Nottingham Forest

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

As Nottingham Forest make their preparations for Wednesday's Europa League match at Real Betis, we step into the unknown - in more ways than one.

The European adventure represents a milestone in the club's modern history and a chance to compete against some of the continent's best teams. Combine that with a new manager and a clutch of new signings and it is hard to know what to expect.

With his first four games played away, Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to greet the City Ground faithful on Saturday with a win under his belt. The draw against Burnley can be looked at as a hard-earned point on the road or another opportunity spurned.

But Burnley are no pushover at home and the manager is juggling injuries and new players while trying to embed his philosophy. He knows he doesn't have long and the goals and the wins have to start coming.

The question in Seville will be which Postecoglou can we expect? Will it be Ange-ball? Will it be the pragmatic style of Tottenham's trophy winners last season? Or will it be some sort of combination of those with a dollop of Nuno-ball?

Last season's Conference League runners-up are not to be underestimated and the patient, possession-based football the Reds have been moving towards will be key to success in Europe.

The experience of the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz and Nikola Milenkovic in European competition will undoubtedly help the manager, who obviously knows a thing or two about the Europa League.

The next few games will not decide the season for Forest but they will certainly go a long way to steering the narrative at the City Ground and ensuring Postecoglou receives a warm reception on Saturday.

We're already into the unknown - we're all just hoping the ship is steadied and set in the right direction again.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

Image source, Getty Images

"I remember the ball coming down to my side and as its bounced I saw the left-hand side of the goal gaping, so I knew I had to put it there."

It was a goal that went on to become iconic, and over 30 years later, Paul McGregor still remembers every tiny detail of how the ball hit the back of the Lyon net to send Nottingham Forest through to the quarter-final of the Uefa Cup in November 1995.

"It is incredible," the now 50-year-old told BBC East Midlands Today. "I was around Nottingham Forest for a long time, but not necessarily always in the first team, so what amazes me is how much the goal resonates with Forest fans.

"I've always seen it as [just] a goal. Yes, it was in Europe, but you don't realise what memories are wrapped around it and how iconic it would become. It astounds me what a moment in time can mean to people.

"I can remember going to all the [cup] away games and being on the bench, but you always want to get on and make an impact.

"The home game against Lyon had just stagnated and the boss [Frank Clark] wanted to shake it up, so he threw me and Bobby Howe on. It caused chaos.

"I was desperate to make an impact so I knew that if Stuart Pearce missed the penalty, then I would be on it. Yes, there was a bit of encroachment with my run but I don't think you will ever see a player wanting a rebound so much!

"I remember it coming down to my side and as it's bounced I saw the left-hand side of the goal gaping so I knew I had to put it there.

"I remember it so clearly. It was an indescribable feeling.

"I loved getting to the fans and looking up to see 20 of my mates going mental. That's one of the best things about being a local lad and doing something special."

David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Early mornings in airports are always places full of excitement and optimism, with the prospect of explorations and discovering new places to come.

The Forest fans going through security at Birmingham Airport have waited a long time for this particular trip. Some 30 years, in fact.

Nigel, a fan from Nottingham, told me he only came back from a holiday in Seville three weeks ago but wasn't about to turn down the chance to fly back to the same place and see his beloved club play their first match in European competition for three decades.

A Real Betis team with plenty of European experience and a 70,000-seater stadium awaits, in what could prove to be Forest's most difficult game in the league phase.

Colin Fray, Steve Hodge and I will bring you all the news from the news conference later on BBC Radio Nottingham (1800-1900 BST) and, of course, we'll be on the radio on Wednesday night as well for the game itself. Join us from 18:00 for that.

Right, time to board.

Come back to this page later for all the key lines from Ange Postecoglou's news conference

Are you heading out to Spain? We'd love you to get in touch here with your stories and picture from your travels

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

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Ian: Jaidon Anthony brings a tremendous amount of energy to Burnley and is genuinely skillful, but I just wonder why they don't work on his shooting. Meanwhile, Scott Parker's loyalty to his players is admirable, but surely, in a game as important as this one, leaving Neco Williams unmarked at the edge of the box deserves a rollocking!

Paul: Brave performance but didn't really deserve a point. Martin Dubravka was superb and will need to be all season if we are going to survive. Promising performances from the two newbies, Loum Tchaouna and Florentino Luis. We need Armando Broja to contribute.

Graham: An excellent team performance in awful conditions and after going a goal behind so early. A real show of skill, strength, character, and determination to get level, and drive on. A draw was a fair result in the end but Burnley should be massively encouraged by both this team performance, and by individual contributions by the likes of Anthony, Dubravka, Florentino, Lyle Foster, and Kyle Walker. We are not out of place at this level.

