WLike any impatient Forest fan, here at Three Seasons, amidst another international break, we have looked at the fixtures, pontificated each and every game, analysed performances, worried over an injury list like a concerned Crimean War nurse, and provided the end-of-season prediction whilst trying to determine where Forest can pick up vital points over the next six games.
With three difficult away games within the first four games of the season, nobody expected Forest to win a game until the home fixture against South Yorkshire mining rivals, Sheffield United.
By the time Chris Wood had provided the necessary finish to give Forest maximum points against the blades, Forest had already shown improvements in their game with a narrow away defeat to title-contending Arsenal.
And had Forest managed to show the same attacking vigour within the first hour that they showed within the last 20 minutes at The Emirates Stadium, they could’ve come away with something.
However, restricting Arsenal to just 2 goals and a turn of pace from Elanga that enabled him to feed Taiwo for a late boost of pressure, the early signs were there that this Forest side is an improved Premiership squad, with added depth and explosive prowess.
New, Improved, Mid-table Contenders.
An early two-goal lead at Old Trafford shocked the home fans and gave us even more hope that Forest weren’t going to be the whipping boys away from home anymore.
By the time of the Chelsea victory at The Bridge, there was firm positivity that Forest, maybe, could be a mid-table contender this season.
Burley Blow; Lacklustre Luton Lull
Burnley at home was a blow but it could’ve been much worse. Defeat against Man City was inevitable, but at least Forest kept the goals-against ratio to an acceptable level, and games against Brentford and Palace could’ve and should’ve provided maximum points for Cooper’s red and white army.
The less said about Luton the better and we won’t say too much about the game at Anfield either. The Lacklustre game against Luton has certainly held Forest back, but it’s not all doom and gloom yet. There is still potential for that gradual build and consolidation that comes with the climb because, let’s not underestimate the Premier League, it is a super league!
Villa Thriller
Going into the Villa game, nobody gave us any hope. I think had you mentioned that Ola Aina would score his first goal of the season at home to Villa in a 2-0 win and bet your mortgage on it, you would’ve accumulated enough winnings to buy a small country. It wasn’t easy to watch but we were all thrilled by the result; it was a joy.
On the back of a win against Aston Villa, you would’ve fancied Forest’s chances away at West Ham.
We are admirers of the team that West Ham has built since the Paqueta of Rice midfield – sorry, had to get that in there – but they have struggled and you’d expect Forest to come away with something; at least a point….no?
Of course not. Forest score two goals away from home again and come away with absolutely nothing- jack shit – because footballers are only human and human beings make monumental mistakes on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, the first mistake was very early on and Forest couldn’t hold onto a lead… again. Even the Villa fans were saying that they were crushed by Aina’s early goal. A team that goes behind early in the Premiership does well to recover and win.
But where can Forest pick up points now? Let’s take a look.
Brighton (H) – 25th November, 2023. Prediction: WIN (16 points)
I look at Brighton and Hove Albion and, like many, I admire their progress. I often think that I would like to see Forest align and mirror their relatively recent success: premiership stability; on the brink of European qualification; managed by a master tactician; great recruitment strategy that sees reasonably priced players come in before being sold on to Chelsea for enough money to feed a small country.
And then I have to stop myself. Surely, Forest already have some of these qualities…right?
Well, there is no reason why Forest couldn’t find comparative success. The recruitment has been excellent this season, the owner is very ambitious – Marinakis isn’t just playing with his money – Steve Cooper has a good reputation for being a quality coach, and he is still only quite young for a manager with limited Premiership experience.
And let’s not forget, Brighton have been in the Premiership longer than you might think – they are not newcomers to arguably ‘the best league in the world’.
The Brighton Model.
Brighton first gained promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and finished 15th in their first season. And to draw further comparison, they struggled in their second season, narrowly avoiding relegation, finishing 17th on 36 points, just above Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
I remember the days when Peter Ward played for Brighton before Forest bought him in 1980 for about £400,000 – roughly the price of Manchester City’s heated seats on the touchline – and you would never have guessed that I would be admiring the Brighton model forty-four-years later, especially after Brighton spent a couple of seasons in the depths of the 4th tier.
Brighton have bought well, sold better and been tactically astute. A list of injuries at Brighton now means that Forest can regroup and plan ahead for what I believe is a game with huge potential for Forest.
Brighton were one of the teams that Forest didn’t lose to last season, taking four points from The Seagulls. And if we are to believe that Forest have made improvements – and there is enough evidence to suggest they have – I don’t see why Forest can’t take maximum points from this game.
