Your Nottingham Forest headlines on Monday, November 14.
Steve Cooper explains 'difficult' Nottingham Forest team selection decisions against Crystal Palace
Head coach Steve Cooper admitted he had to make some difficult decisions when it came to picking his Nottingham Forest team to face Crystal Palace.
Some impressive individual performances, and a brilliant collective display, in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur had given the Welshman a significant selection headache. Six of those who had started on Wednesday night - when Cooper had rung the changes from the draw against Brentford - retained their places for the Reds' final match before the World Cup break.
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Centre-back duo Joe Worrall and Willy Boly were among them, having been struggling for minutes in recent weeks. Renan Lodi and Jesse Lingard also picked up from where they left off after both found the net for the first time in the Garibaldi against Spurs.
Gary Lineker and Ian Wright agree about 'fantastic' Nottingham Forest forward
Nottingham Forest summer signing Morgan Gibbs-White has now "paid a bit back" of the summer transfer fee spent to sign him from Wolverhampton Wanderers with goals in back-to-back Premier League matches before the World Cup break, according to the Match of the Day pundits.
The 22-year-old scored a fine first goal since arriving at the City Ground to open the scoring against Brentford last weekend and was unfortunate not to be credited with a second after Ben Mee cleared a goalbound effort off of the line only for it to deflected off of Mathias Jørgensen and in for the 96th-minute equaliser. Gibbs-White followed that up against Crystal Palace to react first to Brennan Johnson 's saved strike to stab in the rebound in for the game's only goal.
The Reds paid an initial £25million to bring in the attacking midfielder from their Premier League rivals Wolves, though add-ons could see that outlay rise as high as £42million in the years to come. That goal against the Bees also added to a pair of assists, more than any other Reds player, in the 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth and the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, has seen Gibbs-White play a decisive part in picking up five of the club's 13 points before the break.
Steve Cooper trademark back as Nottingham Forest ignite survival fight with huge win
The fist-pumps were back. With gusto, too. There could hardly have been a more fitting way to mark Nottingham Forest’s final home game of 2022.
It has been a year the like of which hasn’t been seen at the City Ground for a long, long time. Too long. A year filled with some stunning goals and brilliant football. A year with so many incredible moments on the banks of the Trent, from FA Cup magic to Championship heroics and play-off thrills, from that first home game back in the top-flight to that mammoth performance against Liverpool.
And now two more to add to the collection in the space of a few days, with Tottenham Hotspur seen off in impressive style in the Carabao Cup, followed by what felt like a crucial win over Crystal Palace.
Every word Steve Cooper said on crucial Nottingham Forest win, fist pumps and World Cup break
Morgan Gibbs-White scored for the second successive Premier League game to clinch a crucial 1-0 victory for Nottingham Forest over Crystal Palace.
The summer signing netted the rebound from a Brennan Johnson shot in the second half to secure a big three points at the City Ground. The Reds needed a slice of luck, with Wilfried Zaha missing a penalty before the break after Joe Worrall was deemed to have pulled him back.
But Forest were thoroughly deserving of their win, and they could have added to their tally as Jesse Lingard and Worrall both went close. Palace, meanwhile, did not register a single effort on target.
Steve Cooper may have found Nottingham Forest 'formula' amid VAR 'helping hand'
Nottingham Forest are being praised for overcoming their Video Assistant Referee woes from last weekend to beat Crystal Palace at the City Ground in the final match before the Premier League pauses for the World Cup.
Morgan Gibbs-White was deemed onside after a VAR check when finishing off the rebound of Brennan Johnson 's low drive, which was parried by the Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita right to the Reds ' record signing. The 22-year-old took a touch to control off his hip before finishing into the bottom corner.
Head coach Steve Cooper has also come in for praise after getting the best out of Gibbs-White and company over recent weeks. Here is how a selection of the national media reported on the match.
Manager 'delighted' for Nottingham Forest loanee who has 'so much more to come'
Nottingham Forest loanee Alex Mighten scored a second goal in the space of a week for Sheffield Wednesday this weekend to keep their promotion push on track.
After scoring the second in a 2-0 win over Morecambe in their FA Cup first round tie at Hillsborough last Friday, he followed that up by scoring the winner against Accrington Stanley a week later in a narrow 1-0 away win. These have been the 20-year-old's first two strikes of what has been a stop-start spell with Wednesday.
Mighten has made just five league appearances, with this weekend's start the first time he had featured in over a month. Manager Darren Moore has said that there is "so much more to come" from the winger.
Nottingham Forest 'reignite' Everton transfer interest as Filippo Giraldi has 'watched' target
Nottingham Forest will reportedly 'reignite' their interest in Everton central defender Michael Keane during the January transfer window after being rebuffed during the summer due to injury issues at Goodison Park.
Everton manager Frank Lampard only welcomed defender Yerry Mina back in midweek after recovering from ankle ligament damage suffered on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Ben Godfrey is also now returning after sustaining a fractured leg during the same match against Chelsea.
Despite their absence, Keane has made just a single league appearance as a second-half substitute for the injured Mason Holgate against Brentford in late August but has otherwise remained as an unused substitute. The former England international has also featured twice in the Carabao Cup, including in their exit against Bournemouth in midweek, alongside Mina.
Steve Cooper sets out Nottingham Forest hope for World Cup break after important win
Nottingham Forest are determined to make the most of the break in the Premier League season after ensuring they go into it off the bottom of the table.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s second half goal clinched a big three points for the Reds as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at the City Ground. Victory made it four home games unbeaten in the league and lifted Steve Cooper ’s side up to 18th - one point behind Everton, who sit directly above them.
The campaign now takes a near-six-week hiatus for the World Cup, with Forest not due back in action until their Carabao Cup trip to Blackburn Rovers in December. Their first league game back will be away to Manchester United on the 27th.
Nottingham Forest signing reveals how manager 'talk' swayed January transfer
Incoming Nottingham Forest signing Gustavo Scarpa has revealed how he almost signed for Olympiacos before agreeing to sign for the Reds once the January transfer window opens.
The 28-year-old signed a pre-contract agreement with Forest during the summer ahead of the player's contract with Palmeiras ending at the end of this calendar year. Scarpa didn't let this "dream" move distract from performing for the Brazilian side, though, far from it, as the attacking midfielder was this week named as the top-flight's best player after scoring seven goals and assisting 12 more en route to the São Paulo-based side winning the title.
A one-cap Brazil international, Scarpa couldn't quite force his way into Tite's squad heading to the World Cup, but that does mean the player will be fresh following the final match of the Brazilian league season tonight against runners-up Internacional. Any move to the City Ground almost didn't materialise, though, with a move to Olympiacos on the cards at one stage.
Stuart Pearce backs Nottingham Forest and Jesse Lingard after slow start following transfer
Nottingham Forest legend Stuart Pearce has backed summer signing Jesse Lingard to come good for the club and prove to be a good addition.
The 29-year-old returned to the starting XI against Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup third round tie, scoring the second in a 2-0 win to earn a match-up with Blackburn Rovers in the club's next match, and remained in Steve Cooper 's side to face Crystal Palacein the Premier League. While not finding the scoresheet, Lingard impressed again as the Reds secured a 1-0 win to head into the World Cup break with.
That goal in the cup was the player's first since arriving at the City Ground on a free transfer and could prove to be the catalyst for a return to form later next month and into the new year. Pearce is certainly of the opinion that could well prove to be the case.