Peter; When we learn how to make a decent final pass, we'll be a real threat. Until then, just hang on.

Forest fans

Supered: Poor result against one of the weaker teams this season. Forest are in a relegation battle. Angeball does not work - it was found out within 20 games. Fear the worst for Wednesday.

Rick: The talent is obvious. Give Ange the time - no more than a month - you can bet your last dollar and watch him him put us in the top five before Christmas.

Mossy: Postecoglou has not had a easy start at Forest, trying to incorporate new players and four away games, which are all potential banana skins. His first game at the City Ground in front of the supporters will see if the tactics he prefers are popular.

Jon: Can we get rid of the manager now? The joke's not funny anymore. I've completely lost interest in this season. First Nuno throwing his teddies out of his pram and now this managerial appointment. It's as if the owner enjoys this nonsense and upheaval season after season.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It was an upbeat Ange Postecoglou after Nottingham Forest's draw at Burnley.

Yes, they may not have won and the new manager is still waiting for his first victory - albeit he is only three games into his reign - but there are clear signs of what he wants.

Victory over Real Betis in the Europa League on Wednesday - on Forest's return to Europe for the first time since 1995-96 - would underline the progress he is talking about.

Chances created, especially for Dilane Bakwa in the first half, highlighted the kind of quick, incisive football Postecoglou wants to play.

Those who have worked closely with the former Tottenham boss told BBC Sport he would not wait to impress his style and philosophies, and Postecoglou said Forest looked like one of his teams at times in the second half.

It would be wrong to disagree as it was clear how different expansive Forest already are to the side Nuno Espirito Santo took to seventh in the Premier League last season.

This comes less than two weeks after Postecoglou was appointed Nuno's successor so, despite the winless start, Forest should be in for an exciting ride.

• Not a Forest fan? Find your Premier League club on BBC Sport

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The TV in the media suite suddenly turned on during Ange Postecoglou's post-match news conference.

Commentary of Manchester United v Chelsea blared out and threatened to drown out the head coach before he carried on.

The remote did not have any batteries to switch the screen off and, while the Clarets may not have had any power in their appliances, Postecoglou believes his Forest team are showing the energy and spark he wants to see.

Despite having to settle for a draw, Postecoglou felt Forest were worthy of victory, while Scott Parker believed it was a fair result - the former Tottenham boss is seeing quick and early signs of progress.

An opening defeat by Arsenal can be understood, Wednesday's EFL Cup collapse at Swansea less so - but at Burnley there was clear evidence of Postecoglou's philosophies.

"The key for me is we don't have time to bed things down and work on things because the league is up and running," he said. "Since the Arsenal game already I can see the team is transforming and the way we are working with the way working without the ball and with the all.

"It's encouraging for me. You can make a quick impact if the messages are clear.

"There were three guys who made their debuts, players trying to adjust to the Premier League. A a team the growth will come from clear focus where the principles are."

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brighton 2-2 Tottenham

• Wolves 1-3 Leeds

• Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou's fingerprints are across the squad already, that is clear, and there were glimpses of exactly what could come for Nottingham Forest.

Chances were fashioned for Dilane Bakwa and Chris Wood with sharp, smart football which Burnley struggled to cope with.

Yet they allowed Burnley back into the game, losing their way after the Clarets' leveller, and must be able to gain greater control of matches.

But there are promising signs even though the Austrlian head coach, who wants to implement his style quickly, has been in charge for less than two weeks.

A point was a fair result for both sides, but Postecoglou was brought in to win for Forest.

He has two chances to earn that victory next week as Forest go to Real Betis in the Europa League on Wednesday - the first time in 30 years they will have played in Europe - before a first home game at the City Ground against Sunderland next Saturday.

Ange Postecoglou spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Nottingham Forest's draw against Burnley: "It is always a tough game here. Really happy with certain parts, we controlled it well and their keeper pulled off some great saves. We lost a certain amount of control but disappointed we didn't take all three points. We had a couple of sloppy moments and it allowed them to get a bit of traction in the game. We still created enough chances to win the game.

"From seven days ago from when we played Arsenal, we look a different team and we saw elements of that on Wednesday night too.

"He [Martin Dubravka] was outstanding. Disappointed but at the same time, the progress in our play is the most posotive thing fro me.

On Igor Jesus: "He'll make more an impact as we go on. A lot of our new players come from a different league and it's not easy. Players like Igor, Bakwa, Ndoye. There's a lot of guys out there finding their feet out there.