Murillo limped off against West Ham – another hamstring? Really? – Elanga has been withdrawn from international duty due to an alleged injury, we are short of cover up front, and Hudson-Odoi is struggling. Hopefully, fingers crossed, the international break should allow time for players to recover properly this time.
Anyway, Forest have plenty of cover at the back and, by the end of November, the strikers should all be fully fit and raring to go.
I’m going to go fully optimistic on this one and predict that Forest won’t concede and win 3-0… because they have to.
Even if it’s not comfortable, Forest really have got to take all three points from this game. Why? Because I believe Marinakis is locked and loaded. The bullet is in the chamber and Steve Cooper is in his sights.
I know it’s very hard to believe that Forest are going to thrash Brighton, especially after conceding 3 against West Ham from a couple of corners and a stray pass, but I do think Forest will be ready for the City Ground again.
Anyway, it’s high time that Forest had a game we can all enjoy watching rather than sitting on the edge of our seats, paralysed with anxiety, praying for another solid performance at the back.
An early goal will do it, one just before the break, and then another goal a few minutes into the second half. This will give us (the fans) the best part of 40 minutes’ worth of an unbridled, three-goal comfort zone. If they defend as solid as they did against Villa, it’s all gravy.
Either way, we’re confident on this one, 3-0, 4-1 or 1-0, it’s a win from us and 16 points in the bag. Let’s move on.
Front foot Forest
I’d like to see Forest on the front foot too. They invite too much pressure with their style of play. Apart from the defensive errors, Forest actually played well against West Ham. The team was bang-on – the tactics were right – but a few defensive errors gave the game away to a West Ham side that didn’t look that much of a threat.
I appreciate that they hit the bar following another defensive error, but the crowd was on their backs by half-time and, had Forest not conceded a corner immediately after the 2nd goal, I think the game would have fallen into their hands, physically and psychologically.
What do you think? Are De Zerbi’s Seagulls just too swift for us, or are The Tricky Trees just too rooted at home and able to branch a barrage of attacks against a currently depleted Brighton side?
Everton (H) – 2nd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (19 points)
Back-to-back City Ground games couldn’t have come at a better time. Despite being part of the drop zone for a number of seasons now, Everton still like to remind Nottingham Forest fans that they are a much ‘bigger club’.
Bigger Everton are but, currently, they are pretty comparable when it comes to mediocrity. A couple of weeks ago I wasn’t worried at all by the Everton encounter and I thought that Dyche would be one of the first managers to get sacked in the morning, however, I am now rather cautious.
What concerns me most about this fixture is that Everton have recently managed to do something which Forest haven’t – win more than once within two months.
Gameweek 10 saw Everton beat West Ham away; the week after they drew at home to Brighton, and last week they beat Palace on the road again, 3-2. With a WDW from the last 3 games, Everton’s results trump Forest’s LWL by 4 points – against Liverpool, Villa and WHU, respectively – placing Everton one point and one place above Forest*.
Everton have proved that they can win on the road, Forest are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, and my head tells me that this one is a draw. But wait.
Nobody analyses Forest more than Sean Dyche – he’s at the City Ground more often than the catering team – but if Forest can get their tails up with a win against Brighton, nothing is going to stop them on their home turf when backed by the Forest faithful.
I’m gonna stick with the optimistic theme that Forest are an improved side this year, with sights on a mid-table position, and all defensive errors left in the West Ham changing room.
It will be close, no doubt about that, but I’m going with 1-0 to Nottingham Forest – COYR!
Fulham (A) 6th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (20 points)
A congested week for Forest means that if they have managed to build some momentum, they are going to need the stamina to match, with three games in one week.
The 2nd of the three games sees Forest on the road again. Fulham haven’t really hit any kind of form yet this season and could quite easily find themselves in a relegation battle. The only statistic in Fulham’s favour at the recent Aston Villa game was a number of fouls (17). In the second half, Fulham committed a foul about every 5 minutes.
I think Forest are still the better side on paper but, away from the side of the Trent, they struggle to find the desire and the flair that is needed to make a difference in this league.
Apparently, I heard recently – please quote me if I’m wrong – Forest have the worst away record of any team in the Football League over the last two seasons, bar Rotherham.
It was travel sickness that did Forest last season and so I think they’ll struggle for a win at The Cottage again.
I know many of you will think that this game is for the taking – I agree – but I just fear that Forest will bottle it again on the road.
However, we’ve got to remain optimistic about these games and pull all the positive vibes in because this is where the potential will be to pick up safety points. If we fail against the teams in the mid to lower end of the league, it’s going to be a difficult task to overcome the big spenders at the top end of the division.
