Forest 'have employed Clattenburg as a lobbyist'published at 08:09 6 March
08:09 6 March
On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, New York Times journalist Rory Smith gives his view about former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg's role at Nottingham Forest.
Forest were angered by a decision made by Paul Tierney before Liverpool's late winner at the City Ground on Saturday, after which Clattenburg gave an interview to BBC Radio 5 Live saying Tierney had made an error.
Clattenburg is working with Forest on a consultancy basis as a referee analyst, but Smith said: "The key bit is the last bit of the interview when he said he will use his relationships within the PGMOL to get Forest's point across - he's employed as a lobbyist."
Part of his statement, translated from Portuguese, said: "I've been thinking a lot over the last few months and, together with my family, have made a decision about my future in football.
"There were great moments lived, a career I can only be thankful for, playing in great clubs, four different countries, the Brazilian national team and a lot of history to tell for the rest of life.
"But it's time to leave the lawns and the idea is to put an end to the season here in Nottingham Forest, England."
The centre-back, who joined Forest from Atletico Madrid in January 2023, has only made five Premier League appearances for Forest in a 2023-24 season affected by injury.
He was an unused substitute for the Reds against Liverpool on Saturday.
Forest will 'just blame everybody else' - Sutton published at 10:26 5 March
10:26 5 March
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has been speaking on the Monday Night Club about the controversy that surrounded Liverpool's winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
He questioned whether the complaints about the officiating were "a deflection tactic for Nottingham Forest's own deficiencies".
He added: "It'd be good if Nottingham Forest took out their anger on some of their own players when they had the opportunity to clear the ball.
"But guess what? They won't do that. They'll just blame everybody else."
'We can't always look at how we have been wronged'published at 17:43 4 March
17:43 4 March
Pat Riddell Fan writer
If it is not VAR causing Nottingham Forest supporters anguish, then it is refereeing decisions. Saturday's defeat by Liverpool led to an outpouring of anger, frustration and disbelief at the City Ground.
The correct drop-ball situation might have seen Forest see out a 0-0 draw with Jurgen Klopp's title-chasing side. Instead, it was a valuable point lost for the home team in their battle against relegation.
But it has to be said, as it was against Manchester United in the FA Cup, we had our chances. And like the other games when we have lost or drawn and deserved more, we cannot always look at how we have been wronged - we have to look at the opportunities we had to take control of our own destiny.
As the number of games left this season becomes fewer and fewer, the battle for points intensifies and the pressure becomes greater. We looked in huge trouble this time last year and managed to hit a run of form at exactly the right time.
Nuno Espirito Santo's team must find that resilience, determination and coolness in front of goal. Twelve points from the final 11 games was enough last season - can Forest match that or more?
Do March fixtures offer hope for Forest turnaround?published at 17:43 4 March
17:43 4 March
Joe Bradshaw BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
March times GMT, April time BST
Nottingham Forest’s players will have turned up at Wilford Lane on Monday morning still nursing a sense of injustice from Saturday’s heartbreaking defeat by Liverpool.
No matter the perceived injustice, they cannot afford to lick their wounds for too long. With a series of crunch fixtures on the slate for the Reds, Nuno Espirito Santo needs to use the drama of Saturday as motivation to fire their fight for survival.
Four points from seven games in 2024 is relegation form and, with the cloud of potential points deductions menacingly hovering over them, Forest need to find a way to get some results. And fast.
Thankfully, the upcoming games promise opportunity, albeit losses in these matches could prove terminal.
On Sunday, it is a trip to Brighton, probably one of the league’s most inconsistent sides and one that will be returning from a landmark trip to Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.
Luton Town away on Saturday, 16 March really needs little explaining.
But the following games against mid-table Crystal Palace and Fulham surely also have to offer up points, particularly with April throwing up matches against Tottenham and Manchester City.
With some more refined finishing, Forest could easily have beaten Liverpool on Saturday. But, as in losses to Brentford, Newcastle United and Manchester United already this year, they were punished at the other end.
There are 11 games left to save the season. There is a lot of work to do.
'It is wrong to say Tierney's decision cost Forest a point' - Stone Q&A published at 12:07 4 March
12:07 4 March
Simon Stone Senior football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Sport's senior football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions.
John: What has happened to the quality of referees? Paul Tierney's incredible mistake cost Forest at least a point and added two more points to Liverpool. He is not the only one as standards have dropped. How is Howard Webb going to sidestep this latest calamity?
Simon: First, I think we need to climb back here. Tierney’s decision did not help Forest, but it is wrong to say he cost them a point. Play continued for quite a long time after he had given the ball to Liverpool. It even went out of play. Callum Hudson-Odoi had a chance to clear inside his own penalty area but didn’t and Darwin Nunez could have been marked tighter. These were all bigger factors in Forest conceding that goal.
