Nottingham Forest are firmly in the mix to try and qualify for the Champions League this season with 11 matches remaining.
The campaign has proved a stark contrast to the 2023/24 season. Forest were deducted four points during last season and only really survived on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo has been praised by Jamie Redknapp this season. He was ridiculed after a failed 17-game spell wth Tottenham some years ago but he’s enhanced his reputation again at Forest.
Forest reached the FA Cup quarter-final on Monday night. As a result, the Reds are still fighting on two fronts and this could be a huge season for the club.
Not only has Espirito Santo earned some praise but he’s also stayed true to himself. He’s not tried to make his Forest team something they’re not and the counter-attacking football has been refreshing.
Forest face Manchester City this weekend and three points could go a long way towards cementing a spot in the Champions League places next season.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Slaven Bilic makes Nottingham Forest prediction
Bilic has been speaking with TalkSPORT this week and he was asked to predict who he thinks will confirm Champions League football for next season in the coming weeks.
He’s made a bold statement about Forest and supporters will be hoping that his prediction comes true in the coming weeks after he lauded the work that Espirito Santo is doing.
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He said on TalkSPORT: “I think Forest. I like Forest. Everybody has been surprised, including me, they’re doing great and a shout out to Nuno (Espirito Santo). They’re a really balanced team, they’ve got everything.
“Forest are a great example that if you have an owner, Marinakis, he’s very smart, Chris Wood, maybe he’s not like Isak but this season he’s been unbelievable. Those three players behind, they go direct one against one, you know what they’re going to do. They’re very solid defensively, two good centre-backs and a good goalkeeper.”
Forest will face a real challenge to reach the Champions League
The walls have closed in around Forest a little bit in recent weeks, with the chasing pack winning games and closer to the Reds in the Premier League table.
Still, for Forest to be in the mix with 11 matches remaining is quite remarkable and as fans, we simply have to enjoy the ride of this brilliant season.
Bilic knows all about English football. He’s worked for a number of clubs in the Premier League and Championship with varying degrees of success.
Clearly, Forest have captured the heart of several outsiders this season and every word that Bilic spoke is somewhat accurate with naturals likely to be rooting for the club.
Any sort of European football next season would be huge and it could really help put Forest back on the map once again.