Reds are Ful of fight and fire, but now need consistency
FOREST SHOWED WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF IN VITAL WIN OVER COTTAGERS. THE TASK NOW IS TO KEEP UP STANDARD IN SURVIVAL FIGHT
IT was the kind of night to give you goosebumps. The kind of night to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up while you take a moment to drink it all in. The kind of night to breathe life into Nottingham Forest’s survival bid.
Under the lights on the banks of the Trent, amid steady early-april rain, it was one of those special evenings at the City Ground. The football was electrifying, the stadium rocking and the roar at the final whistle shook the stands.
There is still a long way to go – Nuno Espirito Santo was sure to make that point at full-time. But Tuesday night’s performance as Fulham were beaten 3-1 showed what the Reds are capable of. It showed the standard they can hit. It showed why they have it within them to pull away from trouble, if they can keep those levels up.
■ MAGICAL MORGAN
Morgan Gibbs-white seemed to take a little glance at Forza Garibaldi’s Trent End display just before kick-off. If he needed any extra motivation, it was staring him back in the face.
“Shut everything out and play your game” read the banner. It was accompanied by a giant image of Gibbs-white, complete with fingers in ears.
Come the end of a quite exceptional first half from the 24-year-old, that trademark celebration pose got an airing on the pitch. A goal was no less than he deserved. He had been a joy to watch.
“It’s just another game for me,” he reflected afterwards, with some degree of modesty. The reality, though, was that it was anything but. It was a masterclass.
For the first 45 minutes, Gibbs white was unplayable. Building on his brilliant second half against Crystal Palace at the weekend, he was at the heart of everything for the Reds. Every touch was magic, every turn was liquid, every ball was pinpoint. His goal was terrific, but his assist for Callum Hudson-odoi was exquisite.
If Forest are going to survive this season, the former England Under21 international is going to be integral to their mission.
Having been substituted to a standing ovation with little more than 10 minutes to go, he leapt up off the bench once the whistle blew and punched the air.
■ SELECTION DECISIONS
In the build-up to the midweek clash, there had been some debate over whether Gibbs-white should start in a deeper role. He had excelled there amid a reshuffle on Saturday, with Gio Reyna having come on and impressed at No.10 against Palace.
Gibbs-white is certainly capable of dropping back. But the first half against Fulham showed why Nuno must be loathe to play him in that position for a full 90 minutes – not when he is in magician mode.
Fans have been calling for Nuno to deploy the attacking trio of Gibbswhite, Hudson-odoi and Anthony Elanga for some time.
The Reds head coach has come in for some criticism for his line-ups and substitution choices in recent weeks, but this time he got it spot on.
As well as Gibbs-white delighting with his box of tricks, Hudson-odoi was excellent and Elanga caused all sorts of problems with his pace.
Goals have been in short supply of late, but on Tuesday supporters were treated to three of the best, with Chris Wood also on the scoresheet in style. Forest could have had more, too.
But do not underestimate the importance of the platform provided by midfield duo Ryan Yates and Danilo. The latter has found it tough to get going this term, but he put in his best display of the season on this occasion.
■ DEFIANT DEFENCE
After an exhilarating first half, the second had a different complexion about it. It was a test of nerve, character and game management when Fulham pulled one back soon after the restart.
The Reds haven’t always been able to see such matches out.
Not this time, though. They were dragged over the line by the wall of noise that reverberated around the City Ground. Forest dug in. They fought. It was an all round collective effort; warrior-like from front to back as every ounce of effort was used up.
Nuno has chopped and changed centre-backs during his time in charge, sometimes out of choice and sometimes out of necessity. If Willy Boly were fit, he might well have started. How many more outings the partnership of Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo gets this season remains to be seen, but the duo undoubtedly have great potential.
Meanwhile, behind them, Matz Sels has quietly justified the club’s decision to bring in another goalkeeper in January.
He made a terrific save at 3-1 which was crucial.
The man Sels replaced even played his part in a memorable evening - even if inadvertently. In a bizarre moment, substitute stopper Matt Turner was booked by referee Michael Oliver when he left his spot on the bench to boot a second ball back into play. The American appeared to have a wry smile on his face when he sat back down.
■ THE RELEGATION BATTLE
Forest have now clawed back the four points they were docked for breaching financial rules. The midweek win moved them three clear of the drop zone, albeit ahead of Luton Town’s trip to Arsenal tonight (Wednesday).
It is tempting to ask where Tuesday night’s performance has been.
It was reminiscent of the early days under Nuno, when the Reds went for games and were on the front foot.
They were on it from minute one against Fulham. The fact Marco Silva felt it necessary to make a triple substitution with half an hour played said it all.
Forest have always had this kind of showing in them. It was about unlocking it again.
There is no doubt about the individual quality in the squad, but it hasn’t always been demonstrated collectively. By contrast, on Tuesday night, you could have argued a case for any one of several man of the match contenders.
The challenge now, though, is to build on it. Owner Evangelos Marinakis was watching on at the City Ground and will be hoping to see the Reds create some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three.
Play like that again and there is no reason why they cannot do so. Consistency is the next challenge.