Of course, alternatively, a draw in one of the home games and a win at Fulham will still secure seven points over three games, which isn’t bad and certainly enough to keep Steve Cooper in a job.
Speaking of which, Forest have only won 3 games this season and, if you throw your minds back to this time last season – 21/10/22 to be precise – Aston Villa dispensed of Steven Gerrard after they were beaten by Fulham, 3-0. At that point, Villa had only won 2 games out of 12 and look at Villa today.
Coincidently, at that time, Villa were using Newcastle as a marker saying that the season prior to Steven Gerrard’s 11 months at Villa, Eddie Howe was ushered in – and look how things turned out there.
Newcastle and Villa are similar in stature to Forest, and there is no reason why Forest can’t emulate similar advancements. Forest are just a few seasons behind these guys. Watch this space.
Wolves (A) – 9th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (21 points).
Another team that has been all over the place this season. Wolves recently beat Spurs, they drew with Newcastle, but they lost to Sheffield United. Who knows where that team is going…?
It’s difficult to call. As a neutral, you’d probably fancy Wolves because of Forest’s away game phobia.
Again, we can’t afford to throw away valuable points and I think it’ll be 2-2.
Spurs (H) – 15th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (22 points).
It’s difficult not to think that Spurs will win this one. Recently thrashed by local rivals, Chelsea, Spurs have their own injury and suspension worries. I can see Brennan coming here, scoring, and not celebrating, keeping his arrow firmly in its bow.
Spurs struggled to overcome Luton, beating them by a marginal goal at Kenilworth Road in early October. Ultimately, I feel that Tottenham will also feel the Forza of Forest at the City Ground and be held to a 1-1 draw. Furthermore, I also predict that Murillo will swap his shirt at half-time with fellow countryman, Richarlison.
Bournemouth (H) – 23rd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (25 points).
As comfortable as 25 points sounds, these predictions are almost best-case-scenario punts. Bournemouth at home sounds like a pushover but they beat a tired, depleted Newcastle United with the crowd versus Trippier debate, and they beat Burnley at home before getting thrashed 6-1 by Manchester City.
Again, it’s difficult to call but, unlike last season, I think they’ll go 2-0 up and maintain the lead. It’s a 2-0 victory from us.
Brutal Honesty
We also suspect that this could be Cooper’s last game if the results don’t go Forest’s way, because the aforementioned six games are followed by Newcastle, home and away, Manchester United at home, Brentford away, Arsenal at home, and a trip to the south coast for the return dual with Bournemouth.
If we are being brutally honest, I can’t see Forest winning any more than one of those subsequent games against better teams, unless they throw a surprise in the mix, like the Arsenal game last season.
Consequently, our predictions are imperative and anything less than 22 points following the Bournemouth game sees us scrapping to the very end, like a wounded animal looking for food and shelter.
What do you think? Where can Forest pick up points over the next 12 games? What are the must-win games? If the must-win games turn into should’ve-won games, is Steve Cooper looking for alternative employment? Let us know.
*As of today, 17th November 2023, Everton have received a controversial 10-point deduction and currently sits 2nd from bottom on 4 points.
Like any impatient Forest fan, here at Three Seasons, amidst another international break, we have looked at the fixtures, pontificated each and every game, analysed performances, worried over an injury list like a concerned Crimean War nurse, and provided the end-of-season prediction whilst trying to determine where Forest can pick up vital points over the next six games.
With three difficult away games within the first four games of the season, nobody expected Forest to win a game until the home fixture against South Yorkshire mining rivals, Sheffield United.
By the time Chris Wood had provided the necessary finish to give Forest maximum points against the blades, Forest had already shown improvements in their game with a narrow away defeat to title-contending Arsenal.
And had Forest managed to show the same attacking vigour within the first hour that they showed within the last 20 minutes at The Emirates Stadium, they could’ve come away with something.
However, restricting Arsenal to just 2 goals and a turn of pace from Elanga that enabled him to feed Taiwo for a late boost of pressure, the early signs were there that this Forest side is an improved Premiership squad, with added depth and explosive prowess.
New, Improved, Mid-table Contenders.
An early two-goal lead at Old Trafford shocked the home fans and gave us even more hope that Forest weren’t going to be the whipping boys away from home anymore.
By the time of the Chelsea victory at The Bridge, there was firm positivity that Forest, maybe, could be a mid-table contender this season.
Burley Blow; Lacklustre Luton Lull
Burnley at home was a blow but it could’ve been much worse. Defeat against Man City was inevitable, but at least Forest kept the goals-against ratio to an acceptable level, and games against Brentford and Palace could’ve and should’ve provided maximum points for Cooper’s red and white army.
