Brian Clough achieved legendary status at Nottingham Forest, but Nuno Espirito Santo can move closer to doing something he never could by beating Manchester City on Sunday.
Forest return to Wembley on Sunday for the first time since 2022, with Nuno Espirito Santo looking to take another step closer to winning his first major trophy in English football.
The City Ground side have a positive recent history against Pep Guardiola’s side, after Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the winner against City in a 1-0 win in March.
Even Espirito Santo was seen celebrating after the City win, which showed how important it was for the Champions League race, but Forest’s chance of FA Cup glory is all that is on the minds this weekend.
It would be a proud moment for Espirito Santo himself, but the significance of cup glory would actually push the Forest manager beyond one of Clough’s great career regrets.
Brian Clough regretted never winning the FA Cup in his career
Forest’s trophy cabinet is full of Clough’s achievements, with the two European Cups, the First Division title and four League Cups to show for his 18 years at the helm.
However, the FA Cup eluded the Forest legend in his managerial career, something he reflected on when being interviewed on Football Focus in 1997.
Clough said: “I’d have liked to have won the FA Cup, that would’ve completed everything. It wasn’t to be, and that’s ok.”
In the grand scheme of things, Clough was spot on to accept that the FA Cup trophy wasn’t to be given everything else he achieved. However, reaching two semi-finals and losing the 1991 FA Cup final is as close as you can get, frustratingly.
Espirito Santo is yet to win a major trophy in English football, so you’d think that the Portuguese coach will be feeling especially nervous ahead of the Man City clash, but his pre-match press conference suggested otherwise.
Nuno Espirito Santo is calm ahead of the FA Cup semi-final
Nothing seems to faze Espirito Santo, using his pre-match press conference to discuss Ryan Yates’ role in the semi-final in a collected manner, whilst the excitement builds around him.
On the significance of the game, the Forest coaching staff are clearly trying to keep a lid on this excitement to ensure their squad is as prepared as ever.
Espirito Santo said: “It’s the same, we have to look at the game as the same. The approach is exactly the same, you don’t have to shield them. It’s impossible to shield a squad when there’s so much information.
“We have to go as a group of players and staff to compete. That’s the best way to enjoy a semi-final, to compete.”
Whilst he’s not exactly matching the buzz of the Reds fans travelling down to Wembley, Espirito Santo’s calmness has got Forest to the point of creating modern history this season, so his methods shouldn’t be questioned, just as we wouldn’t have questioned Clough’s in his iconic era at the club.
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