Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton has been very thankful for the gap in the Reds’ schedule, allowing them to work hard on the training pitch.
Ahead of the weekend clash with Reading, Forest – like everyone else – have had to deal with a more rampant fixture list due to the later start.
However, this week they have not had a midweek fixture, allowing them more time to ease players back to fitness and work on things.
For Hughton, working on the training pitch is the best part of the job and he’s been very satisfied with the work done this week, while also lifting the lid on some of the complications football clubs go through with COVID.
“We had a good week’s training so far,” Hughton said to the Nottingham Forest website.
“It was certainly good to have a free week and we had a lot of players training which is good.
“It is good to have the break because of the training we can get in and also for the break from a physical point of view, particularly for the players who have been playing a lot of minutes as it gives them that down time.
“Also, for us as staff to be able to reflect a little bit and have a good week’s planning going into a game as opposed to one or two days.
“It is probably the best part of the job, the time you spend on the training pitch and particularly in the good days when the weather is decent.
“It is valuable time to get your points over as otherwise some of those points will have to be gone over in meetings and with COVID you are conscious of how many meetings you have and how many people you can have in one meeting room.
“The game becomes a different type of management and more about game management than week-to-week coaching of the players.”
Forest will be looking to avoid three defeats in a row when they host the Royals, who currently occupy fifth place in the Championship.
It is another game against one of the better sides in the division as per the table and much like the Watford encounter, Hughton believes that this will be a good indicator as to where Forest are.
“It is important for us and a marker for where we are. We have spoken numerous times about the games we have had against the top six teams and the better teams and we generally feel that we are closer to them.
“Even more importantly, it is about getting points as we want to finish the season as well as we can.
“With that being the case, it is trying to accumulate as many points as we can between now and the end of the season.”
Will the lack of midweek game help Nottingham Forest against Reading?
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