The less said about Luton the better and we won’t say too much about the game at Anfield either. The Lacklustre game against Luton has certainly held Forest back, but it’s not all doom and gloom yet. There is still potential for that gradual build and consolidation that comes with the climb because, let’s not underestimate the Premier League, it is a super league!
Villa Thriller
Going into the Villa game, nobody gave us any hope. I think had you mentioned that Ola Aina would score his first goal of the season at home to Villa in a 2-0 win and bet your mortgage on it, you would’ve accumulated enough winnings to buy a small country. It wasn’t easy to watch but we were all thrilled by the result; it was a joy.
On the back of a win against Aston Villa, you would’ve fancied Forest’s chances away at West Ham.
We are admirers of the team that West Ham has built since the Paqueta of Rice midfield – sorry, had to get that in there – but they have struggled and you’d expect Forest to come away with something; at least a point….no?
Of course not. Forest score two goals away from home again and come away with absolutely nothing- jack shit – because footballers are only human and human beings make monumental mistakes on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, the first mistake was very early on and Forest couldn’t hold onto a lead… again. Even the Villa fans were saying that they were crushed by Aina’s early goal. A team that goes behind early in the Premiership does well to recover and win.
But where can Forest pick up points now? Let’s take a look.
Brighton (H) – 25th November, 2023. Prediction: WIN (16 points)
I look at Brighton and Hove Albion and, like many, I admire their progress. I often think that I would like to see Forest align and mirror their relatively recent success: premiership stability; on the brink of European qualification; managed by a master tactician; great recruitment strategy that sees reasonably priced players come in before being sold on to Chelsea for enough money to feed a small country.
And then I have to stop myself. Surely, Forest already have some of these qualities…right?
Well, there is no reason why Forest couldn’t find comparative success. The recruitment has been excellent this season, the owner is very ambitious – Marinakis isn’t just playing with his money – Steve Cooper has a good reputation for being a quality coach, and he is still only quite young for a manager with limited Premiership experience.
And let’s not forget, Brighton have been in the Premiership longer than you might think – they are not newcomers to arguably ‘the best league in the world’.
The Brighton Model.
Brighton first gained promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and finished 15th in their first season. And to draw further comparison, they struggled in their second season, narrowly avoiding relegation, finishing 17th on 36 points, just above Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
I remember the days when Peter Ward played for Brighton before Forest bought him in 1980 for about £400,000 – roughly the price of Manchester City’s heated seats on the touchline – and you would never have guessed that I would be admiring the Brighton model forty-four-years later, especially after Brighton spent a couple of seasons in the depths of the 4th tier.
Brighton have bought well, sold better and been tactically astute. A list of injuries at Brighton now means that Forest can regroup and plan ahead for what I believe is a game with huge potential for Forest.
Brighton were one of the teams that Forest didn’t lose to last season, taking four points from The Seagulls. And if we are to believe that Forest have made improvements – and there is enough evidence to suggest they have – I don’t see why Forest can’t take maximum points from this game.
Murillo limped off against West Ham – another hamstring? Really? – Elanga has been withdrawn from international duty due to an alleged injury, we are short of cover up front, and Hudson-Odoi is struggling. Hopefully, fingers crossed, the international break should allow time for players to recover properly this time.
Anyway, Forest have plenty of cover at the back and, by the end of November, the strikers should all be fully fit and raring to go.
I’m going to go fully optimistic on this one and predict that Forest won’t concede and win 3-0… because they have to.
Even if it’s not comfortable, Forest really have got to take all three points from this game. Why? Because I believe Marinakis is locked and loaded. The bullet is in the chamber and Steve Cooper is in his sights.
I know it’s very hard to believe that Forest are going to thrash Brighton, especially after conceding 3 against West Ham from a couple of corners and a stray pass, but I do think Forest will be ready for the City Ground again.
Anyway, it’s high time that Forest had a game we can all enjoy watching rather than sitting on the edge of our seats, paralysed with anxiety, praying for another solid performance at the back.
An early goal will do it, one just before the break, and then another goal a few minutes into the second half. This will give us (the fans) the best part of 40 minutes’ worth of an unbridled, three-goal comfort zone. If they defend as solid as they did against Villa, it’s all gravy.
Either way, we’re confident on this one, 3-0, 4-1 or 1-0, it’s a win from us and 16 points in the bag. Let’s move on.
Front foot Forest
I’d like to see Forest on the front foot too. They invite too much pressure with their style of play. Apart from the defensive errors, Forest actually played well against West Ham. The team was bang-on – the tactics were right – but a few defensive errors gave the game away to a West Ham side that didn’t look that much of a threat.