On Europa League: "I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be great for this group of players. I have three years of experience in the Europa League. Last year went well but it'll be great for these players."

Forest defender Neco Williams spoke to Premier League Productions on what the mamager said to the team at half time: "We needed to keep going, it's 1-1, we're not losing so keep doing what we were doing. Lots of positives to take and we will learn on the negatives and put it right for our European game."

On playing Real Betis before Sunderland fixture: "It's going to be tough, a lot of games coming up. We play, we review, we recover and then we play. A tough period but also an exciting period."

Did you know?

Nottingham Forest averaged 63.3% possession against Burnley, their highest in a Premier League match since their return to the division in 2022.

Hear more from Postecoglou on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Burnley's performance

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back on Sunday for a selection of your replies

Midfielder Florentino makes his full Burnley debut against Nottingham Forest.

The 26-year-old, who signed on loan from Benfica on deadline day, replaces the suspended Lesley Ugochukwu after his red card in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Veteran striker Ashley Barnes returns to the bench for the Clarets.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Walker, Hartman Esteve, Foster, Anthony, Florentino, Tchaouna, Ekdal, Cullen, Laurent.

Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Edwards, Humphreys, Flemming, Pires, Broja, Hannibal, Barnes

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz, Dilane Bakwa and Morato come in for Nottingham Forest from their defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

Juventus loanee Luiz is given his Premier League debut along with Arsenal loanee Zinchenko after they both started in the 3-2 EFL Cup defeat at Swansea on Wednesday.

Morato replaces Murillo who has failed to shake off a knock he suffered at the Emirates.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Williams, Milenkovic, Morato, Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Bakwa, Ndoye, Wood

Subs: Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, I. Jesus, Hutchinson, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Liverpool v Everton (12:30)

• Brighton v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Nottingham Forest

• West Ham v Crystal Palace

• Wolves v Leeds

• Manchester United v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Brentford (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Burnley manager Scott Parker will be feeling really hard done by after their last-gasp defeat by Liverpool which, like their loss against Manchester United, was down to a stoppage-time penalty.

We know the Clarets were excellent defensively in the Championship last season, and they have shown they are resolute in the Premier League too, but the question is whether they are going to carry a big enough attacking threat?

That's why I fancy Forest here. This is an important game for big Ange Postecoglou too. Whenever his team loses, whoever it is, it seems to be greeted with more glee than when most other managers lose, which is such an idiotic view.

His Nottingham Forest side were 2-0 up and cruising in the Carabao Cup midweek but then missed a few chances, let Swansea City back in the game and ended up going out to an unbelievable 97th-minute goal.

Postecoglou made 10 changes for that tie, so he has rested a few for this game. I'm backing them to bounce back with 'The Woodchopper', Chris Wood, bagging the winner on his return to his former club.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

Burnley and Nottingham Forest are both licking their wounds going into Saturday's game at Turf Moor.

Burnley have been rocked by back-to-back stoppage-time defeats, the most recent of which against Liverpool last weekend ended their 15-month and 24-game unbeaten run at Turf Moor.

That makes it three defeats in their first four league games of the season, but head coach Scott Parker won't be pressing the panic button just yet.

Burnley kept 30 clean sheets in 46 Championship games last season, equalling an all-time league record that had stood for over 70 years; and there are early signs in this campaign that their deep-lying defence remains well equipped to repel invaders.

They were unlucky to concede a penalty at Manchester United and their diligent and organised defence came within a whisker of shutting out a Liverpool team that had scored in 37 consecutive league matches.

Burnley didn't have a single touch in Liverpool's penalty area in the second half but they put their bodies on the line, blocking 12 shots - the highest such tally in a Premier League game this season.

Parker's side have conceded seven goals – the joint fourth-highest total in the Premier League, which compares favourably with their xG against total of 9.4, the highest of any top-flight side this season.

The last team Liverpool did fail to score against in the league was Nottingham Forest, who are currently getting used to life under new head coach Ange Postecoglou.

Asked after Forest's defeat at Arsenal last weekend about how long it would take him to remould his new team, Postecoglou replied: "No, mate, it won't be months, it won't be weeks – it'll be Wednesday [in the EFL Cup against Swansea]. I can't afford to waste time."

Wednesday saw signs that the work has begun – 10 changes to the starting line-up, with eight of Forest's 13 summer signings making their debuts – but it also revealed that there is plenty to do, as Forest conceded two injury-time goals to lose 3-2.

