Nottingham Forest global head of football Edu has come under scrutiny amid the club’s turbulent season
Nottingham Forest global head of football Edu (centre)
The reality of the perilous position Nottingham Forest find themselves in was hammered home on Sunday afternoon on the south coast, and with that has come continued scrutiny on global head of football Edu.
Opportunities to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three had already been squandered by the Reds prior to the weekend. And another one went begging against Brighton and Hove Albion.
West Ham United had faltered the previous day and Tottenham Hotspur suffered defeat at the same time as Forest fell to the Seagulls. With 10 Premier League games remaining, Vitor Pereira’s side are just two points above the drop zone.
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It leaves the head coach contemplating how to balance the bid to secure survival with the club’s European ambitions as they prepare for a two-legged last 16 tie against FC Midtjylland. Such a dilemma is indicative of what has been a turbulent and chaotic campaign Trentside.
Little wonder then, the future of Edu is in the spotlight once again. Doubts about the Brazilian’s position emerged in January and his role continues to come under question as the club’s top flight status hangs in the balance. Such talk sums up the mess the Reds find themselves in.
It was not supposed to be like this. Last July’s appointment of the former Arsenal sporting director, with all his experience and contacts, was supposed to push Forest on. He was supposed to help the club build on the platform of their seventh-placed finish under Nuno Espirito Santo.
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Instead, a falling-out with the man who guided the Reds back into Europe for the first time in three decades threatens to define Edu’s City Ground spell. It could prove to be one of the defining moments of Forest’s season, too, given Nuno – now in charge of the Hammers – may yet get one over his former employers by steering West Ham to safety at their expense.
Edu’s arrival has certainly not proved to be the coup the Reds thought it would be. If anything, there are valid questions over whether it was really worth chasing his signature in the first place.
The appointment came with good intentions; owner Evangelos Marinakis is an ambitious man, after all. But Forest had a good thing going; there was much to be said for maintaining the status quo – at least in the short-term.
How long Edu remains in post remains to be seen. Reports have suggested it could be a case of if and not when an exit materialises. If his departure does transpire, whether that be in the coming weeks or months or further down the line, the Reds must hope they are still a Premier League club at that point.
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