Troy Deeney makes an immediate U-turn on Nottingham Forest after win over Chelsea

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Troy Deeney hasn’t seemed overly convinced by Nottingham Forest all season.

In November, when Sean Dyche’s team went to Anfield and turned Liverpool over 3-0, Deeney chose not to put a single Forest player in his Team of the Week compilation.

There have been other occasions, too, when he’s overlooked the Forest players after good wins, but this weekend is an exception.

He’s named Matz Sels in his Team of the Week, and in summing up his performance, he’s already made a spectacular U-turn on Forest.

• READ MORE: Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Chelsea

Deeney makes major U-turn on Nottingham Forest

When West Ham lost 3-0 to Brentford and Spurs went and beat Aston Villa on Sunday night, Deeney claimed Forest should be the most worried team.

He believed that the European campaign would catch up with Forest at some point and anticipated a drop-off.

Deeney said on CBS Sports: “I actually think, the team that should be worried the most is Forest.

“They’ve beaten Villa so they’ve got one eye on Europe and they’ve got more games to play, if they are to advance past Aston Villa.

“Then you look at West Ham and Spurs, who are down there, it’s three points between West Ham and Forest. So then you add midweek games in, and they have to prioritise at some point.

“If they win that game, it’s a final they’ve got to play, so mentally they’re thinking, do I go in for that 50-50 and miss the final? These are little things that do make a difference.”

However, just 24 hours after making these remarks about a team who are now 10 games unbeaten in all competitions, Deeney has made a dramatic U-turn.

He named Sels in his Team of the Week on the BBC Sport website, and he has admitted that he’s changed his mind and believes the Reds are now safe.

The former Premier League striker said: ” A big game from him in a team that needed to step up and have a monumental game against Chelsea.

“I think they have made themselves absolutely safe and clear, which is really not what I thought before the match.

“A big penalty save. All in all, even with all of their changes, he was calm, steady, and made everyone feel like there was a presence back there.”

Deeney isn’t alone when it comes to being a pundit who likes to write Forest off this season.

Now, perhaps all the pressure will be placed firmly on West Ham and Tottenham, with Forest needing a point to be mathematically certain of avoiding relegation this season.