Nottingham Forest have been told they have all the ingredients for success as they chase Champions League football.
Former West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has tipped the Reds to finish in the top five of the Premier League, which should be enough to clinch a place among Europe’s elite next season. And he puts it down to the club having a “smart” owner in Evangelos Marinakis, a good head coach in Nuno Espirito Santo and a fine group of players.
His comments come as Forest prepare to host Manchester City on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off). Nuno’s third-placed side are currently one place and one point above their opponents in the table.
Asked who will finish in the top five this term, Bilic told talkSPORT: "Man City should, now they are out of Europe. And I think Forest. I like Forest. Everybody has been surprised (by them), including me - I'm also surprised.
“They’re doing great and a shout out to Nuno. They are a very balanced team. They’ve got everything.
"My fifth is between Newcastle and Chelsea. And don't underestimate Bournemouth to sneak in, because they are playing free football and enjoying themselves.”
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
The Reds have had a few mixed performances and results of late but are well placed in the standings with 11 games to go. They are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after Monday night’s penalty shootout victory over Ipswich Town.
“Forest are a great example that if you have an owner... Marinakis, he’s a very smart man and a big football businessman. He also owns Olympiacos,” Bilic added.
"Chris Wood, maybe he’s not a player like (Newcastle’s Alexander) Isak in that he's not a great investment. But this season he’s unbelievable.
"Those three players behind - Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi - they go direct one against one. They are give me the ball, I'm going to do it.
"They’re very solid in midfield. A couple of really good centre-backs (Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo), a great goalkeeper (Matz Sels) and good on the flanks. They are a very balanced team.”
Where will Forest finish in the table? Click HERE to have your say