Forest supporters must hope that the shock result can be partly attributed to a newly formed team not used to playing together. But giving up a lead is something Tottenham fans got used to last season, when Postecoglou's Spurs went ahead in 22 of their 38 Premier League games but ended up winning only 11 of them.

A quirk of the fixture list means Postecoglou's first four matches are all away – including a trip to Real Betis in the Europa League, which he won with Spurs last year. It is two down, two lost so far – the Forest players will need to get the hang of 'Angeball' pretty quickly to ensure the fans are onside when that first home game comes at the end of September.

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Turf Moor (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Murillo is "still a doubt" to feature this weekend. The defender has "done some individual work" but is "still a bit sore" so a late decision will be made on his availability.

• He added: "This is the nature of the business we're in. You are always going to get some disruptions along the way, so thankfully it's not too serious. If he doesn't make tomorrow, he should definitely be right for Wednesday."

• There are no fresh injury concerns in the squad, with central midfielder Nicolas Dominguez "hopefully getting integrated into full training" next week after recovering from a knee issue.

• Igor Jesus is having his minutes managed after featuring in the Club World Cup over the summer, but the Brazilian is showing he is "such a hard worker" in training.

• Nottingham Forest "paid the ultimate price" in the final 10 to 15 minutes of their Carabao Cup match against Swansea City, but Postecoglou took comfort in seeing "plenty of evidence that the players are taking the information onboard".

• He elaborated on what he meant: "There was certainly an endeavour for us to be more aggressive with and without the ball. We created as many chances as you possibly could in a game like that, away from home. The defensive work apart from the last 15 minutes was excellent."

• The squad will be trying to "make amends" for their last two Premier League results, "get some points on the board" and "start moving in the right direction on the table" against Burnley.

• On Scott Parker's side only losing one game at Turf Moor in the past 15 months: "There aren't any easy tests in the Premier League now. Scott has done a brilliant job since taking over from Vincent [Kompany]. I love that he's tested himself overseas as well. He is a smart guy and has got them set up really well."

• On whether there is pressure on him to deliver results quickly: "There has been negativity around my arrival since I got to the Premier League - that's the constant space I'm in. It is important we win on Saturday, not to ease the pressure on me but because we have lost our last two games in the Premier League."

• It has been 10 days since Postecoglou took charge at Nottingham Forest and he has already made his own assessment of the club: "It has a very solid foundation. You can see why this club has grown steadily over the last few years - there are quality people here. It would've been a lot more challenging coming in at this point if there was some sort of disconnect between me and the existing staff."

• The players are "very united", despite there being a lot of new players in the dressing room, with all of the summer additions "adapting really well".

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

Listen to Postecoglou's news conference on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Nottingham's Forest commentator Colin Fray speaking on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast:

"Postecoglou will know as a new head coach coming in, the same as for any head coach, that the sooner he gets a win the better. The sooner he gets a win he gets fans onboard and very importantly, players on board with his ideas.

"For Postecoglou, specifically here at Forest, the difficulty for him is he's coming into a side that was really on the up. I know the last game under Nuno against West Ham was shocking. Take that one away, Forest have been a club growing and growing, going up, looking to take the next step. Suddenly, around the time he arrives - and I am not saying he is responsible in any way - they hit a buffer and conceded nine in three games, two games under Postecoglou and one under his predecessor.

"He has come in to a dressing room under a Nuno style. He has to get his ideas across, which are different to Nuno's. He has to get them across quickly. With it being so many away games, he doesn't get much time to work on stuff on the training pitch. He's starting now to need to convince more fans. If you are preaching something to employees in any position and it's not getting results, there will be scepticism.

"So what's his immediate aim? Win. Win a game.

"He made 10 changes against Swansea, with another couple at half time. So there were lots of things tried. What it means is he's now had a look at the vast majority of his squad. I think he's now more in a position for the Burnley game and Betis game going forward to make more sound judgments on what his starting XI for each game is going to be. He has not got far more idea about players.

"But, he needs to get his selections right, so that he wins a game, quickly."

Listen to Shut Up And Show More Football

The latest Shut Up And Show More Football has dropped, with all the reaction to a "damaging defeat" at Swansea City.

David Jackson and Colin Fray are joined by former Nottingham Forest player James Perch to mull over what went wrong in the Carabao Cup third round and discuss Ange Postecoglou's start.

Plus former Reds midfielder Gareth Edds - who played under Ange Postecoglou for the Australia Under-20s - shares his insight on the new boss.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

All season, we are inviting you to send in your questions about Nottingham Forest as part of the BBC's Ask Me Anything service, using this form.