I appreciate that they hit the bar following another defensive error, but the crowd was on their backs by half-time and, had Forest not conceded a corner immediately after the 2nd goal, I think the game would have fallen into their hands, physically and psychologically.
What do you think? Are De Zerbi’s Seagulls just too swift for us, or are The Tricky Trees just too rooted at home and able to branch a barrage of attacks against a currently depleted Brighton side?
Everton (H) – 2nd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (19 points)
Back-to-back City Ground games couldn’t have come at a better time. Despite being part of the drop zone for a number of seasons now, Everton still like to remind Nottingham Forest fans that they are a much ‘bigger club’.
Bigger Everton are but, currently, they are pretty comparable when it comes to mediocrity. A couple of weeks ago I wasn’t worried at all by the Everton encounter and I thought that Dyche would be one of the first managers to get sacked in the morning, however, I am now rather cautious.
What concerns me most about this fixture is that Everton have recently managed to do something which Forest haven’t – win more than once within two months.
Gameweek 10 saw Everton beat West Ham away; the week after they drew at home to Brighton, and last week they beat Palace on the road again, 3-2. With a WDW from the last 3 games, Everton’s results trump Forest’s LWL by 4 points – against Liverpool, Villa and WHU, respectively – placing Everton one point and one place above Forest*.
Everton have proved that they can win on the road, Forest are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, and my head tells me that this one is a draw. But wait.
Nobody analyses Forest more than Sean Dyche – he’s at the City Ground more often than the catering team – but if Forest can get their tails up with a win against Brighton, nothing is going to stop them on their home turf when backed by the Forest faithful.
I’m gonna stick with the optimistic theme that Forest are an improved side this year, with sights on a mid-table position, and all defensive errors left in the West Ham changing room.
It will be close, no doubt about that, but I’m going with 1-0 to Nottingham Forest – COYR!
Fulham (A) 6th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (20 points)
A congested week for Forest means that if they have managed to build some momentum, they are going to need the stamina to match, with three games in one week.
The 2nd of the three games sees Forest on the road again. Fulham haven’t really hit any kind of form yet this season and could quite easily find themselves in a relegation battle. The only statistic in Fulham’s favour at the recent Aston Villa game was a number of fouls (17). In the second half, Fulham committed a foul about every 5 minutes.
I think Forest are still the better side on paper but, away from the side of the Trent, they struggle to find the desire and the flair that is needed to make a difference in this league.
Apparently, I heard recently – please quote me if I’m wrong – Forest have the worst away record of any team in the Football League over the last two seasons, bar Rotherham.
It was travel sickness that did Forest last season and so I think they’ll struggle for a win at The Cottage again.
I know many of you will think that this game is for the taking – I agree – but I just fear that Forest will bottle it again on the road.
However, we’ve got to remain optimistic about these games and pull all the positive vibes in because this is where the potential will be to pick up safety points. If we fail against the teams in the mid to lower end of the league, it’s going to be a difficult task to overcome the big spenders at the top end of the division.
Of course, alternatively, a draw in one of the home games and a win at Fulham will still secure seven points over three games, which isn’t bad and certainly enough to keep Steve Cooper in a job.
Speaking of which, Forest have only won 3 games this season and, if you throw your minds back to this time last season – 21/10/22 to be precise – Aston Villa dispensed of Steven Gerrard after they were beaten by Fulham, 3-0. At that point, Villa had only won 2 games out of 12 and look at Villa today.
Coincidently, at that time, Villa were using Newcastle as a marker saying that the season prior to Steven Gerrard’s 11 months at Villa, Eddie Howe was ushered in – and look how things turned out there.
Newcastle and Villa are similar in stature to Forest, and there is no reason why Forest can’t emulate similar advancements. Forest are just a few seasons behind these guys. Watch this space.
Wolves (A) – 9th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (21 points).
Another team that has been all over the place this season. Wolves recently beat Spurs, they drew with Newcastle, but they lost to Sheffield United. Who knows where that team is going…?
It’s difficult to call. As a neutral, you’d probably fancy Wolves because of Forest’s away game phobia.
Again, we can’t afford to throw away valuable points and I think it’ll be 2-2.
Spurs (H) – 15th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (22 points).
It’s difficult not to think that Spurs will win this one. Recently thrashed by local rivals, Chelsea, Spurs have their own injury and suspension worries. I can see Brennan coming here, scoring, and not celebrating, keeping his arrow firmly in its bow.
Spurs struggled to overcome Luton, beating them by a marginal goal at Kenilworth Road in early October. Ultimately, I feel that Tottenham will also feel the Forza of Forest at the City Ground and be held to a 1-1 draw. Furthermore, I also predict that Murillo will swap his shirt at half-time with fellow countryman, Richarlison.
