Latest news with #MatzSels
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How to remember 2024-25
[Getty Images] That Nottingham Forest and their supporters were disappointed at missing out on a place in the Champions League speaks volumes about the strides the club has taken over the past 12 months. The final whistle at the weekend brought with it a strange mix of feelings. While celebrating European football returning to the City Ground for the first time in a generation and acknowledging the efforts of a small, ultimately too-thin squad in taking the behemoths of English football all the way in the race to finish in the top five, it did feel a little flat. Advertisement Being one equaliser away from the Europa League undoubtedly hurts, as does not claiming an extra couple of points somewhere along the way that would have meant Champions League football. But this season will be remembered as the best in 30 years, with some huge landmarks along the way such as being the first Premier League team ever to double their points tally year-on-year and the first Forest team ever to win at Anfield and Old Trafford in the same season. Beating Liverpool was also their first win at Anfield in 55 years. There was the huge win over Brighton, a golden glove for the excellent Matz Sels, a monumental first season in English football for player of the season Nikola Milenkovic, some remarkable goalline clearances (Murillo and Harry Toffolo spring to mind!), 20 goals for Chris Wood, a first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, and for the travelling fans, 10 away wins. Advertisement For context, across their previous three seasons in the top flight, they had won nine. All this for a team and a club widely tipped to be relegated by a number of high-profile pundits ahead of the season. Even the most optimistic Forest fan might have struggled to see a top-half finish, and now they have a European campaign to prepare for. An interesting summer lies ahead because the current squad struggled with a whole season of Premier League football. Ultimately, it was half a dozen games too thin as fatigue and injuries kicked in. As they try to develop further for next season, depth would have been needed - even without Thursday nights across Europe to consider! Advertisement Listen to full commentary on every Nottingham Forest game, and In The Game every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Nottingham. And subscribe to the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How to remember 2024-25
That Nottingham Forest and their supporters were disappointed at missing out on a place in the Champions League speaks volumes about the strides the club has taken over the past 12 months. The final whistle at the weekend brought with it a strange mix of feelings. While celebrating European football returning to the City Ground for the first time in a generation and acknowledging the efforts of a small, ultimately too-thin squad in taking the behemoths of English football all the way in the race to finish in the top five, it did feel a little flat. Being one equaliser away from the Europa League undoubtedly hurts, as does not claiming an extra couple of points somewhere along the way that would have meant Champions League football. But this season will be remembered as the best in 30 years, with some huge landmarks along the way such as being the first Premier League team ever to double their points tally year-on-year and the first Forest team ever to win at Anfield and Old Trafford in the same season. Beating Liverpool was also their first win at Anfield in 55 years. There was the huge win over Brighton, a golden glove for the excellent Matz Sels, a monumental first season in English football for player of the season Nikola Milenkovic, some remarkable goalline clearances (Murillo and Harry Toffolo spring to mind!), 20 goals for Chris Wood, a first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, and for the travelling fans, 10 away wins. For context, across their previous three seasons in the top flight, they had won nine. Not a Forest fan? Find and follow your club here All this for a team and a club widely tipped to be relegated by a number of high-profile pundits ahead of the season. Even the most optimistic Forest fan might have struggled to see a top-half finish, and now they have a European campaign to prepare for. An interesting summer lies ahead because the current squad struggled with a whole season of Premier League football. Ultimately, it was half a dozen games too thin as fatigue and injuries kicked in. As they try to develop further for next season, depth would have been needed - even without Thursday nights across Europe to consider! Listen to full commentary on every Nottingham Forest game, and In The Game every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Nottingham. And subscribe to the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
How to remember 2024-25
That Nottingham Forest and their supporters were disappointed at missing out on a place in the Champions League speaks volumes about the strides the club has taken over the past 12 months. The final whistle at the weekend brought with it a strange mix of feelings. While celebrating European football returning to the City Ground for the first time in a generation and acknowledging the efforts of a small, ultimately too-thin squad in taking the behemoths of English football all the way in the race to finish in the top five, it did feel a little one equaliser away from the Europa League undoubtedly hurts, as does not claiming an extra couple of points somewhere along the way that would have meant Champions League this season will be remembered as the best in 30 years, with some huge landmarks along the way such as being the first Premier League team ever to double their points tally year-on-year and the first Forest team ever to win at Anfield and Old Trafford in the same season. Beating Liverpool was also their first win at Anfield in 55 was the huge win over Brighton, a golden glove for the excellent Matz Sels, a monumental first season in English football for player of the season Nikola Milenkovic, some remarkable goalline clearances (Murillo and Harry Toffolo spring to mind!), 20 goals for Chris Wood, a first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, and for the travelling fans, 10 away wins. For context, across their previous three seasons in the top flight, they had won a Forest fan? Find and follow your club hereAll this for a team and a club widely tipped to be relegated by a number of high-profile pundits ahead of the season. Even the most optimistic Forest fan might have struggled to see a top-half finish, and now they have a European campaign to prepare interesting summer lies ahead because the current squad struggled with a whole season of Premier League football. Ultimately, it was half a dozen games too thin as fatigue and injuries kicked in. As they try to develop further for next season, depth would have been needed - even without Thursday nights across Europe to consider!Listen to full commentary on every Nottingham Forest game, and In The Game every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio subscribe to the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Nottingham Forest's player of the season: Nikola Milenkovic
