Nottingham Forest

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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For all Nottingham Forest’s progress this season — results, transfers, stability — it seems there is still an element of growing pains at play.

While Morgan Gibbs-White’s controversial dismissal against Brighton & Hove Albion robbed us of his presence against Fulham, it was feasible to put out a similar formation without too much tinkering in style or play.

Elliot Anderson has performed particularly well in midfield since his arrival from Newcastle, and can easily slot into the number 10 position. But with an unbeaten run of five games, and plenty of confidence in his selection, Nuno Espírito Santo opted for a 4-4-2 line-up.

Obviously it didn’t pay off. A rather disjointed, flat display was a disappointing way to end the run in front of the City Ground’s largest crowd in a decade. Similarly, while refereeing decisions made the headlines it is hard to argue they stopped us scoring. And while we were bound to underperform and/or lose at some point, it does prompt a few questions.

Should we be confident enough to play the same way every game? Should we be more threatening and attacking at home? And how pay much attention should we pay to the opposition?

Well, from a low-block and playing-on-the-break in a relegation-surviving season to the aim of greater possession and a more expansive gameplan in a (hopefully) Premier League established period… where does the balance lie?

Evidently, somewhere in between. Nuno masterminded the Reds’ first victory at Anfield in a generation (or two) and he’s got enough credit in the bank to be trying things. And clearly, at this early stage of the season, there are still new players and new ideas that are yet to quite settle in.

Chelsea away this Sunday might not be the time to be asking such questions, but it feels like there is still some trial and error this year as Forest continue to find their feet.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

Andrew: Forest certainly missed Gibbs-White today. Fulham deserved the three points. Forest huffed and puffed but Fulham were the better side on the day.

Luke: That’s probably our worst home performance under Nuno. Say what you want about the penalty appeals but we played so badly there’s no guarantee we’d have scored if we got one. Team selection baffles me slightly, I never like ending the 90 minutes with better players on the pitch than at the start.

Peter: Started with bad team selection. Sorry Wood and Awoniyi cannot play together with out the full on-wing support from Elanga and Hudson-Odoi. Then bringing on Elanga on his own was more of a mystery. The team were just totally disjointed and this was evident by their passing - it seemed like they did not really know where to go or who to pass it to.

Gary: If any Forest fan thinks that the jury is still out regarding how talented and how important Morgan Gibbs-White is to the club then today's stuttering performance should be evidence compelling enough to influence that jury, that we can't do without him.

Fulham fans

Mario: I feel that we seem to have one really great half and one really average half as Marco has eluded to. The players need to show the same level over the whole 90 minutes. However, despite the minor negative it’s still a fantastic win and one that is well deserved. Long may it continue.

Simon: It wasn’t necessarily pretty but a first clean sheet of the season and an away victory at a in form team is a good sign of progress. And I’m so glad we’ve got Marco Silva and not Nuno, because I couldn’t watch that type of football every week, even if it does keep Forest up.

Will: A very good win against a previously unbeaten side. Raul is continuing his fine form and this is our best start to a season in many a year, if we had not conceded those two late goals in earlier games, we would be first.

Luke: Glad we managed to hang on in the end. Few nervy moments but a good defensive performance. A game of few chances and could have gone either way. Great result for Fulham.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 4-2 Leicester

• Wolves 1-2 Liverpool

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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo felt the challenge by Forest defender Murillo on Andreas Pereira which led to a Fulham penalty was "not intentional" but did not want to get drawn further on the subject. He told BBC Match Of The Day: "We will try to avoid speaking about them. The referees need some peace with their work. But I look at the images, and there are incidents in Fulham's box also which were not reviewed. We cannot do anything and hope the referees do their job and improve and allow the players to play football.

"It's frustrating and disappointing looking back at the game. The first half was not so good. The game was balanced. Unfortunately we conceded in the second half and it became hard. We lost a bit of control that we wanted. The players worked hard to achieve something but it was not today and we move forward."

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport Journalist

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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo would not be really be drawn on the key moment which settled this defeat to Forest.

"There's no intention at all, but most penalties are not intentional," was the most the Nuno would say on the incident.

From a Forest perspective, it seemed a harsh call from referee Josh Smith to award a penalty on the basis that Murillo had scraped his studs along the back of Andreas Pereira’s calf.

Pereira certainly made the most of any contact from Murillo, rather theatrically throwing himself to the turf.

What was more frustrating was the fact Forest did not get a look in when their players went to ground in the opposition box.

There were incidents involving Anthony Elanga and Taiwo Awoniyi, but unlike the Pereira penalty the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) did not encourage referee Smith to take another look.

Forest fans will rightly wonder why, if he was not sure on the Pereira incident, he was so unequivocal on those two.

