The pride of Everton and Forest

Although he Nottingham Forest unable to win their penultimate game in the English league, against Chelsea (2-3), a sense of relief and satisfaction in his club returned on Saturday afternoon to City land. They almost guarantee permanence. After a year of long suffering and unexpected change for the two-time European champions, a banner, in the Trent End stand, depicted the rallying of passionate fans of the ‘tricky trees’: ‘When they try to stop us, showing we to them. who we are’ (‘When they try to suppress us, we show them who we are’).

There may be no celebration in Nottingham, as goals from Chelsea forced to wait for the last day, but barring a miracle from Luton Town – they should beat Fulham by 12 goals – forest It will continue to be a Premier League team. And so the players and the coach, the Portuguese Nuno Espirito Santo, were received with pride and general applause, for arriving with a three-point advantage over the ‘hatters’, who were almost drowning in all difficulties. Although no one will easily forget in the East Midlands capital in a year marked by the deduction of four points for not following the rules of financial fair play and the brutal confrontation with the referees of its owner, the Greek businessman that Evangelos Marinakis , in an unusual crusade against the treatment received by the rectors of the Premier.

He forestAs the Everton, sanctioned and also beaten for their poor financial practices, has become a paradigm of how poor economic management, or, at the very least, irrelevant and contrary to the rules of sustainability control of the English league, can cause a terrible storm. , which In this modern era in English football means relegation to the hotly contested EFL Championship of 24 clubs, where it takes a huge effort to get back. At least for the ‘toffees’ of Liverpool, the misery did not last as long as at Forest, thanks to the defensive excellence shown by Sean Dyche’s famous team, where they allowed themselves to add five consecutive wins at Goodison Park without conceding a goal.

Nuno Holy Spirit He also knows how to lift Forest from a victim-like drift, with good football and an attacking mentality to make games happen. However, it was difficult for them to get points and they had to suffer in the last game at Turf Moor, against the relegated Burnley, knowing that at one point they had enough to avoid seeing Luton, forced to win of 12 goals: “I have seen so many incredible things in football,” said the Portuguese coach, suggesting that no one should rest. There was no party on the banks of the Trent as Forest were reminded of the merciless nature of the Premier League and that they still have a long way to go to match the English elite teams. They won 2-1 with a great goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi, but, with 16 minutes remaining, Chelsea came back, to the general astonishment.

There are no longer any fears in Nottingham for the club, but after the final whistle on City land, few were carried away by any euphoria. The pain was too much, thought his proud admirers, it was better not to pursue the temptation of irrationality or any fearful play of fate.