There was a moment early in the season at Stamford Bridge when — amid all the ceremony and pomp that comes before a modern Premier League game — Nikola Milenkovic stood perfectly still. With the two teams lined up and waiting to exchange handshakes, many players shuffled from foot to foot or fidgeted nervously. The big Serbian, however, stared straight ahead of him, his face a mask of pure focus. Stoic. Calm. Ready. Advertisement It is a moment that still stands out. This was precisely the attitude and demeanour that has helped him to flourish at Nottingham Forest. Milenkovic grew up playing football on the streets of Serbia, at a time when the Balkan War of the 1990s was not too distant a memory. He still has the Manchester United shirt he wore on many of those days, which carries the name of his idol, Nemanja Vidic. It is easy, but also entirely justified, to make comparisons between the two men. Like Vidic at Old Trafford — where he made 300 appearances between 2006 and 2014 — Milenkovic has already established himself as a transformative figure in a red shirt. His presence has made the entire Forest defence even stronger and more disciplined. Goalkeeper Matz Sels, who shared the Golden Glove award with Arsenal's David Raya, after keeping 13 clean sheets, and the other three members of that back four, Murillo, Ola Aina and Neco Williams, were all among the other credible contenders for the player of the season award at Forest. The 20-goal striker Chris Wood, winger Anthony Elanga, and creative heartbeats Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson could also have been spoken about as being in contention. But nobody else has quite had the same impact on the side as Milenkovic. 'Nikola has done great,' said Nuno Espirito Santo in his press conference after the final day defeat to Chelsea. 'Credit to him. Since he arrived, he has made a big impact on the team, not only on the games, but with his presence and leadership. But for me, it is not a player of the season, it should be the team of the season.' Like Vidic, Milenkovic is a powerful, no-nonsense defender. He is also the captain of his national side. Ryan Yates, the Forest club captain, has described him as being a 'warrior and a leader — exactly what you would expect', in a previous interview with The Athletic. Advertisement Murillo had already made a positive impact last season. But the arrival of Milenkovic, 27, seems to have helped the Brazilian to take another step forward. The duo have quickly forged one of the most formidable partnerships in the Premier League. Milenkovic cost around £11million ($14.9m) when he joined from Fiorentina last summer, and they each represent some of the best business Forest have done in the modern era. Milenkovic has scored five goals this season, four of which came in victories — away at Old Trafford, Portman Road and the London Stadium, and at the City Ground against Aston Villa. But it has been at the back where he has made the biggest difference. Last season, Forest conceded 22 goals from set-piece situations. This time, with Milenkovic in their ranks, they have conceded nine — only five teams have conceded fewer goals from corners and free kicks. At the other end, Forest have scored 17 times from set pieces, which is the most in the top flight this season. That is not down to Milenkovic alone, but his 6ft 5in frame has unquestionably been a factor, with the former Partizan player having also provided two assists. Milenkovic has won 71.63 per cent of his aerial duels this season — 101 of the 141 he has contested. Among Premier League first-team regulars, James Tarkowski of Everton has the best percentage, at 74.64. Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has a percentage of 72.12. As Nuno pointed out, the player of the season award could reasonably have been renamed the 'team of the season award' during a campaign in which Forest followed up back-to-back fights against relegation by pushing for Champions League qualification. But it is the Conference League that they will compete in from next August — a competition that Milenkovic knows well, having twice reached the final with Fiorentina (2023 and 2024). Advertisement The Italian side were beaten by Olympiacos in Athens last May, but Milenkovic produced a performance that helped to persuade Evangelos Marinakis, the figurehead at both Olympiacos and Forest, that he was a player worth signing. A year later, it feels like an astute investment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Robinson praises Sels 'fantastic season'
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson praised Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Sels was instrumental in Forest achieving European football for next season as he recorded 13 clean sheets during the campaign. The Belgian shot-stopper made 120 across the season, with only three goalkeepers making more. "The big compliment you can pay Matz Sels, I don't think he's technically one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League," Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "But you look at another stat this season, which is what I like to look at, is the amount of saves he's made and the biggest stat I like, save to shot per cent ratio - that's how you can judge a goalkeeper. "Selz has won the Golden Glove, but he's also second in the number of saves he's made. So, he's not only relied on the brilliance of Milenkovic and Murillo in front of him and the defence being solid and the team being organised, he's had to make a number of saves to contribute to that. You've got to take your hat off to him, he's had a fantastic season."
