Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Vitor Pereira’s Reds lose 2-1 away to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League
Elliot Anderson after Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion(Image: Getty)
If there was any small crumb of comfort for Nottingham Forest on Sunday evening it was that those around them also faltered over the course of the weekend.
That aside, positivity was in short supply after the Reds’ uninspiring showing in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. They remain outside of the relegation zone (just) but that is unlikely to remain the case for too much longer if they continue in the same vein.
West Ham United’s loss to Liverpool on Saturday had presented Vitor Pereira’s men with a huge chance to pull five points clear of their 18th-placed rivals. A win on the south coast would also have seen Forest overtake Tottenham Hotspur, who fell away to Fulham. Even a point would have been massively valuable – as much for confidence and belief as anything else.
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Instead, it was a case of rinse and repeat for the Reds as the same problems that have dogged them all season reared their head at the Amex Stadium. It has been glaringly obvious for some time that goals and lack of strength in depth are an issue, but this weekend Forest also added defensive fragility to the mix.
Sunday was not the first time the Reds had fluffed their lines when presented with an opportunity to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three. And with that, the threat of relegation is beginning to feel more real with every week that passes. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the big talking points from the game.
Running on empty
Facing the media afterwards, head coach Pereira suggested fatigue had played a part in his team’s dire first half. Whereas Brighton had enjoyed a full week to prepare for the fixture, Forest had a quick turnaround from Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Fenerbahce.
Having progressed to the last 16 of the competition, with a two-legged tie against FC Midtjylland to come later this month, the schedule is not going to get any easier for the Reds. Indeed, they have only a few days before they need to go again, with the daunting prospect of Manchester City away on Wednesday. At some stage, something will have to give – and it may well need to be the club’s European ambitions.
Pereira seems to have quickly got a handle on who he can and cannot put his faith in, having dropped Morato and Lorenzo Lucca from the squad on Sunday. But the Portuguese faces the same challenge as his predecessors when it comes to trying to coax more out of a fringe contingent who have so far struggled to make their mark. A change of formation may help, with the switch to a back three contributing to an improved second half against the Seagulls.
“It is difficult to have this balance, but we will try,” Pereira said of competing on two fronts. “We will try to have more than one system to face the next games.
“Without full energy, we need to be compact and not concede space. We need to try to be organised even without this energy, because it is difficult to play 90 minutes, 90 minutes, 90 minutes every three days. We started to commit individual mistakes and concede goals because we are tired.”
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Defensive difficulties
If any player summed up Pereira’s suggestion that some players were running on empty it was Neco Williams. The Welshman can normally be relied upon as someone to set the standard, both in terms of effort and performance level, but he endured a nightmare opening 20 minutes.
Twice Williams missed the chance to clear for Brighton’s opening goal. He was then caught out of position for their second and was fortunate not to be punished for another error. It was most unlike him, but was perhaps indicative of the mental sharpness not being there due to the amount of minutes played.
The full-back wasn’t alone in being well off the pace. The entire back line looked vulnerable and didn’t get much help from the equally below par midfield duo of Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson. Poor individual mistakes were made from players who normally deliver better.
Pereira was, at least, reactive. More than once he passed on instructions to skipper Morgan Gibbs-White and he changed system in the second half when it became clear the original set-up wasn’t working. A three-man defence may well be the way forward, with Jair Cunha and Luca Netz surely coming into contention after decent cameos.
More Morgans required
The fire and fight was evident in Gibbs-White from the moment he gave an animated teamtalk in the pre-match huddle. He was far and away the visitors’ best player on the day – albeit he admittedly didn’t have much competition on that front.
His equaliser was superb; it should have been a platform for the Reds to kick on from. Too few of his teammates matched Gibbs-White’s levels or hunger, though, and all his hard work went to waste when the hosts reclaimed the lead two minutes later.
Pereira insisted afterwards he is in no doubt the dressing room has the stomach for the battle ahead. And he was adamant confidence is not an issue.
“I am very happy with my players because they tried,” the Forest boss said. “From the reaction we showed in the second half, I must believe that, with our help to organise and show them the way we must play against these kind of teams, I think they have the spirit.
“They try. I cannot say that we are not trying to win the game, especially in the second half.
“It is not about confidence. When I look at the first half, I just see my team trying to do the things but not in the proper way to do it.”
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Forest are now five without a win in the league. In Pereira’s first league match in charge, against Liverpool, his team played well but couldn’t get anything from the game. Against Brighton, they played poorly and also got nothing. It is not a recipe for survival.
A hectic fixture list means Pereira has had barely any time on the training pitch, but he knew that was going to be the case when he signed up for the job. If he was hoping to rely on a new manager bounce, it lasted one European outing, against Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Things could get worse for the Reds before they have a chance of getting better. On Wednesday, they take on title-challenging City at the Etihad Stadium at the same time as West Ham are away to Fulham. It is not inconceivable Forest drop into the bottom three in midweek.
For now, the Reds retain a pulse in this relegation scrap because others have been just as wasteful as them. Relying on that for the remaining 10 games is, quite simply, asking for trouble and will only end one way. It is not over with yet., but to stay up Forest need to take care of their own business and stop shooting themselves in the foot.
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