Nottingham Forest head to Chelsea on Saturday looking to give their survival hopes another boost.
The Reds climbed out of the relegation zone with Monday night’s thrilling victory over Southampton. They hold a three-point cushion over 18th-placed Leicester City with three games remaining.
Ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge, head coach Steve Cooper held his pre-match press conference. Here are some of the main points.
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The opposition
Amid their recent struggles, Chelsea fans quipped that last weekend’s win over Bournemouth at least meant they were officially safe as the 42-point mark was hit. That result ended a nine-match winless run for the Blues. Nevertheless, Cooper is expecting a tough game against Frank Lampard’s side.
“We are playing Chelsea away so that is always going to be a tough game at any time of the season,” he said. “You look at the squad they have, the changes they can make, the team they can start with… They have players all over the pitch who can make a difference and we have to be ready for that.
"I never pay any attention to any context around a team we play against apart from them being at their best, because I always think you have to prepare for that. That's what we'll be doing.
“We want to go there with our best intentions of getting a result we really need and want. We have got to know what it takes from our guys to do well and try to minimise the strengths they have - because there are a lot.”
Travel sickness
The Reds’ away form has been a regular talking point in Cooper’s press conferences - not least because there has been little change on that front for some time. Not since January have Forest picked up anything on their travels. They have lost seven league games in a row on the road.
Every aspect of the team’s preparation and build-up has been looked at, and the players have been quizzed on what they think works best. Hopefully Saturday is when it finally turns.
“Without going into too much detail, we’ve tried everything, including speaking to the players about their preferences - which we do anyway, because that’s how we run the culture here. The players are involved in most things,” Cooper said.
“We’ve definitely not stuck to one thing and thought it was the only way of doing it, because some of that stuff hasn’t worked. But we’ve been really open-minded in changing things around and seeing what the players prefer.
“Sometimes we’ve seen some differences in performances, and the last couple have been better than others. But there have been times when we’ve been close to getting something, and I don’t think that’s always down to travel and preparation, it’s sometimes just a football match and what it can give you. But planning and preparation is something we pay a lot of attention to.
“We’ve not won a game. Just because we’ve scored a couple more goals and played a little bit better, I don’t think it’s down to too much off-the-pitch stuff.
“It’s more about the football and making sure we do better for the whole of games rather than periods of it. But we’re thinking positive. We’ve still got a chance to finish well with two away games left, so let’s give everything we’ve got for that.”
Attacking threat
The Reds’ fourth goal on Monday night has gained plenty of traction on social media. From Brennan Johnson’s run, Morgan Gibbs-White’s flick and Danilo’s finish, it was a superb move.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s two goals in the first half weren’t bad either. Indeed, there was a lot to like about some of the hosts’ attacking play. And with youth on their side, there is the exciting prospect that those star players can get even better.
“Potential is probably a good word, because some of the players are quite young and are in their first real season in the Premier League,” Cooper said. “It’s exciting that they are able to play at that level whilst still growing as players.
“We’re only thinking short-term. We have to try to get the best out of these guys every single day and get them ready for matchdays.
“We do believe that if we can get it right, we can be a dangerous team and a threatening team. For sure, we are going to have to have moments in the next few games that can make a difference at the right end of the pitch.
“We have to carry on with our work. We did some good things the other night, but we want to make it count for something more than the three points. We have to take it into the next game.”
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