Bournemouth (H) – 23rd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (25 points).
As comfortable as 25 points sounds, these predictions are almost best-case-scenario punts. Bournemouth at home sounds like a pushover but they beat a tired, depleted Newcastle United with the crowd versus Trippier debate, and they beat Burnley at home before getting thrashed 6-1 by Manchester City.
Again, it’s difficult to call but, unlike last season, I think they’ll go 2-0 up and maintain the lead. It’s a 2-0 victory from us.
Brutal Honesty
We also suspect that this could be Cooper’s last game if the results don’t go Forest’s way, because the aforementioned six games are followed by Newcastle, home and away, Manchester United at home, Brentford away, Arsenal at home, and a trip to the south coast for the return dual with Bournemouth.
If we are being brutally honest, I can’t see Forest winning any more than one of those subsequent games against better teams, unless they throw a surprise in the mix, like the Arsenal game last season.
Consequently, our predictions are imperative and anything less than 22 points following the Bournemouth game sees us scrapping to the very end, like a wounded animal looking for food and shelter.
What do you think? Where can Forest pick up points over the next 12 games? What are the must-win games? If the must-win games turn into should’ve-won games, is Steve Cooper looking for alternative employment? Let us know.
*As of today, 17th November 2023, Everton have received a controversial 10-point deduction and currently sits 2nd from bottom on 4 points.
Like any impatient Forest fan, here at Three Seasons, amidst another international break, we have looked at the fixtures, pontificated each and every game, analysed performances, worried over an injury list like a concerned Crimean War nurse, and provided the end-of-season prediction whilst trying to determine where Forest can pick up vital points over the next six games.
With three difficult away games within the first four games of the season, nobody expected Forest to win a game until the home fixture against South Yorkshire mining rivals, Sheffield United.
By the time Chris Wood had provided the necessary finish to give Forest maximum points against the blades, Forest had already shown improvements in their game with a narrow away defeat to title-contending Arsenal.
And had Forest managed to show the same attacking vigour within the first hour that they showed within the last 20 minutes at The Emirates Stadium, they could’ve come away with something.
However, restricting Arsenal to just 2 goals and a turn of pace from Elanga that enabled him to feed Taiwo for a late boost of pressure, the early signs were there that this Forest side is an improved Premiership squad, with added depth and explosive prowess.
New, Improved, Mid-table Contenders.
An early two-goal lead at Old Trafford shocked the home fans and gave us even more hope that Forest weren’t going to be the whipping boys away from home anymore.
By the time of the Chelsea victory at The Bridge, there was firm positivity that Forest, maybe, could be a mid-table contender this season.
Burley Blow; Lacklustre Luton Lull
Burnley at home was a blow but it could’ve been much worse. Defeat against Man City was inevitable, but at least Forest kept the goals-against ratio to an acceptable level, and games against Brentford and Palace could’ve and should’ve provided maximum points for Cooper’s red and white army.
The less said about Luton the better and we won’t say too much about the game at Anfield either. The Lacklustre game against Luton has certainly held Forest back, but it’s not all doom and gloom yet. There is still potential for that gradual build and consolidation that comes with the climb because, let’s not underestimate the Premier League, it is a super league!
Villa Thriller
Going into the Villa game, nobody gave us any hope. I think had you mentioned that Ola Aina would score his first goal of the season at home to Villa in a 2-0 win and bet your mortgage on it, you would’ve accumulated enough winnings to buy a small country. It wasn’t easy to watch but we were all thrilled by the result; it was a joy.
On the back of a win against Aston Villa, you would’ve fancied Forest’s chances away at West Ham.
We are admirers of the team that West Ham has built since the Paqueta of Rice midfield – sorry, had to get that in there – but they have struggled and you’d expect Forest to come away with something; at least a point….no?
Of course not. Forest score two goals away from home again and come away with absolutely nothing- jack shit – because footballers are only human and human beings make monumental mistakes on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, the first mistake was very early on and Forest couldn’t hold onto a lead… again. Even the Villa fans were saying that they were crushed by Aina’s early goal. A team that goes behind early in the Premiership does well to recover and win.
But where can Forest pick up points now? Let’s take a look.
Brighton (H) – 25th November, 2023. Prediction: WIN (16 points)
I look at Brighton and Hove Albion and, like many, I admire their progress. I often think that I would like to see Forest align and mirror their relatively recent success: premiership stability; on the brink of European qualification; managed by a master tactician; great recruitment strategy that sees reasonably priced players come in before being sold on to Chelsea for enough money to feed a small country.
