The challenges do not get any easier as Nottingham Forest try to keep their Premier League survival hopes alive.
Goal difference has the Reds in the relegation zone at present, level on points with 17th-placed Everton. But they know they must quickly turn around a miserable run of form if they are to avoid being plunged into deeper trouble.
They have their work cut out to try to do that against Liverpool on Saturday. Ahead of the trip to Anfield, here’s our round-up of the latest goings-on Trentside.
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Last meeting
Victory over Liverpool at the City Ground in October remains one of the standout moments of a tough season for Forest. It marked the end of an eight-match winless streak.
The Reds travel to the north west this weekend without a win in 10… Could a form of history be about to repeat itself?
Head coach Steve Cooper was quick to play down any attempts to compare the two games when quizzed in his pre-match press conference - the Reds’ dismal away record kind of puts paid to that. Moreover, from Forest’s perspective at least, it is likely to be a very different starting line-up to the previous meeting between the sides.
Out of the 11 starters from that game, four are injured (Dean Henderson, Serge Aurier, Cheikhou Kouyate and Ryan Yates), Steve Cook is not in the 25-man squad and Jesse Lingard hasn’t started a game for more than a month. That leaves Scott McKenna, Neco Williams, Remo Freuler, Taiwo Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White as the ones probably in with a chance of starting both clashes with Jurgen Klopp’s men.
"The win earlier this season was a really good example of giving everything on the pitch,” Cooper said. "Liverpool are a brilliant team, they showed it at Leeds and have done on many occasions this year. They have brilliant players and a brilliant manager and it’s going to take everything to get a positive result, but we've got to believe.
"We don’t compare the two games as it's two different teams at different stages of the season. But we know if we get it right we can have good days.”
Recent form
Cooper was given a very stark reminder of the challenge ahead of his team when the stats were put to him as he faced the media. “The stats are not great… Fewest points, fewest wins, fewest goals, worst goal difference away from home,” began one of the questions.
“I know all of that,” was the response. Just as the Welshman had interjected a few minutes earlier when he was reminded Forest are stuck in the bottom three on 27 points.
Cooper has made clear that neither he or the players are hiding away from the reality of their situation. There’s no sticking fingers in ears or burying heads in the sand.
“All of those things we know,” Cooper said. “We know our away form has been nowhere near good enough. But we have to believe we can achieve and we can get a positive result.
“If we go into the game with those sorts of things in our mind, then we’ve got zero chance. But if we go into the game thinking that if we do certain things right, then you give yourselves a chance of winning any game.
“There’s nothing any of you guys mention to me that we don’t know. How you frame it and how you use it is the key.”
Keeper’s class
Amid the news Dean Henderson might not feature again this season due to an injury setback, Keylor Navas’ move is looking like an even more important bit of business. The PSG loanee will hope to add to his tally of a sole clean-sheet before the campaign is out, but Sunday’s performance was certainly an example of his class.
Were it not for Navas and Felipe, the scoreline against Manchester United could have been much worse than the 2-0 end result. According to stats site Squawka, the goalkeeper’s five saves represents the joint-most he has made in a game for Forest. It is said, based on the quality of the shots he came up against, he prevented 1.82 goals. He will no doubt hope he has some quieter afternoons ahead.
New appointment
Nottingham Forest Community Trust have appointed a new CEO in Calum Osborne. He takes on the role which was vacated by Graham Moran.
The latter retired at the end of last month after an incredible 15-year stint, having initially been appointed community director at the club in 2008. Osborne first stepped in on an interim basis but has now taken on the post permanently.
Like Moran, he has plenty of experience to call upon, having served the Trust for more than 14 years. A statement said: “Calum will lead the Trust to deliver its strategy and vision of positively impacting the lives of people and communities across Nottinghamshire. The Board are delighted to appoint Calum as the new CEO and look forward to a positive future for the Trust under his leadership.”
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