Gary Neville had issued a “worried” verdict on Nottingham Forest’s battle against relegation.
Steve Cooper ’s side fell to their third defeat in a row as the Reds suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. Goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot meant that Forest extended their winless run to a dismal 10 games and they remain in the bottom three on goal difference, following Everton’s loss to Fulham.
Having watched the game for Sky Sports, Neville fears that Forest’s return to the top-flight could be a short one. The former Man United defender criticised the Reds’ tactical setup, which saw Keylor Navas have to produce several impressive saves, and has questioned Forest’s quality since the two sides met in the Carabao Cup semi-final, back in January.
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"My prediction before the game was that Manchester United would struggle but win and Arsenal would comfortably beat West Ham so my predictions aren't always great,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast . “I came here for the first time this season against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi final and United tore them to shreds in the first half.
"I saw the defence, midfield and forwards and they had players to come back. At that point they were comfortable in the league but I thought they could get dragged in. It doesn't surprise me at all where they are,” Neville continued.
"I don't always get my predictions right but they have all the ingredients of a team that will struggle. They're pretty going forward, bright but not incisive. At the back they give you bucket loads of chances and acres in midfield, which goes against everything you would expect of a team fighting for their lives.”
Man United may have survived Forest’s appeals for a penalty after the ball struck Harry Maguire’s arm with the game at 0-0, but Erik ten Hag’s side were worthy of their victory, producing 22 shots across the 90 minutes.
Turning his attention to Forest’s gameplan, Neville believes that the club will continue to concede goals. The pundit raised doubts over the quality within the squad, questioning the club’s recruitment throughout the season, with owner Evangelos Marinakis spending more than £150m across the two transfer windows.
"The first half flew by and there was loads of attacking play. It's not good if you're Forest because I don't think they'll score a lot of goals but they will concede,” Neville added. “There are other teams, like with Bournemouth, it can turn in an instant but I'm worried about Nottingham Forest.
"I was happy to see them back in the Premier League because they're a great club but I'm worried we'll lose them after a season. They've spent (an unconfirmed) £180m but it's been a little bit haphazard, a little bit reckless, scattergun if you like.
"It looked scattergun out there on the pitch. It's like Steve Cooper has that many players he's not sure which to pick where. He kept the same shape but they're much of a muchness. There's not one that's 10 times better than the other so you're just changing them and getting the same level of performance.
"There's no real increase in quality on the pitch. I'm really worried about them, I am. I'd be worried if I were a fan."
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