And then I have to stop myself. Surely, Forest already have some of these qualities…right?
Well, there is no reason why Forest couldn’t find comparative success. The recruitment has been excellent this season, the owner is very ambitious – Marinakis isn’t just playing with his money – Steve Cooper has a good reputation for being a quality coach, and he is still only quite young for a manager with limited Premiership experience.
And let’s not forget, Brighton have been in the Premiership longer than you might think – they are not newcomers to arguably ‘the best league in the world’.
The Brighton Model.
Brighton first gained promotion to the Premier League in 2017 and finished 15th in their first season. And to draw further comparison, they struggled in their second season, narrowly avoiding relegation, finishing 17th on 36 points, just above Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
I remember the days when Peter Ward played for Brighton before Forest bought him in 1980 for about £400,000 – roughly the price of Manchester City’s heated seats on the touchline – and you would never have guessed that I would be admiring the Brighton model forty-four-years later, especially after Brighton spent a couple of seasons in the depths of the 4th tier.
Brighton have bought well, sold better and been tactically astute. A list of injuries at Brighton now means that Forest can regroup and plan ahead for what I believe is a game with huge potential for Forest.
Brighton were one of the teams that Forest didn’t lose to last season, taking four points from The Seagulls. And if we are to believe that Forest have made improvements – and there is enough evidence to suggest they have – I don’t see why Forest can’t take maximum points from this game.
Murillo limped off against West Ham – another hamstring? Really? – Elanga has been withdrawn from international duty due to an alleged injury, we are short of cover up front, and Hudson-Odoi is struggling. Hopefully, fingers crossed, the international break should allow time for players to recover properly this time.
Anyway, Forest have plenty of cover at the back and, by the end of November, the strikers should all be fully fit and raring to go.
I’m going to go fully optimistic on this one and predict that Forest won’t concede and win 3-0… because they have to.
Even if it’s not comfortable, Forest really have got to take all three points from this game. Why? Because I believe Marinakis is locked and loaded. The bullet is in the chamber and Steve Cooper is in his sights.
I know it’s very hard to believe that Forest are going to thrash Brighton, especially after conceding 3 against West Ham from a couple of corners and a stray pass, but I do think Forest will be ready for the City Ground again.
Anyway, it’s high time that Forest had a game we can all enjoy watching rather than sitting on the edge of our seats, paralysed with anxiety, praying for another solid performance at the back.
An early goal will do it, one just before the break, and then another goal a few minutes into the second half. This will give us (the fans) the best part of 40 minutes’ worth of an unbridled, three-goal comfort zone. If they defend as solid as they did against Villa, it’s all gravy.
Either way, we’re confident on this one, 3-0, 4-1 or 1-0, it’s a win from us and 16 points in the bag. Let’s move on.
Front foot Forest
I’d like to see Forest on the front foot too. They invite too much pressure with their style of play. Apart from the defensive errors, Forest actually played well against West Ham. The team was bang-on – the tactics were right – but a few defensive errors gave the game away to a West Ham side that didn’t look that much of a threat.
I appreciate that they hit the bar following another defensive error, but the crowd was on their backs by half-time and, had Forest not conceded a corner immediately after the 2nd goal, I think the game would have fallen into their hands, physically and psychologically.
What do you think? Are De Zerbi’s Seagulls just too swift for us, or are The Tricky Trees just too rooted at home and able to branch a barrage of attacks against a currently depleted Brighton side?
Everton (H) – 2nd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (19 points)
Back-to-back City Ground games couldn’t have come at a better time. Despite being part of the drop zone for a number of seasons now, Everton still like to remind Nottingham Forest fans that they are a much ‘bigger club’.
Bigger Everton are but, currently, they are pretty comparable when it comes to mediocrity. A couple of weeks ago I wasn’t worried at all by the Everton encounter and I thought that Dyche would be one of the first managers to get sacked in the morning, however, I am now rather cautious.
What concerns me most about this fixture is that Everton have recently managed to do something which Forest haven’t – win more than once within two months.
Gameweek 10 saw Everton beat West Ham away; the week after they drew at home to Brighton, and last week they beat Palace on the road again, 3-2. With a WDW from the last 3 games, Everton’s results trump Forest’s LWL by 4 points – against Liverpool, Villa and WHU, respectively – placing Everton one point and one place above Forest*.
Everton have proved that they can win on the road, Forest are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, and my head tells me that this one is a draw. But wait.
Nobody analyses Forest more than Sean Dyche – he’s at the City Ground more often than the catering team – but if Forest can get their tails up with a win against Brighton, nothing is going to stop them on their home turf when backed by the Forest faithful.
