Nottingham Forrest, the keys to a spectacular return to the forefront

“The last time Nottingham Forest got 28 points after 16 days in the Premier League, the first smartphone had just gone on sale in 1994”summary The Athletic. Nottingham Forrest had gotten into the habit of conjugating in the past tense. In the Midlands, the legend was told of a club which, in the 1970s, had pushed from D2 to the top of Europe (winner of the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1979 and 1980). Carried by a coach with a strong tongue, Brian Clough, who revealed many players (Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson, Martin O'Neill…) a phenomenon which, many years later, inspired a certain José Mourinho.

This year, in England, the attraction is called Nottingham Forrest. A club which, without dreaming of a destiny comparable to Leicester, crowned champion in 2016, is moving forward and seducing. The keys to the success of a team playing in the golden square of the English championship (3rd, with 37 points, 8 points behind Liverpool, the solid leader)?

An experienced Portuguese coach

Nuno Espirito Santo (50 years old) who was a goalkeeper at Vitoria Guimares or Porto. A technician who, since 2010, has nourished his experience (from Malaga to Al Ittihad, from Panathinaikos to Porto, from Valencia to Tottenham, via Wolverhampton) to extend the list of Lusitanian coaches who are successfully exported (there are approximately 200 to work in dozens of countries, according to 24 Hours). Nuno Espirito Santo signed for Nottingham Forest in December 2023 (for two and a half years). He finished the exercise gritting his teeth (17^e) before moving on with determination.

An impeccable state of mind

Nuno Espirito Santo explained in the Nottingham Post how he pushed his players to their limits during a demanding pre-season that included a training camp in Spain. To identify personalities, approach limits, build a solid group. “When they are very tired, almost dead, that's when you really know how far men are willing to go; when they are hot, sweaty and want water, but you force them to keep going. These simple things, if you pay attention to them, say a lot about the characters. Once you understand their behaviors, you can then, because you understand them better, know which buttons you need to press at the right time.”he detailed on Sky Sports. One of the other strengths of the Portuguese technician is to involve a significant number of players, which arouses involvement and promotes changes.

An attacking trio that changes dimension

New Zealander Chris Wood (33 years old; in England since 2009, in Nottingham since 2023) has scored 11 goals this season and is ranked 4^e in the ranking of scorers dominated by Salah), the Swede Anthony Elanga (played by Manchester United) and the Englishman Morgan Gibbs-White (3 goals; 3 assists), have changed skin in a few months to become players who count, headliners of a set which combines well on set pieces. The English Eliott Anderson (5 assists) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (2 goals; 1 assist; with speed and confusing dribbling) complete the offensive arsenal.

A solid defense

19 goals conceded (only Liverpool and Arsenal have done better). Within a compact defense, the Serbian Nikola Milenkovic, who arrived from Fiorentina, is a reassuring lookout. And behind, the Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels, from Strasbourg, keeps watch. “As a team we can cover more space. Since the end of last season, we have been committed to improving this aspect. We cannot play in the Premier League if we are not solid, compact and strong in defense. The team is doing well defensively, mainly due to the players' hard work, resilience and willingness to put their bodies in front of the ball.”savors Nuno Espirito Santo who made his pride « Forest ». As Brian Clough (and his deputy Peter Taylor) knew how to do. “Since his death in 2004, at the age of sixty-nine, he has been the subject of around twenty biographies, five statues and has given his name to a expressway between Nottingham and Derby. Nottingham is now the city of Robin Hood and Brian Clough.wrote Vincent Duluc in The Teama few years ago. A carefree group of players (who travel to Wolverhampton on Monday as part of the 20^e Premier League day) led by an inspired coach is perhaps writing a new chapter whose legend will last for years to come…