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Nottingham Forest have failed to win any of their last six league games at the City Ground (D3 L3). Their longest run since September 2021 in the Championship (8 games – D2 L6).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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What did you make of Fulham’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

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BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Arsenal v Leicester

• Wolves v Liverpool

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week six, he takes on Maximo Park singer Paul Smith, whose latest album, Stream Of Life, is out on Friday.

Forest host Fulham at 15:00 on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

I like Fulham at home, but I am not so sure I like them as much away.

Nottingham Forest will miss the suspended Morgan Gibbs-White, which is a bit of a blow for them.

This is going to be a good game, but it has draw written all over it.

Smith's prediction: 0-1

Both of these teams are in the top half and have made decent starts so, like Everton versus Palace, this feels like a fair fight between two fairly equal teams.

As a Boro fan I loved it when Adama Traore was with us - he did have an end product, but it has become something that became a bit of a stick to beat him with.

This season he has definitely upped his conversion rate so I am thinking that Fulham might nick it. Forest have a lot of talent in midfield, but Gibbs-White being suspended might be the deciding factor.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Earlier, we asked you for the two players who have scored more than 20 Premier League goals for Nottingham Forest.

Bryan Roy and Stan Collymore, who formed a superb strike partnership for Forest in the mid-1990s, scored 24 and 22 Premier League goals for the club respectively.

Legendary left-back Stuart Pearce is not far behind on 18.

In the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football, David Jackson and Colin Fray discussed the "chaos" that ensued during Nottingham Forest's 2-2 draw away at Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

There were three red cards shown in the second-half with Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White receiving his marching orders along with both managers in what Jackson described as a "mad" ending to the fixture.

Discussing Gibbs-White's red card, he said: "The problem with it was the referee and the fourth official both immediately indicating that he'd played the ball but then giving a decision to say yellow card and off. That confusion and those mixed messages cause chaos."

Disagreement between both benches followed Gibbs-White's sending off with Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler and Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo then seeing red.

Fray added: "My issue with Anthony Taylor as fourth official getting involved in this is, what if it's on the other side of the pitch and he can't see it? Then he doesn't get involved and the referee's on-field call, which is clearly played the ball, stands.

"Morgan Gibbs-White then stays on the pitch and he isn't suspended. Fabian Hurzeler may get angry but Nuno doesn't get angry and he doesn't get a red card, he isn't on a charge and Gibbs-White isn't on a charge and play goes on.

"My point is, if the only way a fourth official can intervene is when it happens right in front of him, is that the right way to go forward?"

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Can you name the two players who have scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST

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There has been a lot of conversation this week about "dark arts" in football following the draw between Manchester City and Arsenal on Sunday.

Realistically, everyone who has watched football for longer than one game has seen things they would perceive as "dark arts"; whether it is a player always going down winning free-kicks to take the sting out of the game, kicking the ball into row Z when there was no multi-ball system or time-wasting on goal-kicks.

These are things we see all the time but our perception of it is dependent on the context of a game. You always see some version of it somewhere, and you hope your team would be doing the same thing if in the same situation - because why should you do something that would benefit the opposition you are against?

It is the same as going down a bit more easily to win penalties - some people will say "this guy is a cheat", but then on the other side of their mouth, if it is something that could benefit them, they say "he has tried too hard to stay up, he needed to go down there".

You can have rulings, Ifab can get involved to change this and that, but there will always be a way to push the rules to their limits.

What we saw with Arsenal in that game, where David Raya sat down to get some treatment while the teams gathered, we have seen those moments before. It is not just new to Arsenal - other teams do it.

It is always based on certain moments. You do get more frustrated if it happens against you, but when you need to do it, you encourage people to do it. That is one of the beauties of football - the way you see things is always going to be down to perception, context and just whether you think it is benefiting you or not.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nuno Espirito Santo still has faith in referees despite insisting the situation surrounding Morgan Gibbs-White's red card was a "mess".

The Nottingham Forest boss was sent off in the 2-2 draw at Brighton on Sunday in the aftermath of Gibbs-White's dismissal.

The England international walked after being given a second yellow card for his 83rd-minute challenge on Joao Pedro.

The pair have been charged by the Football Association for their reactions but Nuno will be on the touchline for the visit of Fulham on Saturday after Forest were given until Wednesday [2 October] to present their observations.

Nuno said at the start of the season he trusted the officials - after Forest's high profile issues last term - and Sunday's red cards has not changed that.

"Not at all. We are positive there has been a big effort from referees to improve and make things right and not influence the game," said Nuno, who confirmed he apologised to the officials for his reaction after the game.

"We trust them and are here to support them. But the game is the game.

"Up until today I saw the image many times and I'm not sure sometimes. It looks like a yellow card sometimes, others it's a good tackle. It's a hard one to judge.

