Nottingham Forest will pick through the ruins of Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea, but when the dust starts to settle on things, there will be a real sense of pride at the 2024/25 campaign.
The Reds were beaten by the Blues to miss out on a place in the Champions League next season, but have qualified for the UEFA Conference League as a reward for a fine campaign.
Had Forest made a late play for Europe, Nuno Espirito Santo would probably be getting more flowers than he is. The team, however, tailed off and slipped from third to seventh in the closing stages of the campaign, to cloud the opinion of some fans on his performance.
Over the season, it’s been a positive one, however, and a real sign of progression has been evident, with Forest going from 17th place and survival on the final day last season to celebrating a place in Europe this time around.
In recent weeks, the media have made a lot out of the incident after the Leicester game when Evangelos Marinakis came pitchside and appeared deep in conversation with Espirito Santo after a serious injury was sustained by Taiwo Awoniyi.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Alan Shearer makes claim about Nuno Espirito Santo
Some outlets have linked Espirito Santo with a move away from Forest, and that would have to be viewed as a step backwards from the club’s perspective after such a positive season.
Alan Shearer didn’t name a Forest player in the Team of the Season, which he picked, but he has had the back of Espirito Santo when discussing his future, suggesting he hopes common sense prevails and he remains at the club.
He said on The Rest is Football podcast: “I mean, I don’t know what goes on or has gone on behind the scenes, but can you imagine if Nuno loses his job. Forest finishing seventh, getting European football and then losing his job, really? It would be just bonkers, wouldn’t it? As a manager, you’d just be thinking, what’s the point?”
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Nuno Espirito Santo deserves more time at Forest
This season has proved that with continuity, the Reds are in a better place and after giving the boss a full pre-season, he rectified last season’s errors and made Forest a better team.
Forest were the first time in history to double their points total from one season to the next during 2024/25, and although the team fell short in a quest for Champions League football, there is still a lot to savour from the campaign.
Espirito Santo deserves another transfer window to keep putting his stamp on the team. Forest will need a stronger and more sizeable squad next season, and the current incumbent is still the man for the City Ground job.
Improvements will be necessary next term in order to kick on but ultimately, Shearer is right when he suggests that any notion of Espirito Santo departing the club would be very strange indeed.