Nottingham Forest supporters noticed one other facet to Nuno Espirito Santo when he smiled with aid and declared himself a cheerful man in his interview after the penalty shootout win over Bristol Metropolis within the FA Cup on Wednesday night.
Even now, he’s thrilled. “It was massive for us,” he tells Sky Sports activities. “I consider the FA Cup a unique chance to fight for a trophy.” And a combat it was. It has taken replays to see off Blackpool and Bristol Metropolis and arrange a fifth-round tie with Manchester United.
It was something however fluent. There weren’t the rapier-like counter-attacks that lower aside Saturday’s opponents Newcastle United away at St James’ Park. Nor was there fairly the thrill of pleasure that accompanied the current house win over Manchester United.
However Nuno cherished it for an additional cause.
“Identity is not just the way that you pass the ball,” he explains.
“It is not just the movements that you make. Identity is what we saw against Bristol City. Players struggling after four months out. Players in pain but still on the pitch because we do not have any more substitutes. Players giving everything. Players never giving up. This is identity. This is the first step. Never give up.”
These are fraught instances at Nottingham Forest. The choice to dispense with the companies of Steve Cooper was an emotional one for the membership’s supporters given all the things that he had achieved, all that he had made doable. However the specter of relegation loomed.
Nuno arrived in January to find a staff that had received one recreation from 13 and now finds itself in an equally traumatic battle off the sphere as doable punishments referring to profit-and-sustainability rules grasp over the membership like a darkish cloud.
It’s in opposition to that backdrop that Nuno is making an attempt to win matches.
“I think we have to realise that we are in the process of building at a moment when there is a lot of noise around the club that does not benefit us at all. Issues that are still interfering with the team. All this fear that everybody has, it is not helping.”
Nuno, although, might help.
He has pedigree even when it is a totally different problem. His final job was in Saudi Arabia, the place he received the league title. From Rio Ave to Valencia by way of Porto, from Wolves to Tottenham within the Premier League, he has by no means completed as little as Forest are proper now.
It’s not the one unfamiliar side.
“It is the first time that we have joined in the middle of the competition. It is totally different. But honestly we are delighted with how the players are accepting our ideas. It is not easy to change but the commitment that they have shown makes me positive.”
That 3-1 win at Newcastle was a big second, Forest’s greatest away end result since their return to the Premier League. “That was important. We did a good game and it is always easier to transmit your ideas when the atmosphere is good and everybody is happy.”
However what Nuno has not had is time.
He returns to a Premier League that he says has moved ahead even within the brief time that he has been away. “It is definitely getting harder. The game has changed. Managers are trying new things and it requires a lot of adaptation on our part,” he explains.
“Many of our players are playing together for the first time and it is easier to introduce new things when you already have that understanding and the knowledge. That is why I think we have to hurry up and adapt. As well as trying to create our own game.
“I may have an excellent thought however do I feel it’s going to work out? Do I’ve the personnel to execute what I feel? This second of the competitors just isn’t the time to strive issues. It’s a time to compete. If you wish to construct one thing then you definately want time. We don’t have it.”
Nuno has not helped himself in needing replays to get rid of lower-league opposition within the FA Cup as a result of it has robbed him of a few of that point. Even the following spherical of the FA Cup will happen in midweek. Manchester United on a Wednesday earlier than Liverpool on the weekend.
That implies that Forest should use restoration time as preparation time too. “We do not have much time on the grass so it is about meetings, it is about conversations. It is about looking after the game to see what was right and what was wrong, correcting positions.”
Fixing the set-piece downside
He’s decided to unravel the issue defending set-pieces that stricken Cooper’s facet and continues to undermine them. “We are working on it, looking at different aspects, because it is not always the same players, it is constantly changing, ” he explains.
Justin Kluivert’s early objective for Bournemouth within the 1-1 draw final day trip got here from a nook. It was the thirteenth objective that Forest have conceded from a set-piece scenario within the Premier League this season – three greater than every other facet within the competitors.
“We are looking to change the positions in the zones. If they are good on the second post, let us put them on the first post and see if they can be more aggressive dealing with the inswinger that is really close to our line because we have been struggling with that.
“We’re engaged on it as a result of it’s one thing that’s actually costing us for the time being. On the identical time, if we are able to additionally rework our offensive set-pieces and we’re capable of flip that right into a weapon for our staff, that can be capable of assist us to unravel video games.”
How Nuno has ‘rebalanced’ the squad
He talks loads about rebalancing the squad. That occurred in the course of the switch window. “Every manager has their own idea and the squad is built around that idea. A new manager has to rebalance in terms of the positions. We felt there were too many players.”
Scott McKenna and Joe Worrall departed having served the membership properly in defence. Orel Mangala left too. In got here yet one more new goalkeeper in Matz Sels. “At the same time, there were absences, especially in the offensive options,” explains Nuno.
Giovanni Reyna and Rodrigo Ribeiro will hope to assist fill that void. “You have seen who has gone out. Two centre-halves. We still have five. We had wingers but we did not have those options [inside] if they were not available. This is the rebalancing.”
Reyna is an choice as a No 10. “He can do that position and he can play wide.” Ribeiro is an intriguing signing however expectations have to be contained. “He is young but he has talent. It will take time for him to reach what we expect from him,” provides Nuno.
Accidents are hampering plans. Chris Wooden scored a hat-trick in opposition to Newcastle however is now unavailable. Not less than Taiwo Awoniyi is match once more. “Now we have not had the prospect to have the 2 strikers accessible. To make use of them each throughout a match could be so essential to us.
“At the same time, let us see if we can make versatile players because this is important also. Players need to be able to play more than one position on the pitch because this gives us the option during a game to not change a player but just change their position.
“For instance, Morgan [Gibbs-White], within the earlier recreation, began as an offensive participant however then we had been capable of drop him in as a second midfielder as a result of we wished to introduce one other offensive choice. That is what we are attempting to see and to construct.”
Once more, there are long-term ambitions and short-term calls for. He’s making an attempt to instil confidence. “This is our first message to them. Let us play, let us help each other.” Does that not include outcomes? No. Togetherness. “As long as we are together, it will come.”
The plan is that partnerships will start to develop as soon as – lastly – there may be some continuity at Forest. “Now, it is about getting the right pieces together, with their own characteristics, to see if they can gel.” Nuno insists that he’s already seeing proof of this.
“I have seen improvement in a lot of aspects. Our organisation, when we go to recover the ball, the distances between players. We need to reduce those gaps even more so that the opposition do not have time to decide. We are trying. But all these things take time.”
The hope is that Nuno has sufficient of it.