The Premier League table might not show it, but there is a sense around the club that Nottingham Forest have made tangible progress in recent weeks.
Head coach Steve Cooper has spoken about the 4-0 thumping at Leicester City as being a real low. But it could also prove to be something of a turning point.
On the pitch, the Reds stripped everything back after that and went right back to basics. They focused on shoring up defensively and becoming hard to beat, and have steadily added layers on top of that, developing their attacking threat.
READ MORE: O'Brien, Gibbs-White, Awoniyi - predicted Forest XI to face Palace
READ MORE: Forest transfer state of play as Filippo Giraldi stance set out
It has not been easy, and has not always been pretty, but Forest go into tomorrow’s game against Crystal Palace having lost twice in six league matches - one of those defeats being the controversial 1-0 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers which they could well have got a point out of. Moreover, there has been a good response to the 5-0 mauling at Arsenal, after which Cooper was as frustrated with his team’s display as he has ever been during his time in charge.
The players showed determination to come from behind and get a result against Brentford (the first time they have done that this season) with a last-minute equaliser, and then claimed an impressive victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup. Such performances - along with the win against Liverpool and the hard-earned point at Brighton - show evidence of the kind of fighting spirit and willingness to work hard as a team which characterised last term’s success. Cohesion is also beginning to develop; players are getting used to each other and to the league.
That Leicester game was also a fork in the road moment off the pitch. Cooper went from on the verge of being axed to signing a new contract - and that decision seems to have brought at least some semblance of clarity and stability which, even if only subconsciously, might well have helped players settle down too.
None of this is to suggest everything is rosy. Cooper made very clear in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Palace that it’s hard to be too positive given his team are propping up the division. But there is, as the Welshman put it, reason to have hope.
Big match
Saturday still feels like a crucial game. Five-and-a-half weeks is a long time to stew over things if it doesn’t go the hosts’ way.
On the flip side, there is the possibility - also depending on what happens elsewhere - that the Reds could go into the break off the bottom of the table, if they can secure a positive result. That would be a huge fillip, if they can.
Even if they are still propping up the division by close of play, though, the season is far from over. This one match isn’t the be-all and end-all.
One of the stats brought up by the BBC ahead of the game offers further encouragement. On three occasions in 30 completed Premier League seasons, the team bottom of the table on Christmas Day avoided relegation - all three of those teams had 10 points, as the Reds do now.
“Even though we are only five points from being 12th, and we’re in a fairly large cluster of teams with more or less the same points tally, we are still at the bottom of that group. It’s never nice to see. It’s something that I take personally,” Cooper said, when quizzed on the importance of the Palace game.
“The last couple of weeks, we’ve really reflected on what we’re seeing - and the bits you don’t see, behind the scenes and at the training ground - knowing that our situation could be better, but I also think it could be worse, having gone through this completely one-off and new situation (of signing 22 players).
“But when you’re at the bottom, you want to get off it and get above the bottom line. That’s our objective. If a positive result on Saturday helps that, then, great. But we’ve got to focus on the process of what it takes to do that.”
Planning ahead
The club have been finalising their plans for the upcoming weeks. Players who aren’t representing their countries in Qatar and staff will have some time off, but there will also be plenty of valuable time on the training ground and some friendlies planned.
“We do have a plan for the break, in terms of scheduling, training content and games, which we will announce soon. It’s taken a little bit of finalising,” Cooper has said.
“But 90 percent of it was done a while ago, because we knew the break was coming. A lot of it was planned last year when we were in the Championship.
"What I do know is we have a strong plan. It is one that has been thought out at all levels, from the point of view of coaching, physical, strategic - with Filippo (Giraldi, sporting director) involved now, which has been great.
“We have also got to plan a little bit for when players may or may not come back from the World Cup. Hopefully we’ve got quite a few players going away, although maybe not quite as many as some of the other clubs. We’ve got a plan."
World Cup representation
There will be plenty for Forest fans to keep an eye on during the tournament. Brennan Johnson, Neco Williams and Wayne Hennessey have been selected in the Wales squad, Remo Freuler will be there with Switzerland and Cheikhou Kouyate with Senegal. Indeed, Cooper has picked out Senegal as ones to watch, after speaking to Kouyate.
“I hope for our home nations teams to do well, with my roots as a Welshman and my work with England and the FA. Don’t ask me to pick one above the other, but I hope both teams go there and do well - and I think they will,” he said, “And then you will get some surprises. Having spoken to Cheikhou quite a bit, I think Senegal can be a real dangerous team as well.
“I’m sure you will get the obvious ones that will pose a real threat in the tournament as well. Like anything, it’s who deals with the conditions and the scrutiny, and the heat will also be a factor.”
He was very diplomatic when asked if he had any special plans for the group game between Wales and England on November 29, however. “I’ll be focused on my work here, first and foremost, and making sure that’s right. But I’ll be watching it, for sure,” was the reply from the former England Under-17s World Cup-winning boss.
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who is on loan at Luton Town, has been picked for the USA squad. And summer signing Brandon Aguilera, who is also out on loan, will be in Qatar with Costa Rica.
How should Forest line up against Palace? Have your say in the comments below
READ NEXT:
