NunoEspírito Santo**** said "The platform is good" for Nottingham Forest as they accept the fallout of a 1-0 loss to **Chelsea**at the City Ground.
The team did not achieve the dream of getting into the top five, but they earned a place in the playoff of the Conference League and anticipate a bright future.
‘Through tough moments, we stick together’
Espírito Santo spoke about his thoughts on the showing from his players. He was happy with how they started, but they could not make the most of their superiority before the break, as Chris Wood would turn the ball over the bar on the cusp of half-time before Levi Colwill broke the deadlock.
“I think that we started the game really well, we were dominant. We were in control. I saw a good team that was taking the game the way we wanted the way we wanted. We created some chances but then in the second half we didn't start so well and it's a scrappy goal, a bouncing ball. It is what it is.”
He also admitted that the angst around the other fixtures filtered into the performance. Aston Villa and Newcastle United both lost on the day, but Forest needed all three points to overtake the Blues. Being so close and yet so far from their dream, they began to get too nervy— but for the fact that their Champions League ambitions were alive, the manager made clear he holds the squad in high regard.
“The last minutes of the game all the things that happened outside realizing what's happening with the other teams, anxiety was there and nerves. Better decisions didn't come, but we cannot thank the players enough and I think if any of our fans has a chance to listen to this: these players are amazing. They work, they commit themselves, they help each other through tough moments to stick together.”
The 51-year-old also added a few words about the supporters at the City Ground: the stage for several scalps against the ‘Big Six.’ The team have drawn against **Liverpool**and **Arsenal**in the new year, having also beaten Tottenham, Man City, and **Man United**in the last five months. The fans have come through two tough years in the top tier to play a significant part in a sensational season.
“We thank them. Thank them for sticking with us through all the season with this incredible support. We are so proud of playing for them. We have to look back at all the season, especially last season and season before, they've not enjoyed too much. This was one of the things that improved the team.”
Equally, he hailed the players for their competitiveness amid trials and tribulations in the campaign.
“We have to say thank you to the players because honestly, it is an amazing group of players that working very hard since day one, they gave their all. And when this is the case, we cannot say anything bad about the things that we've been doing and the way that we've been operating.”
Espírito Santo stepped into the dugout near the end of 2023. His first job was to save the status of the club in the top flight for the second season in a row and now he has seen the same group earn the right to a first continental campaign in 30 years. There is no doubt in his mind about their improvement.
“We try to improve the players. I think the club is getting better. We are in a good place and should be proud. Too bad we didn't achieve the dream but football in life always gives you a second chance.”
‘There’s always a cycle of improvement’
There will be a tinge of frustration. The team only needed one more point to finish in the top five, and in May, they only earned five points from a possible 15, coughing up a lead in their previous home fixture against relegated Leicester City. However, there was no resentment from the manager.
“There are so many points we had and didn’t have in the end. But we have to be honest. There were games we won with character and fight, where maybe we weren’t so good. The table is what it is.”
Once more, the manager praised his players for their physical effort. He has drilled the team to be disciplined in their work without the ball, putting them through their paces, and the season sapped energy, especially as the run to the final four of the **FA Cup**involved three bouts of extra time.
*“I'm not going to be very open because I don't want to create any kind of situation, but that’s why we are very proud of the way we've been working together. We had many players starting more than 30 games, and you look at the minutes and what they did in the FA Cup, how we went to extra time.”*
Three of their typical members in the back four have played over 3000 Premier League minutes and he hinted that many of his men have fought through the pain barrier to pull on the red shirt this year.
“When we are in a good moment the energy and the recovery help. I'm going to be very honest again: when I go to a player and I ask him Was no one ever told me gaffer, maybe I sit on the side. No. I always want to be in the pitch, I want to help the team. This is the spirit, and we must stick to this.”
Once the hurt subsides a little, the team will try to retool and prepare for the tasks that await them.
“Now is the moment to start thinking about that and the club’s been working. We're going to sit down, look, decide and prepare the future. Now it is suitable to do it. There's always a cycle of improvement. We have to realize where we were, where what we are trying and now is a new challenge for us.”
The 51-year-old watched the ascent of **Wolves**in a similar situation as they returned to the top tier in 2018. He oversaw back-to-back seventh-place finishes as his club endured a 383-day campaign through the COVID pandemic, as they eventually bowed out in the quarter-final of the Europa League to eventual winners Sevilla. The case for every club differs but he is confident that, with the right investment, the team can build on the foundations of this year to manage an assault in Europe.
“The platform is good, but it's totally different reality that we're going to face. That's why we had to we have to sit down and prepare well because the big challenge in this cycle is how we deal with this situation. How can we deal with this situation? The trust and the confidence on the squad is huge."