Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates said that the fans were the team’s motivation to bounce back from a run of bad results ahead of the game vs Aston Villa.
The Reds went into the game against Steven Gerrard’s men having lost their last five Premier League games, including a 4-0 defeat vs Leicester City in their last outing. But the team were able to stop the rot by picking up a point against Villa at the City Ground on Monday night.
It could have been even better for Forest with Emmanuel Dennis giving them the lead after 15 minutes. But Ashley Young found an equaliser seven minutes later.
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The game was played out in front of a packed-out City Ground, and after the game, Yates said that the supporters were one of the reasons the team were so desperate to bounce back from a disappointing result. The midfielder also sent a warning to teams visiting the City Ground this season.
“It was about doing it for the fans,” he told Sky Sports after the game. “Do it for everyone connected to the club that got us back into the Premier League and we don’t want to be putting on many performances like that. It was about giving a good performance and I think we showed that.
“I think we showed massive togetherness,” he added. “The City Ground and Nottingham Forest are at their best when the fans are committed to the players on the pitch and they were tonight from minute one. When there is a buzz here, it makes it difficult for teams to come and play here.”
Yates wasn’t the only Forest man who praised the fans for their support, with Steve Cooper also using the fans as motivation for the players.
“I said to the players before the game that these supporters are incredible,” he said . “What they have given us at this moment is something that makes us want to give something back.
“They were brilliant again. They helped us a lot, from start to finish."
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