NafisaFor the first time in three decades, Nottingham Forest are back in European competition — yet somehow it still doesn’t seem like it’s sufficient.
From a position of authority, of skill, of control, Forest now find themselves falling behind the leading group, their Champions League fate no longer in their own grasp for the first time in a very long while.
Evangelos Marinakis’s full-time frustration captured the mood. His conduct can’t be excused, giving the media yet another excuse to criticise him, but his feeling is understandable, and was echoed by many in the City Ground.
A somewhat stunned Nuno Espírito Santo received his owner’s tension with dignity and brushed off the following questions with poise and serenity. But it’s valid that questions are being raised about Forest right now, because they have lost the edge that had carried them through much of their unforgettable campaign.
Everyone had just assumed that Forest had evolved. I did. I dared to believe and genuinely thought that the constant habit of slipping up and surrendering positions of huge advantage had vanished.
Seventh in the Premier League, it’s valid to experience two emotions at once. Tremendous pride and happiness that Forest have climbed from serious relegation danger to achieving a European return, showcasing the most attractive football and producing memories to cherish forever.
Yet frustration, that Forest have faltered at the final hurdle, and their presumed path to Champions League qualification appears to now be out of reach.
Securing European football shouldn’t feel like this, yet in the draw against Leicester City, Forest demonstrated precisely why they’ve stumbled in recent weeks. Nothing came as a shock — whether it was the Foxes scoring early, Forest failing to net a third goal, or the absence of a final push to seal the win once it was 2-2.
Murillo, now joining Callum Hudson-Odoi on the injury bench, was sorely missed, with stand-in Morato lacking the confidence and attributes to progress the ball into midfield and spark the attacking transitions his Brazilian counterpart excels at.
That isn’t Morato’s style, and Murillo’s uniqueness was glaring. While Nikola Milenkovic has been dependable, Murillo has been the game-changer, providing Forest with offensive options no one else can.
And his relentlessly positive approach was missing yesterday. While it hurt Forest against Everton, his refusal to surrender and firm belief in victory was exactly the spark Forest needed.
With 30 seconds left, Matz Sels rose high to catch a cross, sprinted to the edge of his area and found only Chris Wood charging ahead. Every other player in red had accepted the draw, leaving Sels without choices in a last-ditch bid to snatch all three points.
Although one of those players in red should never have remained on the pitch, Forest’s medical staff’s decision to keep Taiwo Awoniyi on after smashing into the post was, frankly, careless.
The whole ground could see the Nigerian striker was limping heavily, and why the bench didn’t wait 30 more seconds to replace Elliot Anderson with Jota Silva is perplexing.
That incident appears to have infuriated Marinakis, perhaps obscuring the deeper frustration that we all feel.
One point from matches against Everton, Brentford and Leicester at home is the kind of form no Champions League hopeful can afford, and Forest’s lack of options in key positions has come back to haunt them.
Nico Dominguez was among Forest’s standout performers versus Leicester, always involved and constantly moving, but he poses minimal danger as a pure winger. Nuno clearly doesn’t believe Ramon Sosa or Jota Silva have the quality Forest require, and the team can’t depend solely on fullbacks to create width.
Forest still exhibited their European-level brilliance in bursts. Morgan Gibbs-White’s delightful and accurate lofted assist and Chris Wood’s sharp, well-timed header summed up the sheer talent currently wearing the Garibaldi.
Even in a match with plenty of room in midfield, Ibrahim Sangare’s commanding and forward-thinking display — from a player with just four Premier League starts this season — highlights how Forest’s regulars have kept them competitive this long and gives hope for their continental adventure ahead.
And they certainly have a top-class shot-stopper, with Matz Sels making four crucial saves to make sure Forest came away with something.
Still, their performance wasn’t steady throughout, showing defensive mistakes that have cost them heavily and failing to turn their early dominance into a complete 90-minute showing.
Forest must not allow this season to fizzle out. It would be tragic to end with surrender and apathy after nine months of belief and burning ambition. They’ve got two matches to prove — more to themselves than to anyone else — why they are meant for Europe, and it might still be just enough to sneak into the top five.
And when we’re boarding that flight in September, whether it’s to Barcelona or Bratislava, we’ll look back on this season with affection and sheer happiness.
Nafisa
