Nottingham Forest notebook - sanction expected, teams 'wary' of Reds winger, keeper questioned
Nottingham Forest will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season when they are back on home turf this weekend.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side made it five games without defeat thanks to Ramon Sosa’s equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. The eighth-placed Reds are one of only four teams yet to suffer a loss in the league this term, with the Seagulls, Manchester City and Arsenal the others.
A clash with Fulham at the City Ground on Saturday (3pm kick-off) is next up. Below is our round-up of the latest goings-on Trentside ahead of the match with the Cottagers.
Punishment expected
Forest will be without both talisman Morgan Gibbs-White and head coach Nuno this weekend after their red cards at the Amex Stadium. And there is likely to be further punishment for the Reds.
Ola Aina, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Neco Williams and Jota Silva were all booked on the south coast. According to Sky Sports, the club can expect a fine as any team receiving six yellow cards or more in a single game will face an automatic FA sanction.
Sunday was not the first time Nuno has seen red on the touchline. He was dismissed more than once during his time in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, including for celebrating on the pitch following a dramatic late winner in a 4-3 victory over Leicester City in 2019.
The Portuguese will be missed at the City Ground. But midfielder Ryan Yates says the players will still go into the game well prepared.
"It is not ideal but we just have to make sure that we perform on the pitch,” Yates told the BBC. “We will have the same sort of week but we won't have him shouting on the touchline.”
Loanee impressing
Reds loanee Josh Bowler made his first Championship start for Preston North End on Sunday after his deadline day switch. The winger has already hinted he is likely to move on from the City Ground next summer, and it seems he is keen to use the opportunity to catch the eye of any potential suitors.
Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom has certainly been impressed. He singled out Bowler for praise after the 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Deepdale.
“Josh is his own biggest critic. He could play anywhere off the front line, but his favourite position is just off the right, because that’s where he has been comfortable playing,” Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Post. “He is a good footballer who can play off either side, even in those spaces as a number 10 as well.
“He does things a bit differently, which is what we want. Certainly, if you were preparing against a team with Josh in it, you have to be wary of what he’s got. When I am working with Josh, there are other bits of his game we want to work on and help him improve. That’s one reason he wanted to come here.”
Striker blow
Much has been said about Forest’s failure to sign a striker before the transfer window closed on August 30 - although it doesn’t seem to have hindered them so far. Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez was one of the forwards on the Reds’ radar but he seemingly had doubts about moving to the City Ground.
Since the saga ended with him staying put, the 23-year-old has struggled to find form this season. And he is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury blow.
He was stretchered off before the half-hour mark of Sunday’s 2-0 win over NAC Breda. An update from Feyenoord said he had suffered a thigh problem and is expected to be out of action for three months.
Gimenez’s injury comes after former Red Pierre van Hooijdonk suggested the player might have struggled in English football. His hold-up play was picked out as a particular area in need of improvement.
“I also understand perfectly well why he didn't go to Nottingham Forest, because he doesn't keep a single ball there, against those bears in the Premier League,” Van Hooijdonk told Voetbal Primeur. "I'm not writing Gimenez off, absolutely not, because he also benefits from a good team around him, then he can also excel. But at the moment it's just not enough.”
READ MORE: Pundits rave about Nuno Espirito Santo trend as Nottingham Forest bridge gap
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest defy £344m estimation as Man Utd have £714m shocker
Pro deal
Teenager Isaac Davies has been backed to keep progressing after putting pen to paper on his first professional contract with the Reds. The new deal will keep the 17-year-old, who is part of the Under-18s squad, tied to the club until 2027.
“I would like to pass on my congratulations to Isaac and his family having agreed a professional contract on his 17th birthday,” head of academy Chris McGuane said. “Isaac is aware that this is the next step in his journey to fulfil his potential as a person and we are looking forward to working with him to see him further develop as a player. He has recently been away and achieved further international recognition with Wales, and we will continue to work closely with him on all areas of his game.”
Keeper questioned
Matz Sels did well to thwart Danny Welbeck in the second half of Sunday’s clash and keep his team in with a chance of getting something from the game. It went some way to making amends for his poor positioning for the Brighton man’s free-kick in the first half.
Roy Keane and Shay Given have both given Sels some stick for conceding from the set-piece. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has also questioned what the Belgian was doing.
“Gibbs-White is off the wall, so if I’m the goalkeeper I’m lining up Gibbs-White to protect the far post,” he told SuperSport. “You can only put yourself in a good position to try to save what’s in and around you, and then you allow your brilliance or athleticism to sometimes save those ones in the top corner.
“That one happened to go in the far corner. But I still think if it’s a yard inside, he’s struggling with his position.
“If you’re going to put that wall and the man behind it, you’re going to trust that they’re going to cover a lot of that goal. If the player does manage to get it up and over, you don’t give it up but you give yourself less responsibility to that side of the goal.”
Speaking of goalkeepers, former Forest loanee Keylor Navas could soon have a new club. The Costa Rican is a free agent after leaving PSG in the summer and Barcelona are said to be eyeing him up. According to Mundo Deportivo, Navas is keen to play and is “willing to listen” to a potential offer from Barca.