“I knew I was going to get a goal,” Sam Surridge told the TV cameras after Nottingham Forest’s draw at the Vitality Stadium. “I could feel it.”
For a while, it had threatened to be one of those days for the Reds. Bournemouth, again. But this team is made of sterner stuff now.
They have resilience and character. They have quality which can shine through even when as a collective they haven’t been at their best. They have a sense of unity. And they are a side which is continuing to make good progress.
READ MORE: Forest squad's touching gesture after Surridge's goal against Bournemouth
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Prior to the game, Steve Cooper had been asked whether he could envisage Forest ever collapsing in the manner they did in the reverse fixture against the Cherries. “I hope not,” he quipped.
He’ll know there are never any guarantees. But just as comparing the two games against Leicester City showed how far Cooper’s side have come, the same applies against Bournemouth.
Saturday’s fixture, though, also offered a glimpse of what more may still be ahead; of the promise of more to come, with debuts for Chris Wood and exciting young prospect Danilo. This is a team which is continuing to evolve. As Cooper regularly points out, they are not done yet.
Super Sam
A day which saw him booed on and booed off at his former club, ended with Surridge getting a round of applause in the dressing room from his teammates. Cooper was keen to ensure the front man bagging his first Premier League goal got the recognition it deserved.
More often than not, Surridge has found himself in the role of substitute this season. But while there has been speculation about his future, he keeps proving he can still have a part to play.
He generally looks bright and lively whenever he comes on, and he always does his bit for the team. He helped make the difference against the Foxes a week ago. And he sealed what could be a crucial point on the south coast.
Forest had already seen a goal chalked off in the first half, when Ryan Yates was denied his first one in the top-flight by virtue of Willy Boly being offside for the assist - the second time this term the defender has inadvertently thwarted his teammate getting on the scoresheet. The away end then held its breath as it looked as though VAR might play the role of party-pooper again, when Surridge’s strike was being checked. This time, though, the margins went in the visitors’ favour.
“He deserves a moment like that,” Cooper said of the forward. Now he’s up and running, the hope for Surridge is that there will be more to come in the Premier League.
Double debut
Some pundits might be aghast that Forest have brought players in during this window - and are still targeting more signings - on the back of their big summer shopping spree. But that is completely the wrong narrative.
The club are not spending for the sake of it. They are strengthening in order to keep getting better - not to mention to cover for their extensive injury list.
Chris Wood was thrown straight in at the deep end on Saturday, little more than 24 hours after putting pen to paper and having had barely an hour’s worth of training with his new teammates. As soon as it became clear he had registered in time, though, there was no debate for Cooper about whether to put him in the starting XI. The 31-year-old had enough experience and knowledge of the Premier League to cope with the task.
He didn’t exactly get chance to shine. It wasn’t a game where he saw much of the ball for his 75 minutes on the pitch, with the visitors not exactly playing in a way which suited him - something Cooper said will change in future fixtures.
But he showed that he can offer a different kind of outlet for the Reds. He will mix up their attacking options and provide variation to their play. That can be important; in this division, you need a few different ways to get results.
At the opposite end of the experience spectrum, there was Danilo. He’s only been in the country a few days, but he gave a very good account of himself against the Cherries.
Fellow Brazilian Gustavo Scarpa helped to give him a few pointers before he came on; not that the 21-year-old looked fazed in any way, shape or form. He showed some nice touches and looked comfortable. It may well take him time to really settle, but once he gets going, he has the potential to be a great asset.
Fighting spirit
Danilo had got in the mix for the equaliser, with the ball then being picked up by Morgan Gibbs-White. The latter is a treat to watch at the moment, and while it wasn’t always easy going for Forest on this occasion, he looked a threat throughout.
His pass to Brennan Johnson with seven minutes to go was delightful. Johnson then laid it on for Surridge at the back post, with the striker on hand to poke it home.
The Reds had started the game really well. Serge Aurier had got plenty of joy down the right, while Johnson and Gibbs-White had looked lively.
Bournemouth, though, got their tails up after Yates’ goal had been ruled out. For the rest of the first half, they were on top, with Wayne Hennessey required to make a couple of important stops.
The visitors kept going, though. Even when they were on the back foot, they kept plugging away. And they were much better after the break; eventually getting their just rewards.
They were determined that it wouldn’t just end with a point, too. No sooner had Surridge found the back of the net, he picked the ball up and headed back to the centre circle, ready to try to make the most of the final minutes. That’s indicative of the winning mentality Cooper wants in his squad.
Injury latest
There was concern with Yates having to go off just before half-time, having also been substituted against the Foxes a week earlier after taking a blow to the face. Cooper said he hadn’t “felt too well” during the game.
On the plus side, however, Forest were boosted by having Willy Boly back after an ankle problem, while Jesse Lingard was on the bench, awaiting his comeback from a hamstring injury. The attacker might well have got some minutes, too, had Cooper not been forced into the early substitute with Yates.
“Willy hadn’t done much training, and because we were going for the equaliser, the game might have really opened up more than what it did,” the head coach said. “It might not have been, but it might have been a bit of an ask for Willy to do the 90 minutes physically, with a lack of training.
“But you saw how he and the others came off - sprinted off and wished the lads going on all the best. First on the pitch after, talking about it being a decent point.
“Jesse hasn’t trained enough really, but we wanted to get him back involved. It’s just good to have him back involved.”
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