In reality, I suspect the standard of refereeing is higher than it has ever been, but so is the standard and speed of play. And there is no doubt scrutiny on referees is greater than it has ever been as well.
I really don’t think it is helpful when all the blame is pinned on one man, in one moment, as though he threw the ball into the net. Tierney made a similar decision in the first half, in favour of Forest, so I guess you could say he was being consistent, even if it might have been wrong.
'I can understand Forest's anger but they've only got themselves to blame'published at 11:43 4 March
11:43 4 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Jermaine Jenas says Nuno Espirito Santo's side "don't look like scoring", despite creating several notable opportunities in Saturday's late defeat at home by Liverpool.
Darwin Nunez's controversial winner followed the decision to give the Reds the ball after Ibrahima Konate went down with a head injury shortly before the goal.
"I can understand Forest's anger to an extent but I still feel they've only got themselves to blame," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"Anthony Elanga had two clear-cut opportunities in the game. Yes, it would have been a great point, but they just don't look like scoring at the minute.
"I've watched two games of theirs this week - the game in the cup against Manchester United and the game today - and on numerous occasions they got into great positions with no end product.
"Time and time again, year after year, all we talk about teams down there battling relegation that end up going down because of an inability to score goals.
"I feel sorry for them, to an extent, but we're at the business end now and those chances need to start hitting the back of the net."
Despite the controversy surrounding Liverpool's winner, Forest had a number of opportunities to clear their lines and Jenas believes they needed to keep things tight to secure a point.
"I'm not what sure [Callum] Hudson-Odoi or [Taiwo] Awoniyi were thinking at that particular moment," he added.
"Maybe they were thinking counter-attack, but your game management in those particular moments, you have to look at it and think you'll take a point here, clear your lines and secure things."
Your views on Saturday's gamepublished at 09:58 4 March
09:58 4 March
We asked you for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. Here are some of your comments...
Forest fans
Luke: As heartbreaking as it comes. A lot will be asked of the refereeing in injury time but the fact remains if we’d cleared our lines as we could’ve done then we’d have had a point. This is the latest in a long list of points we deserved but didn’t get, and I hope it doesn’t cost us.
Terry: To say we had enough chances to win the game is a understatement. We should have been three up - with better finishing we would have. Fortune favours the brave, but any fair-minded fan would have to say Liverpool were - and not for the first time - very, very lucky. Huge mistake from the ref gave Liverpool the undeserved points. Gutted.
John: I don't like losing but it's part of the game. But I feel cheated. Feigning injury and poor refereeing cost us in a game where we played some of our best football this season. "1-0 to the referee" has never been more appropriate.
Sam: Brilliant defensive performance for 99 minutes but I have to say that the refereeing was an absolute joke at the end. Konate falls over and then Forest have the ball in a dangerous position. Ref stops play. Konate gets up and in the stadium we thought it might have been a foul - but no, it was somehow Liverpool’s drop ball. Farcical!
Liverpool fans
Salim: Mentality monsters on full show! Fielding a severely weakened team and with fatigue in some players who have had to play many games in succession, this was a huge win! Klopp is turning water in to wine this season - only injuries will stop us from winning more trophies! Manchester City up next - the biggest league game in Klopp's tenure at the club?
Daniel: It wasn’t our best game and it looked like we weren’t going to get anything but a point. But the mentality from the lads to keep going and find a winner before the final whistle blew is our way to say we’re not giving up in this title race! Darwin Nunez - what a hero. Our last win at Forest was 40 years ago. Nunez has ended that drought. What a win.
Theo: Pretty shocking performance for most of the match, Kelleher keeping us in it like he’s done in so many matches recently. Once again, though, we never give up and find the winner through a brilliant header from Nunez. Great result.
Tony: This was a performance showing commitment and desire. Liverpool seemed leggy, and with more personnel changes not quite as fluent as usual, allowing Forest to find space with their pace too easily, but Liverpool showed tenacity. Glad Nunez got the winner to quieten the Forest fans... why would you wind up one of the best strikers in the world?
'A real hammer blow'published at 07:43 4 March
07:43 4 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson discussed the impact of Nottingham Forest's late defeat by Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast:
"For all Forest's resoluteness, they defended extremely well. You wonder what this will do to them because it's a real hammer blow.
"This isn't necessarily a game they would have earmarked to pick up any points, but the way they've lost this game in the 98th minute after what they've put into the game - you could see how dejected they were.
"Yes, they were taking out their frustrations on the referee - and quite rightly so, I think, at times.
"The uncontested drop ball when he stopped the game, they feel really hard done to.
