Martin Keown now says Nottingham Forest have done something incredibly "rare"

04/05/2024 13:30

Martin Keown has now said he noticed Nottingham Forest do something incredibly rare last week.

The Reds face a pivotal week in terms of Premier League survival, with clashes against Sheffield United and Chelsea on the schedule across the next seven days.

Win both, and Nottingham Forest will have most likely done enough to relegate Luton Town and Burnley – the latter of whom come up against the Garibaldi on the final day.

Failure to win at least one of the next two – however – will leave Nottingham Forest in a perilous position.

On a more positive note, Martin Keown spotted Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side do something unique last week…

Martin Keown says Nottingham Forest did something rare

Well, the 57-year-old has written a column for the Daily Mail, telling Nuno to stick with the three-man central defensive system used in the 2-0 loss against Manchester City.

Discussing that performance at the City Ground, Keown made sure to highlight just how impressive it was to see Nottingham Forest outdo the Citizens in the shots department.

The man from Oxford wrote: “By turning to this new system, the wing-backs were able to play high up the pitch, with Murillo doing what Conor Coady used to do for Wolves by sending long, diagonal passes into their paths to spark attacks. Forest flew forward, got bodies in the box and managed more shots than City which is a rare statistical feat.”

While Nottingham Forest failed to earn any points from this spirited display, the Reds can take plenty of confidence from it, after going toe to toe against what is arguably the best side on the planet.

More of the same

Hopefully, Nuno does keep the same formation which troubled Manchester City in today’s crucial clash against Sheffield United.

The Blades are already relegated and have somehow conceded 97 goals in 35 Premier League outings this season, so if that system can hurt Manchester City, it can pain Sheffield United too.

There is – of course – the question of why it has taken Nuno so long to revert to the formation which served the Portuguese tactician so well at Wolves, having arrived at the City Ground way back in December.

Nevertheless, the change has now been made, and if this tactical tweak helps keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Nuno will be heralded for it.

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