Nottingham Forest review of 2024-25: A remarkable season that could have been even better

New York Times

27-05-2025

Remarkable has been an overused word over the past 10 months in Nottingham. But it has simply been a remarkable campaign for Nottingham Forest, as they found themselves challenging for a top-five finish for much of it, after having their fortunes transformed by Nuno Espirito Santo.
While Forest ultimately missed out on a place in the Champions League — instead qualifying for the Conference League for next season — their seventh-place finish still ranks as a significant achievement.
Here is The Athletic's review of what has been an eventful, colourful and entirely memorable 2024-25 season.
The best season Nottingham Forest have had in three decades — but one that ultimately might have been even better.
The seventh-place finish was the highest Forest have achieved since Frank Clark was in charge, in 1994-95, when they finished third. It has been an incredible transformation after two years fighting relegation — Forest are back in Europe for the first time since that Clark era.
But there was also a sense of disappointment that Forest did not hold on to their place in the top five and secure Champions League football, with a place in the qualifying round of the Conference League somehow feeling like an insufficient reward.
Perhaps the toughest question here. The win at Anfield? The 1-0 home success over Manchester City? Either of the victories over Manchester United? There have been so many notable wins.
But it was not just the performance in the 7-0 win over Brighton at the City Ground in February, but the context behind it that made it special.
Forest had just been beaten 5-0 at Bournemouth. But they responded by ruthlessly taking apart a very strong Brighton side, with Chris Wood netting a hat-trick.
The goal that defined everything that has been good about Forest this season: Callum Hudson-Odoi at Liverpool in September.
Anthony Elanga led a quick break down the right side, before firing a cross-field ball into the feet of his fellow winger, who still had plenty to do. But Hudson-Odoi cut inside two defenders to get himself into a central position on the edge of the box, before curling a sublime, perfect finish beyond the reach of Alisson.
It was a very good goal, but it meant just as much for its significance as it secured Forest's first win at Anfield since 1969.
After securing their first win at the London Stadium, by beating West Ham 2-1 in the penultimate game, Forest's players paid a touching tribute to Taiwo Awoniyi.
It was a crucial victory that meant Forest still had a chance of securing a top-five finish on the final day. But it meant more than that, in an emotional sense, as Morgan Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi held up a shirt featuring Awoniyi's name and number up in front of the away end. The striker was recovering from emergency abdominal surgery to repair an injury sustained when he clattered into the post against Leicester City.
After being questioned about occasionally playing the handpan when players went for meetings in his office, Nuno made a promise to the gathered media at his final pre-match press conference of the season that he would one day play for them.
When he returned half an hour later with the instrument and plonked himself down on a stool, nobody expected what followed.
With almost mesmeric flicks of his hands, Nuno produced a gentle, lilting tune that made you feel like you were in a posh spa, waiting for a massage.
Ryan Yates on Nuno playing his handpan: 'It's like you're walking into a five-star hotel. Yeah, he's a very special man. Very different to anything I've come across before, but more than anything he's obviously incredible at his job. To orchestrate Forest (getting) to their first European football in 30 years? It speaks for itself. It's incredible.'
Elliot Anderson. To be perfectly clear, the fact that he has flourished at Forest is not a surprise at all. He was regarded as being one of the brightest prospects in the Newcastle ranks before moving to the City Ground in a deal effectively worth £15million last summer.
What has been a surprise is the position he has flourished in.
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Anderson was signed primarily to add to the options on the left side, within Nuno's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. But he has finished the campaign having established himself as the most important and influential option in the centre of midfield. If he can maintain his performance levels next season, he will surely be on the England radar.
As the celebrations began following the penalty shootout win over Ipswich in the FA Cup, Nuno caught up with defender Ola Aina, as everyone in red ran towards the centre circle.
The Nigeria international laughingly told his manager that he was feeling fatigued. Nuno's response was simply to give his player a piggyback into the melee of celebrations.
Nuno said: 'He said he was so tired, so I said, 'Jump on'.'
Dango Ouattara at Bournemouth in January. A looping far post header, a crisp left-foot finish, and a simple close-range conversion after Matz Sels had made a save all helped the Burkina Faso international to a hat-trick.
Ouattara is one of very few men who managed to make Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic look defensively fragile.
Champions League football would have earned Nuno a 10/10 rating. The stuttering finale to an incredible campaign brings his mark down to a nine.
But the Portuguese has still done a superb job. He is the third most successful manager of the last half-century, behind Brian Clough and Clark, with Steve Cooper just behind in fourth.
Will Morgan Gibbs-White join Manchester City?
Forest's most creative influence and regular captain is among City's list of summer targets. Forest say they are comfortably within PSR limits and do not need to sell to raise money. But the situation is more complex than that when the most dominant side of recent years comes calling.
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Securing Champions League football might have strengthened Forest's arm. Playing in the Conference League may not have the same impact. And the lure of playing under Pep Guardiola, one of the best managers in the game, would be significant.
The England international would leave a huge void were a deal to be agreed.
I knew that Ibrahim Sangare would turn out to be a midfield powerhouse for Nottingham Forest…