Nottingham Forest just continue proving people wrong in the Premier League this season.
When the season started, it was another fight against relegation that many had predicted would be on Nuno Espirito Santo’s agenda.
Gary Lineker was forced into a U-turn, whilst elsewhere, Robbie Earle admitted he had Forest down for another fight against relegation on his bingo card.
Under Espirito Santo things have changed considerably this season, however, with Forest now third in the Premier League table with just nine games of the 2024/25 campaign remaining.
This is no longer a fluke. It’s no longer a good start and Forest can faintly hear the Champions League music heading to the City Ground.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Shay Given admits Nottingham Forest have proved him wrong
Another pundit has now come forward to confess that perhaps he was wrong about Forest after all.
Given has praised Chris Wood this season and quite clearly, he’s made some positive comments about the team’s efforts during 2024/25.
However, he’s now confessed that he did think the team would fall away – admitting his surprise at the season which has been witnessed on Trentside.
MORE FOREST STORIES
He told the Kelly and Wrighty Showt: “I’ve been saying every week that Nottingham Forest aren’t going to make it, they’re not going to make it and every time they just keep proving me wrong.
“Nuno deserves so much credit for the job he’s done and the way he’s playing, it’s different, everyone says about this tippy tappy football playing through the thirds but he sits in a low defensive block, really solid, Matz Sels in goal is brilliant.
“The pace they have on the break, they’re absolutely killing teams on the break.”
When Nottingham Forest last played in the Champions League
Strictly speaking, the Reds haven’t played in the Champions League per se. When Forest won back-to-back titles in 1979 and 1980 it was simply called the European Cup.
It’s a long time since the Reds have graced the competition too. Forest’s last campaign didn’t last long either, with the Reds knocked out of the 1980/81 edition in the very first round.
The Reds failed in their quest to make it three titles on the spin, losing two games 1-0 to CSKA Sofia and crashing out before things had even got going.
These days, the Champions League is the elite club competition on the continent and it would be something extremely special if Forest could get themselves a place confirmed for next season.