Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has dismissed any suggestion that Nottingham Forest should be seen as this season's surprise package in the Premier League.
Ahead of Saturday's clash with Aston Villa (5.30pm kick-off), the fifth-placed Reds sit directly above their opponents on goal difference. It has led to plenty of pundits tipping Nuno's side for a potential push for European football.
The Portuguese is not getting caught up in any such talk, preferring to simply focus on the next task in hand. But with the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Brentford and Fulham also going well, several sides have the traditional 'Big Six' firmly in their sights.
Related Articles
Mikel Arteta issues Aston Villa warning as he says Unai Emery will face 'chaos'
Villa make Doug Ellis Stand statement as season ticket holders face decision
"What I can see is it is a very competitive league. I am repeating myself many times because this is what I truly believe and what I stick to," Nuno said in his pre-match press conference. "What I see is a very competitive season with results that some people don't expect, but it is a realisation that clubs are growing and improving.
"A lot of teams are doing very, very well. I don't consider it a surprise at all because we know how hard it is to compete every week against such difficult opponents, and the way they see us. For me, it is not about surprises; it is about realising that now the big challenge of the big clubs is how to stop us who want to go there.
"We have to realise that we haven't achieved anything. It is just the beginning.
"The big challenge is for us to stay focused, always look for improvement and always compete at the maximum because every game is going to be very difficult - starting against Villa on Saturday. The challenge is to perform, to compete and to do everything we can to maintain the standards we want. We go day by day and don't worry about anything else."
Both in front of the media and on the training pitch, Nuno's message is very much the cliched stance of taking things one game at a time. But he believes good foundations are being put in place ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Asked about the possibility of following Villa's lead and pushing for a top-four spot, he said: "I am talking to you now and just thinking about how to prepare for the game. This is how we think.
"I think we have a good platform and an ambition to grow and improve. And we are creating something; I really believe we are trying to build something nice together that can allow us to compete. This is what we have to look at."
Will Villa beat Forest? Tell us HERE