Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Sean Dyche's Reds beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth in Premier League clash
21:32, 26 Oct 2025Updated 08:18, 27 Oct 2025
Sarah Clapson is Nottingham Forest correspondent for NottinghamshireLive and the Nottingham Post. She has covered the Reds since 2015, having joined the Post the previous year. Being involved in the coverage of everything from Evangelos Marinakis’ takeover of the club to Forest winning promotion at Wembley, she has followed the team up and down the country, as well as abroad, to report on the latest goings-on.
Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, Matz Sels and Taiwo Awoniyi after defeat to Bournemouth
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Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, Matz Sels and Taiwo Awoniyi after defeat to Bournemouth(Image: PA)
After the relief came the reality. Turning around Nottingham Forest’s form was never likely to be a quick-fix, as Sean Dyche is only too aware.
Thursday night’s Europa League triumph over Porto had reminded the Reds of the joy and euphoria that comes with winning games. Such feelings had been missing since the opening day of the campaign.
But that was followed by a reminder there is still a lot of work to do in order to get to where they want to be. Dyche made that much clear after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth. He pledged his players would be back at the training ground today (Monday).
Forest will not be the only team to wither at the Vitality Stadium against a very good Cherries side. Their campaign will not be defined by what happened against the club currently second in the Premier League and at a place that has not been a happy hunting ground for them in recent years.
Nevertheless, there is a lot for Dyche to get to grips with and for the players to take on board heading into an important few days. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the main talking points from Sunday’s match on the south coast.
Soft goals conceded
Forest were like a different team when they faced Porto in midweek - more organised and more energetic. But old habits die hard and the issues that were present before Dyche’s first match at the helm are still there.
Dealing with set-pieces is one of them. Ange Postecoglou paid little attention to dead-ball situations during his disastrous 39-day reign; now it is up to his predecessor to address the matter.
Highlighting the Reds’ struggles in this department is akin to broken-record territory. But Bournemouth’s opening goal put the problem back in the spotlight.
It should not have been a corner to the Cherries to begin with, but for Marcus Tavernier to send the ball looping over Matz Sels straight from it was poor. Dyche shook his head on the sidelines. The Forest goalkeeper looks as much in need of rediscovering his old form as several of his teammates.
The second goal was also soft. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo both backed off Junior Kroupi and he punished them. Tightening up at the back will be top of the agenda for Dyche.
Fitness challenges
Deciding on his starting XI was always going to be difficult for Dyche. Stick with the XI that did so well against Porto (minus the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko) or make changes to cater for the quick turnaround?
He plumped for the former but admitted afterwards the visitors ‘flatlined’. They were lacklustre in the opening 45 minutes. A triple change at the break led to a better second half, although the hosts did take their foot off the gas somewhat with the game all but wrapped up.
Dyche feels the players are not physically at the level he wants them to be. That was the first thing he identified when asked where Forest particularly need to improve.
Competing in Europe is new territory for the club; it is three decades since they had to navigate such a challenge. But it is one they will need to adapt to quickly. They looked leggy on Sunday, and any such drop-off always risks being costly in the Premier League.
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Attacking woes
Even when they had a bit more energy about them after the break, the visitors barely laid a glove on their opponents. According to Sky Sports, they mustered just seven touches in Bournemouth’s box - the fourth fewest recorded by any team in a Premier League game this season.
Difficulties at the top end of the pitch pre-date Dyche and even Postecoglou, of course. The Reds have key attacking players who have suffered a dip in form, while the impact made by their summer signings has been mixed.
They need to find some confidence from somewhere and show the quality they clearly have. Dyche felt fuzzy thinking played a part on Sunday, but he also believes a simple tweak could be key.
“Firstly, it’s about the basics. We spoke about getting crosses in and hurting people with the physical side of it by just getting crosses into the box, then some clever play as well,” he said.
“We asked them to put the ball in there but we hardly crossed the ball. That is when it’s cloudy minds. When you looked at the group they were a bit huff and puff and just lost sight of it. Too many backwards passes, too many sideways passes and all of a sudden you have got Bournemouth pressing you.
“It is not just the physical thing, although that is important. It was also the cloudy minds this time.”
The road ahead
Dyche should benefit from having time on the training ground with his squad in the coming days. With no midweek fixture to contend with, he has the opportunity to instil some of his basic principles before Forest host Manchester United on Saturday. It is a big week Trentside.
At present, the Premier League table doesn’t make for nice reading as Forest remain in the relegation zone. But it is still early enough in the season to climb away from danger.
It is going to take hard work, though. Both from Dyche and his players. The Reds need their key men to step up and be counted.
From day one, Dyche has stressed the importance of instilling some stability. There has been a lot of change at the City Ground and while this appointment represents going back to something relatively familiar - in that there are echoes of last season under Nuno Espirito Santo - it is still another voice for the group to get used to.
Dyche referred to the victory over Porto as simply a ‘step’. Forest undoubtedly still have a few more of them to go.
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