One of the questions this week was about the plans for Forest's stadium so we put it to our reporter Nick Mashiter.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis wants to increase the City Ground capacity to 50,000.

That will have to wait for now but Forest are pushing ahead with plans to expand their home.

The proposals will see the existing Peter Taylor Stand demolished and replaced with a 10,000-seater stand, increasing the City Ground's overall capacity to around 42,000.

Full planning permission was granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council's planning committee in June, with some conditions.

These include paying just over £1m to improve local bus services, £150,000 to upgrade the A60/Cattle Market Road junction and £200,000 for cycle improvements along Lady Bay Bridge.

They must also replace Nottingham Rowing Club's Britannia boathouse, which will be demolished as part of the plans.

It ended a long wait for Forest as they had initially announced expansion plans in 2019, meaning the club had even considered leaving the City Ground

It was originally expected to cost about £94m but an estimate from earlier this year suggested this has risen to £130m while a build date is yet to be announced.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for what you learnt after Forest's 3-2 loss to Swansea and their exit from the League Cup.

Here are some of your comments:

Craig: Very poor appointment of a very poor manager who, though a trier, is totally out of his depth in a top league. Not right for Ange Postecoglou to come out and blame the players for "getting too comfortable" when team selection and subs were the root cause of throwing away a two goal lead against a mid-table Championship team.

Peter: Well, it's only two games so far for Ange, but I'm already getting the feeling his coaching ability is like having the reincarnation of Brian Clough - only in reverse. Being knocked out of one cup competition at the first attempt could be a blessing in disguise - to allow us to focus on a possible relegation battle.

Ben: An ominous start to Ange's reign. It's too early to be hitting the panic button, but certainly worrying signs. Forest played some good passages of football but lacked the clinical intent to push the game out of Swansea's reach. Some very sloppy play at times meant this team looked as un-Nuno as possible by the end.

Edward: Absolute joke. We should have won that. We needed to keep our focus but we lost it.

Bruce: Absolutely no surprise at Swansea. Sack a successful manager when the team is doing well, just before important cup and European matches. Shoot yourself in the foot and watch the new appointee blame everyone but himself. Deja vu.

Matt: I'm not a pessimistic person, and I'm most certainly not a pessimist when it comes to my beloved Forest but I'd rather not be on this 'exciting' Ange-ball rollercoaster. Especially if it's putting us back into the Championship again. It feels like a collapse at the City Ground- I hope I am wrong

Gareth Roberts
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Getty Images

After defeat at Emirates Stadium, Ange Postecoglou promised this would be the game where the first signs of his influence on the team he inherited from Nuno Espirito Santo would be visible.

He did not have time to waste, he said.

And at the very least, the Australian will have gained a greater idea of what he has at his disposal after handing first starts to talent that cost the club the best part of £120m over the summer.

He would have had every right to have been impressed with Jesus, the striker nicknamed the 'Little Frog', who jumped at the opportunity to open his account in the south Wales rain.

More importantly for Forest, Jesus' second was an example of the kind of football associated with Postecoglou's teams as a sweeping move cut the hosts open and made it easy for the striker to finish.

There were signs too of Juventus loanee Douglas Luiz's class and what the likes of Hutchinson and McAtee could provide.

But there were also signs – as if the result did not make it obvious - that the former Spurs boss has plenty of work to do.

It was Swansea who looked to have the kind of tempo 'Angeball' is meant to have, pressing hard from the front with intensity.

And although Forest could point to spurned chances from a number of players, it would be tough to say that Swansea did not earn the win.

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou speaking to Sky Sports after the Reds were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Swansea City.

"I just thought it was a game we really should have killed off long before it got to the stage that it did,

"I got the sense we were getting a bit comfortable and thought the game would finish off easily but that's not what happens, particularly in cup football. I thought we scored a good third goal.

"I think the lads got a bit comfortable in that moment and you've got to know the warning signs.

"We had to finish them off and we had plenty of opportunities to do that, and a couple of decisions didn't go our way.

"Players just thought it would naturally finish that way and we've paid a heavy price for that. We need to improve.

"They had two shots from outside the box in the first half and didn't really test us until right at the end.

"There were a lot of players out there who needed some football, but even within that context we were well in control of that game and should have seen it out.

"I was just frustrated that we didn't realise the danger that could have developed by not being more clinical and killing off the opponent when we should have."

• Nottingham Forest ended the contest with an xG (expected goals) of 2.83. For Swansea, it was just 0.72.