New EFL decision could leave Nottingham Forest feeling very annoyed

Add as preferred source on Google

The EFL have made a decision that has caused quite a stir, and Nottingham Forest have every right to be a little bit aggrieved.

Forest won promotion back to the Premier League in 2022 with Steve Cooper ending a 23-year exodus from the pinnacle of English football.

The Reds have fought tooth and nail to remain in the Premier League for the last four seasons, and although the top-flight is the place to be, no fan will ever forget the 2021/22 play-off campaign.

In true EFL fashion, however, they’ve now decided to fix something that isn’t broken, and the decision could leave Forest feeling very frustrated.

• READ MORE: Joe Hart makes Nottingham Forest claim

EFL make play-off changes

It’s recently been announced that the number of teams partaking in the play-offs will now be changed to six instead of four, with the teams seventh and eighth also qualifying.

The move has been voted in by Championship clubs and the move will see more teams and more matches to finish the season and decide the final promotion spot.

This will be big news to Forest if they go down this season and needing to finish eighth to stand a chance of being promoted can only be a positive.

The teams finished third and fourth next season will automatically get through to the semi-finals and play their home game second in the two-legged affair.

Before that fifth will play eighth and sixth will play in seventh in one-off matches to set up ties with the two highest placed teams in the last four.

Forest could have changed the course of history

Forest will feel slightly annoyed at this, given that this sort of change might have allowed the club to change the course of history on two separate occasions.

In 2012/13, Forest missed out on the play-offs and finished in eighth place, despite holding a position in the top six for much of the season.

The team had some exceptional results that season and perhaps had they snuck into the play-offs, the team would have been capable of going all the way.

Similarly, the 2019/20 campaign ended in disaster for Forest as they fell out of the play-offs on the final day of the season, having been in the top six since December.

However, the team boasted lots of quality that year and had the top eight reached the play-offs, Forest might have been able to find a way to get through the end of the season and win promotion.

It remains to be seen how this new play-off concept will work next season and Forest will be hoping that they don’t have to worry about what happens in the EFL.