"That's why I think us as a club and all the clubs should support the referee as it's a tough task.

"It's very difficult. In that moment Morgan made that effort for the team.

"We were unbalanced, knowing that any goal in that particular moment of the game would be definitive. It's emotional, we are under a lot of stress."

The Key Match Incidents Panel was split 3-2 over Gibbs-White's red card with the majority believing official Robert Jones was wrong to issue a second caution.

But Nuno conceded the confusion, after referee Jones signalled with his hands Gibbs-White - who will miss the visit of the Cottagers - won the ball, did not help.

"That was the mess. But let's hope they improve and we continue," he said, with Forest unbeaten in their opening five Premier League games.

"I don't want to see it as a problem. I see it as a very hard job to do."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nuno Espirito Santo will be on the touchline when Nottingham Forest host Fulham on Saturday.

The manager was expected to be banned after he was sent off in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Brighton on Sunday.

But Forest have been given more time to submit their observations after Nuno and Morgan Gibbs-White were charged by the Football Association. They initially had until Friday but requested an extension and now have until Wednesday, 2 October.

Nuno has accepted the blame but is yet to accept the charge.

"There’s always an answer and a response - we will respond to the charges," Nuno said. "I think we deserve an opportunity to answer our view on the incident and we will do so as a club.

"It’s very difficult for managers to control their emotions sometimes. It happens with a lot of managers. It’s an emotional game, an emotional situation - sometimes it’s hard.

"I had the chance to apologise for my behaviours. I think it was accepted. I will try hard not to repeat it."

Nuno was charged by the FA with acting in an improper manner, with the Portuguese manager also alleged to have used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official.

He was sent off after Gibbs-White was dismissed for receiving a second yellow card for a strong tackle on Joao Pedro with seven minutes left.

The Key Match Incidents panel, which reviews the main decisions in the Premier League each week, was split 3-2, with the majority believing official Robert Jones was wrong to dismiss the midfielder.

The England international has been charged by the Football Association with acting in an improper manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words towards fourth official Anthony Taylor.

Nuno already has a suspended one-game touchline ban - handed out in August - following his comments after Forest's controversial 2-0 defeat at Everton in April,which saw the club question the integrity of VAR Stuart Attwell on social media.

Martin Dougan
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham (kick-off 15:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On his red card against Brighton last weekend: "The charge has been made but I’m going to be available to be at the game. We are just waiting for the final result. Everyone saw the situation, It’s very difficult for a manager to control their emotions. It’s an emotional game with emotional situations. I had a chance to apologise for my behaviour and I think it was accepted. I’ll try not to repeat it."

• He is thrilled to be one of only four unbeaten Premier League teams so far: "We are delighted with that statistic. We want it to continue and we have to work very hard to achieve it. It’s about how we want to progress as a team and what is important now is that every player is putting the team ahead of the individual."

• On Chris Wood's excellent recent form: "He’s a top professional and a fantastic striker. It’s not only about the goals that he scores - it's his voice in the dressing room and what he means for the team and his team-mates. We trust him and I hope it continues."

• He knows Fulham will pose a tough challenge: "Very difficult. Fulham are a good team with good players and a good manager. They are playing good, they are an offensive threat and they defend well."

• However, he is pleased to see Fulham striker Raul Jimenez playing and in form again. Nuno was the Mexico striker's manager when he suffered a head injury against Arsenal in November 2020: "We are always delighted when we meet former players we have worked with. With Raul, it’s always special because of the incident and to watch him coming back and playing football is great. [But] he’s going to be our opponent and we have to be ready to stop him. I am really pleased to see him enjoying football."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Before the first game of the season, Nuno Espirito Santo promised to stop moaning about referees and vowed to trust them.

"I hope not [to moan], honestly," said the Forest boss before the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in August.

"We had a nice meeting, the managers, and he [referees' chief Howard Webb] explained in detail the changes that they want to implement. Decisions to take less time, better decisions, I'm confident. We have to trust the referees."

Six weeks later, Nuno has been handed a charge by the Football Association for acting in an improper manner and allegedly using abusive and insulting language towards match officials.

It came after Morgan Gibbs-White's red card in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Brighton, with Nuno and Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler dismissed by referee Rob Jones for their reactions to the incident on the touchline.

Nuno can possibly be forgiven for his reaction, given the Key Match Incidents Panel was split on whether Gibbs-White should have been issued a second yellow card for his 83rd-minute tackle on Joao Pedro.

Yet it shows in the heat of the moment, despite the manager's best intentions, emotions can take over.

Nuno, who will be missing from the dugout for Forest's game against Fulham on Saturday, is usually reserved in his news conferences but today he will be asked about the red card and his reaction.