When Steve Cooper was sacked by Nottingham Forest in December a job became available but it was hardly an attractive one. Enter Nuno Espirito Santo.
Not that working for and managing a club like Forest isn’t attractive but replacing the club’s best manager – arguably – since the legendary Brian Clough would have put most people off.
Espirito Santo had other ideas, however. He came to the club following Steve Cooper’s sacking with a point to prove after a short – and somewhat ill-fated – spell with Tottenham which saw him sacked after just 17 games in charge.
Naturally, as that was his last spell in England, Forest fans weren’t convinced. However, his tenure at Wolves had been overlooked when he led the team to promotion and then back-to-back seventh-placed finished in the top flight.
His first few months at Forest were somewhat tricky. The AFCON disrupted his squad becoming settled, whilst the club didn’t really hit the jackpot during the January window and Evangelos Marinakis actually considered sacking Espirito Santo twice.
Thankfully, the owner stood firmly by the man he’d chosen to replace Cooper. Now, the club are reaping the rewards and it appears he’s got his fingers on the pulse of the whole club.
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Nuno Espirito Santo makes change behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest
The Reds’ start to the 2024/25 campaign has been down to meticulous planning and solid recruitment. Forest handing Espirito Santo time to work properly with the club looks to have proved a masterstroke already.
It would appear that it’s not just the first team, however, that are benefitting from the input of Espirito Santo. The Forest head coach has also made some tweaks to the academy to try and keep the pathway clear on Trentside.
An article from The Athletic claims that Espirito Santo has now insisted that the B-Team utilises the same tactical system that he does. That was evident in the EFL Trophy last night as the Reds lost to Morecambe.
Furthermore, he also now ensures that the two teams train together at the same time. That’s intended to show players where they could be training later in their careers if they work hard and demand the best from themselves.
Espirito Santo won’t forget about the Forest academy
Given a less-than-impressive record with nurturing young talent with Wolves and Tottenham, Forest fans might have had reservations. But, at Forest, things are different – and Espirito Santo knows it.
You have to go back to 1941 when Forest last played a match and named a squad that didn’t feature a player who had risen through the youth ranks to play first-team football.
That record is something that the club are very proud of and behind the scenes, it’s intended that the the tradition must be maintained and will continue on the current hierarchy’s watch.
Espirito Santo might not be the fist-pumping purist that Cooper was. However, he’s doing lots of good things behind the scenes and making this small tweak to the club’s academy could prove to be a genius move in years to come.
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