Author: Naandiyak Solomon

“It is difficult to blame just one thing,” the manager of Brighton stated. “To say the tactical thing was wrong, to say that a player was not in his best shape.

They weren’t good either in or out of possession, to put it plainly. Ultimately, it comes down to unity. Today, none of us were at our best.

“We must all be honest with one another, look in the mirror, and declare that’s not how we want to play football or show ourselves.

We all accept responsibility for this outcome. Although it is difficult, we must apologize to our fans for this outcome. They are very time-consuming.

“This is not us,” Nuno Espirito Santo said to his players during their first practice following the 5-0 loss to Bournemouth to start the week. Nottingham Forest proved to be their true selves in the end.

For the first time in thirty years, they are the best Forest team.

They are no longer considered to be outsiders in the top four. Their presence is based on merit.

They are serious candidates to qualify for the Champions League.

And they are able to perform in such a ruthless, raging manner.

It had been a bad off day on the south coast for almost the whole team. To a man, they were excellent at the City Ground a week later.

Regardless of whether you consider it a fluke or a bad day, what happened against Bournemouth will instantly seem like a distant memory, replaced by one that will likely be remembered by Forest supporters for many years to come.

The Forest head coach had pressed for a response from his players during that Monday meeting on the training field and for the remainder of the week.

He never would have imagined one so dramatic and forceful.

At the City Ground, all of the queries regarding Forest and their European credentials were addressed with resolute clarity. In what has already been an incredible campaign, this was a masterclass in everything that has made them good.

Can they succeed with Nuno’s style? Yes, it can based on this evidence. The last time Forest defeated Chelsea 7-0 in the Premier League was in April 1991.

Their most memorable 7-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday was their last time scoring seven goals in the Premier League.

Two of the three goals scored by the prolific Chris Wood, who has already scored his best number in the top flight with 17 goals, were set up by his quickness and directness.

One of Forest’s better moves this January may have been to agree to a new contract with the 33-year-old that would keep him with the team until 2027.

With the calmest of penalties, he completed his hat-trick.

Elanga had previously created the second Forest goal of the day with a corner kick that found Morgan Gibbs-White’s near post run, who skillfully headed a strong header home. Yet, Gibbs-White was frequently the team’s most important player in spite of Wood’s hat-trick and Elanga’s three assists.

Forest had taken the lead after Lewis Dunk’s own goal was enticed by his cross from the right side.

Additionally, Forest rarely gives up their lead once they take it.

Rangers are expected to sign Nottingham Forest star Emmanuel Dennis on a loan with a summer purchase commitment.

In an attempt to get him out of the game, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson stated on the most recent episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast that Rangers could only pay 30% of his salary, with Forest paying the bulk.

Forest, however, are “desperate” to get Dennis off the books for good and are unlikely to sanction a straight loan for his departure.

The 27-year-old currently earns around £4million per year (£77,000 per week) at the City Ground, which has put a number of clubs off of making a move.

Any obligation to buy involved in the deal is also set to be a stumbling block for the Glasgow side given their difficult financial position.

 

Sheffield Wednesday had also enquired about the striker’s availability, but backed out of talks after leaning his steep price tag

Sheffield Wednesday had also inquired about the striker’s availability, but backed out of talks after learning of his high price tag. Forest, on the other hand, are “desperate” to get Dennis off the books permanently and are unlikely to approve a straight loan for his exit.

Millie Chandarana wants to show that South Asians can succeed in the professional women’s game by leading Nottingham Forest to promotion from the FA Women’s National League.

Chandarana, who attended the Manchester United Girls Academy, was eventually compelled to relocate overseas in order to pursue her career.

Manchester United didn’t have a senior squad at the time; one was only established in 2018.

“It was really competitive and it was a really good environment, a good setup,” Chandarana told me

. At the time, there was no women’s team. That was, to be honest, one of the reasons I switched sides. There was no advancement.

Chandarana traveled to Italy to pursue her ambition of playing professionally after completing her studies in Sport and Exercise Science at the esteemed Loughborough University.

She played for San Marino and Tavagnacco in Serie A there before rejoining Blackburn Rovers to compete in the Women’s Championship for three seasons.

As Nottingham Forest enters the last days of the January transfer window, both arrivals and departures are likely at the City Ground.

Priority one is to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s offensive capabilities prior to Monday’s 11 p.m. deadline.

However, the Reds head coach has always emphasized how crucial it is to retain the “core” of his squad as much as it is to bring in new players.

The club could, however, approve a few departures as part of their ongoing transfer transaction.

Nuno prefers to work with a small squad, therefore a lot of preparation was done in the summer to reduce the number of players, but some periphery players are still on the roster.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest says it has confirmed the January transfer.

READ MORE: Taiwo Awoniyi’s latest transfer news from Nottingham Forest as a £33 million claim surfaced

Forest will try to find a move for the attacker, who was left off the Reds’ 25-man Premier League squad list for the first half of the season and hasn’t played a competitive game since starting for loan club Watford against Sunderland last April.

A return to the Hornets has been suggested, while Sheffield Wednesday and Rangers have also been linked.

One obstacle could be Dennis’ salary, as the Nigerian is reportedly earning around £4 million, and he is reportedly attracting interest from overseas, including Saudi Arabia.