After seeming like dead certs for a Champions League place for months, Nottingham Forest are now facing a real fight to keep hold of their spot in the top five.
On Saturday, Forest lost to Everton at the City Ground, whilst Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa all claimed big victories to close the gap and should the Magpies win tonight, they will nick third spot away from the Reds.
It might actually do Forest some good to drop a place or two in the Premier League table. Complacency and the pressure of such a lucrative prize has clearly made an impact on the team’s performance and with Tottenham to play next, the Reds must go back to basics.
It’s more the performance levels that provided the most cause for concern from a Forest perspective. The first half against Aston Villa was drab, whilst the entire 90 minutes against Everton was nothing short of diabolical.
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Forest wobble could be down to FA Cup run
Naturally, it was always going to be tough for Forest to compete and reach the semi-final of the FA Cup whilst maintaining a lofty league position with such a small squad.
The number of points that Forest won earlier this season is far greater than the points won over the last 10 games, with the only difference being the number of FA Cup games the team have had to squeeze in.
In eight games between Forest playing Manchester United away in December and Southampton away in January, the Reds earned 22 points from a possible 24. In that time, the team had 38 days of recovery between games, with opposition teams getting just 28 days.
Since then, Forest have managed 13 points from a possible 30 in the midst of playing FA Cup games. During that period, the Reds have had 54 days of recovery, with the opposition getting 73.
Forest have to reset and refocus
In this sense, Forest really are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Had the team chosen to neglect the FA Cup, fans would have been unhappy that it wasn’t taken more seriously.
Now, however, it would appear that the extra game load has made an impact on the squad and it does feel a little bit as though the team are limping towards the finish line a little bit.
However, this team has earned some credit this season and right now, they need backing to get back to their best and try to take Forest into the Champions League.
Espirito Santo will be hoping for transformed fortunes against his former club and a big three points is badly needed for Forest.
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