Liam Delap, who is set to join from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal to bolster their attack. The Blues have continued to invest and have a bloated squad, which means they will need to sell numerous players this summer. Despite that, they've begun with their recruitment and have wasted no time in the early days of the summer transfer window.
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Newcastle tactics that proved Eddie Howe is an elite manager
After 15 games of the Premier League season, Newcastle United were 12th in the table and looking lost. By the end, they had secured Champions League qualification and their first major domestic trophy in 70 years. Eddie Howe, once again, had pulled off a miracle. Adam Clery examines what was going wrong at the tail-end of 2024, what changes he made to the team in 2025, and why this finally proves that Howe belongs in the conversation of the world's elite managers.