"The scenes at the end of the game were night and day - what Forest were going through and what Liverpool were going through."
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool: Analysispublished at 18:56 2 March
18:56 2 March
Sam Drury BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
As defeats go, it does not get more painful than this.
Nottingham Forest were seconds away from securing a valuable point against the league leaders but with one flick of Darwin Nunez's header late, they go home with nothing.
"It will take a while [to get over]," Nuno Espirito Santo said after the game.
But games are running out for Forest and with a the prospect of a points deduction hanging over them, time is not on their side.
Their anger of the decision to hand possession back to Liverpool after Ibrahima Konate went down with a head injury, even though Forest had the ball when play was stopped, is understandable.
They will not care that they won the ball back twice after that before Liverpool eventually scored their winner.
Forest's best chance to take all three points was taken away from them and they end the game with none.
Nuno's side would not have needed that opportunity had their converted early chances but they were wasteful in front of goal and found themselves cruelly punished.
Forest fans and players alike can look at a number of 'what if?' moments throughout the game but they need to brush it off quickly if they are to avoid asking themselves the same questions at the end of the season.
'I don't want to talk about the referee'published at 18:39 2 March
18:39 2 March
Image source, Getty Images
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to BBC Match of the Day on events leading to Liverpool goal: "I don't want to talk about the referee, sorry.
"We are frustrated, we are disappointed, we are sad. We did a good job and the City Ground, as always, was amazing for us. The disappointment is not giving the supporters what they deserve."
Similar to Man Utd game? "We have chances, we don't score and then we get punished at the end."
On performance: "It was good. We created moments and clear situations. The boys did really well. We are sad, it will take a while."
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Liverpool: Key statspublished at 17:48 2 March
17:48 2 March
Darwin Nunez’s goal, timed at 98 minutes and 35 seconds, was Liverpool’s latest winning goal in a Premier League game that Opta has on record (2006-07 onwards).
Today was Liverpool’s first 1-0 win in the Premier League all season – it was their first 1-0 victory in the competition since May 2023 against Brentford.
Substitutes have been involved in 22 Premier League goals for Liverpool this season (11 goals, 11 assists) – only Manchester City in 2011-12 (24) and Arsenal in 2009-10 (23) have had more goal involvements from subs in a single Premier League season.
For the first time in 10 Premier League games under Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest failed to find the net. The last time they failed to score was in Steve Cooper’s final game in charge in December, a 2-0 loss at home to Spurs.
As well as assisting the winning goal, Alexis Mac Allister created six chances today, more than any other player in the match. It’s the most he’s created in a Premier League match for Liverpool.
Nunez has been directly involved in nine goals in his last nine appearances in all competitions for Liverpool (6 goals, 3 assists), netting in each of his last three.
Full-time: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpoolpublished at 17:12 2 March
17:12 2 March
Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score a dramatic 99th-minute winner and send Liverpool four points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory at struggling Nottingham Forest.
As the game drifted past the eight added minutes announced by the fourth official, Nunez, playing his first game since suffering a muscle at Brentford on 17 February, found the bottom corner with a glancing header from Alexis Mac Allister's cross.
It was Liverpool's first league win at the City Ground since 1984 and ensures that they will be top of the table heading into next Sunday's crucial match against champions Manchester City.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?
Nuno 'massively underrated' - Gibbs Whitepublished at 12:28 2 March
12:28 2 March
Image source, Getty Images
Morgan Gibbs-White says Nuno Espirito Santo is "a top manager" and is "massively underrated" when it comes to his ideas and creativity.
Forest are on a run of one win in 11 games in all competitions, and are just one place above the relegation zone, with the daunting task of league leaders Liverpool next up at the City Ground.
However, Gibbs-White, who played under Nuno at Wolves, told BBC Radio 5 Live, he had huge respect for the Forest boss.
"I've known the manager for a long time now, since I was 16, and we've always had a great relationship," he said.
"I've always absolutely loved learning underneath him. When I found out the news he was coming here I was super excited to work with him and for him again.
"He's a top, top manager full of ideas and full of confidence. You can see that in the way we play - but we just need to pick up points now."
Forest were knocked out of the FA Cup on Wednesday by Manchester United and are continue to run under the shadow of potential punishment for allegedly breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
Points may have been at a premium recently but the attacking midfielder believes the fans and players "have to keep believing" in Nuno's style because performances are improving.
"The manager's ideas are incredible and you can see that in parts of our game but we need to improve in the small final details," he added. "We have to keep believing in the manager because it's just about trying to find the consistency now.
"He's massively underrated, especially with what he did at Wolves in getting them promoted from the Championship and then into Europe, and he's come in with that same mindset for us to be better."