I’m gonna stick with the optimistic theme that Forest are an improved side this year, with sights on a mid-table position, and all defensive errors left in the West Ham changing room.
It will be close, no doubt about that, but I’m going with 1-0 to Nottingham Forest – COYR!
Fulham (A) 6th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (20 points)
A congested week for Forest means that if they have managed to build some momentum, they are going to need the stamina to match, with three games in one week.
The 2nd of the three games sees Forest on the road again. Fulham haven’t really hit any kind of form yet this season and could quite easily find themselves in a relegation battle. The only statistic in Fulham’s favour at the recent Aston Villa game was a number of fouls (17). In the second half, Fulham committed a foul about every 5 minutes.
I think Forest are still the better side on paper but, away from the side of the Trent, they struggle to find the desire and the flair that is needed to make a difference in this league.
Apparently, I heard recently – please quote me if I’m wrong – Forest have the worst away record of any team in the Football League over the last two seasons, bar Rotherham.
It was travel sickness that did Forest last season and so I think they’ll struggle for a win at The Cottage again.
I know many of you will think that this game is for the taking – I agree – but I just fear that Forest will bottle it again on the road.
However, we’ve got to remain optimistic about these games and pull all the positive vibes in because this is where the potential will be to pick up safety points. If we fail against the teams in the mid to lower end of the league, it’s going to be a difficult task to overcome the big spenders at the top end of the division.
Of course, alternatively, a draw in one of the home games and a win at Fulham will still secure seven points over three games, which isn’t bad and certainly enough to keep Steve Cooper in a job.
Speaking of which, Forest have only won 3 games this season and, if you throw your minds back to this time last season – 21/10/22 to be precise – Aston Villa dispensed of Steven Gerrard after they were beaten by Fulham, 3-0. At that point, Villa had only won 2 games out of 12 and look at Villa today.
Coincidently, at that time, Villa were using Newcastle as a marker saying that the season prior to Steven Gerrard’s 11 months at Villa, Eddie Howe was ushered in – and look how things turned out there.
Newcastle and Villa are similar in stature to Forest, and there is no reason why Forest can’t emulate similar advancements. Forest are just a few seasons behind these guys. Watch this space.
Wolves (A) – 9th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (21 points).
Another team that has been all over the place this season. Wolves recently beat Spurs, they drew with Newcastle, but they lost to Sheffield United. Who knows where that team is going…?
It’s difficult to call. As a neutral, you’d probably fancy Wolves because of Forest’s away game phobia.
Again, we can’t afford to throw away valuable points and I think it’ll be 2-2.
Spurs (H) – 15th December, 2023. Prediction: DRAW (22 points).
It’s difficult not to think that Spurs will win this one. Recently thrashed by local rivals, Chelsea, Spurs have their own injury and suspension worries. I can see Brennan coming here, scoring, and not celebrating, keeping his arrow firmly in its bow.
Spurs struggled to overcome Luton, beating them by a marginal goal at Kenilworth Road in early October. Ultimately, I feel that Tottenham will also feel the Forza of Forest at the City Ground and be held to a 1-1 draw. Furthermore, I also predict that Murillo will swap his shirt at half-time with fellow countryman, Richarlison.
Bournemouth (H) – 23rd December, 2023. Prediction: WIN (25 points).
As comfortable as 25 points sounds, these predictions are almost best-case-scenario punts. Bournemouth at home sounds like a pushover but they beat a tired, depleted Newcastle United with the crowd versus Trippier debate, and they beat Burnley at home before getting thrashed 6-1 by Manchester City.
Again, it’s difficult to call but, unlike last season, I think they’ll go 2-0 up and maintain the lead. It’s a 2-0 victory from us.
Brutal Honesty
We also suspect that this could be Cooper’s last game if the results don’t go Forest’s way, because the aforementioned six games are followed by Newcastle, home and away, Manchester United at home, Brentford away, Arsenal at home, and a trip to the south coast for the return dual with Bournemouth.
If we are being brutally honest, I can’t see Forest winning any more than one of those subsequent games against better teams, unless they throw a surprise in the mix, like the Arsenal game last season.
Consequently, our predictions are imperative and anything less than 22 points following the Bournemouth game sees us scrapping to the very end, like a wounded animal looking for food and shelter.
What do you think? Where can Forest pick up points over the next 12 games? What are the must-win games? If the must-win games turn into should’ve-won games, is Steve Cooper looking for alternative employment? Let us know.
*As of today, 17th November 2023, Everton have received a controversial 10-point deduction and currently sits 2nd from bottom on 4 points.
