Nottingham Forest are currently holding on to a Champions League place and the super computer has been dusted off by OPTA.
The Reds are in the hunt for European football for the first time since 1996. Forest reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup on that occasion and fans are daring to dream again.
Reaching the Champions League won’t be easy. The Reds are in the hunt along with a number of clubs for a spot in the top five – which should be enough to get into the Champions League this season.
Forest drew 0-0 with Arsenal last time out to stop the rot after two successive defeats. Nuno Espirito Santo will now look forward to the FA Cup before facing Manchester City on home soil next weekend.
Pundits have started to be quizzed on how the table might look when the season ends and yesterday, a former Forest favourite delivered his verdict on the chase for Champions League football.
Michael Dawson delivers Nottingham Forest prediction
It would be one of the great Premier League stories if Forest could go and achieve a top five finish and squeeze into the Champions League just 12 months after almost being relegated.
Dawson was quizzed on Soccer Saturday yesterday after the super computer was discussed and ultimately, he has a reservation over whether or not Forest can maintain their current position.
He told Sky Sports News: “I’d love to say yes but I’m looking and I’m thinking they’ve got Manchester City next. I’m worried, I knew this was a big week with the games against Newcastle, Arsenal and City next, it’s three teams that have already beaten them this season.
“It was a good point against Arsenal, it was good to stop the losing run but I just think it’s hard to keep it up, the way they play, it’s hard to keep playing to that level and to consider where they were in the previous two seasons, to even be talked about in the equation for Champions League football is remarkable.
“But when you’re players are playing to the maximum of their level for this long and the amount of teams coming with a late run, it’s going to be a real challenge.”
Champions League won’t define Nottingham Forest campaign
The supercomputer does throw up some intrigue. Ultimately, it’s a bit of fun and claims Forest have a 40% chance of reaching the Champions League next season based on the level of the remaining fixtures.
No wins are secured by chance in the Premier League. As a result, Forest have to keep working hard for 11 more games and try to get to the required number of points to make the top five.
Dawson does make some fair points. It’s clear that he would love the club to get into the elite club competition but as he rightly suggests, any sort of European football would have to be viewed as a bonus.
Espirito Santo is the type of head coach that simply focuses on improving every week and with the season now in its final months, there promises to be lots of twists and turns still to come.
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