Nottingham Forest face Manchester City next, looking to put behind them a drab performance against Fulham on Monday night.
A penalty from Raul Jimenez ensured defeat for Forest, who failed to build on a brilliant 3-0 win over Tottenham.
Sean Dyche has serious work to do if he’s to prevent Forest dropping back into the Championship this season, and a run of wins is badly needed.
The Christmas period always provides a challenge for teams and players, with Pep Guardiola set to take desperate measures to ensure his players remain professional ahead of a trip to Forest.
Sean Dyche after watching his Nottingham Forest team lose 1-0 to Fulham
Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images
What Pep Guardiola will do before Manchester City play Forest
It’s quite intriguing but Guardiola has warned his players that they will get weighed before he picks his team to play Forest at the weekend.
With his players getting some time off over Christmas, he doesn’t want anyone overindulging and the scales will be out when his players report back.
Dyche is confused by this and has been asked whether he will be doing something similar with his own players before the daunting prospect of facing City.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: “Is he weighing himself in, do you think?! I wonder how it works. One rule for one…Come on, Pep!
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“I always say to the players, on your passport it says professional footballer, not just footballer. Anyone who wants to be a footballer, what about the professional side of it.
“I just want the players to use a bit of common sense. I don’t mind them having a Christmas dinner, why not? Sometimes, psychology is as important as anything with athletes.
“You want them to enjoy their Christmas Day, within reason. It is a big part of their lives and these players are working ever so hard – as Man City do as well, of course.
“I do take fitness very seriously. But I am not obsessed with it with weights and all that sort of stuff, but it is fair to say I have got my eye on it.”
What Sean Dyche said about Pep Guardiola weighing his players before facing Nottingham Forest
Does Dyche have a point?
Sean Dyche on Pep Guardiola
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Sean Dyche desperately needs more wins
Forest are now facing a really pivotal period in the Premier League with the next five games all coming against teams fighting for different things.
Home games against City and Everton are followed by away trips to Aston Villa and West Ham, and it’s vital that Forest don’t beat themselves too downbeat about last night’s result.
Dyche has been in this situation before and he will be up for the challenge of working hard and trying to get as many positive results as possible between now and the end of the season.
🤔How many points will Sean Dyche take from the next five Nottingham Forest fixtures
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A tough run of Premier League games is on the horizon…
Forest upcoming fixtures
Photo: Getty Images/ Shaun Botterill/
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West Ham have three very winnable games to play next, and it’s fair to say that their Christmas period looks far more favourable than that of Forest.
The season has turned into a real firefighting mission and Dyche must now prove he’s up to the job all over again.