In many ways, Nottingham Forest’s 2022 deserved a better send-off. An incredible year which brought so much joy and was packed with so many unforgettable moments deserved to be rung out in a style more befitting of the achievements of the past 12 months.
But sport rarely follows a script. And for a manager who is all about looking forward, Tuesday night will only have reinforced the notion that he still has problems to solve going into 2023.
Reflecting on how far the Reds have come this year adds context. It also underlines how far they still have to go in the coming months, in order to meet the challenges ahead.
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Steve Cooper’s side had gone into the World Cup break in good form. They had turned a corner, having lost just twice in eight games in all competitions, and had moved off the foot of the table.
That run didn’t hide the fact that results on the road still needed to improve, though. Nor that they still had a fight to survive on their hands. That remains the case on both fronts now the action has resumed.
Forest performed better in their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United than they did in capitulations at Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City. But that will not be cause for pats on the back for a team which has picked up two points from eight away games and has found the net once while conceding 22 times.
Travel sickness
The Reds used the break to talk through their struggles on the road. Cooper does not shy away from where improvements need to be made; he prefers issues to be in the open.
It was one thing acknowledging away form has not been anywhere near good enough and discussing how to correct that, and quite another putting it into practice, though. Particularly against a United side which has made progress under Erik ten Hag and had a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford in the ranks.
Forest had a plan, and for the first 20 minutes it was going fairly well. They had made a positive start. But then they shot themselves in the foot by conceding two soft goals in the space of three minutes and left themselves with an uphill battle.
Even then, it wasn’t game over. The visitors didn’t let heads drop, but they did lack the quality to make the most of good moments and the composure to make the right decisions at times.
“With those moments, what we have got to do is make a difference in our plan,” said Cooper. “We got in some good positions first half; not loads, but we got in some positions. And that was the plan, to get in certain areas and then hit them on the counterattack with fast attacks.
“It’s one thing saying it, it’s another thing doing it. We just didn’t show enough quality in doing it, and that continued a little bit in the second half.”
Set-piece woes
At both ends of the pitch, set-pieces hindered the Reds’ cause at Old Trafford. They had enough free-kicks and corners to cause their hosts problems, but failed to do so.
Renan Lodi teed up Ryan Yates for a header which was ruled out for deflecting off an offside Willy Boly, but that moment aside, the delivery was poor. Too often, United comfortably cleared balls in and then had the visitors scrambling as a counterattack was launched.
Particularly against top-end teams when possession is likely to be at an even greater premium, set-pieces have the potential to offer a route into the game. Forest passed those opportunities up.
And in their own box, they undid early good work by conceding from a corner. It was a clever run from Marcus Rashford as Christian Eriksen pulled the ball back for him to sweep home, but the marking was slack.
Cooper’s side were still reeling when their opponents caught them cold again. Wayne Hennessey made some strong saves in the second half, but he should have done better with Anthony Martial’s shot after getting a hand to it.
Attacking formula
Finding the right attacking set-up away from home is proving tricky. The manager’s conundrum will not be helped by the news Morgan Gibbs-White is facing a spell on the sidelines with a calf injury.
The club record signing had hit his stride before the break and had begun to really have an influence on games. Cooper said it was “inconclusive” how long he is likely to be out for, but losing him for any period of time is a blow.
The Reds will be hoping it proves to be nothing more than “fatigue in the hamstring” for Jesse Lingard after he was forced off in the second half. He had been having a decent game against his former club - with a few through-balls almost coming off - and was given a standing ovation as he came off.
Going forward is an area the club will look to address in the transfer market, on top of having already brought in Gustavo Scarpa. But in addition to finding a formula which works, Forest also need to be more ruthless and more effective at making positive moments count. They fell short on that front at Old Trafford.
Yates’ year
There was really no competition in NottinghamshireLive’s poll to crown Forest’s Player of the Year. Yates won by a landslide.
The honour could not have gone to anybody else. And while his team didn’t end 2022 in the manner they would have wanted, the midfielder put in the kind of performance which has typified his 12 months.
He was superb against United. If anybody was going to drag the visitors towards a result, it was going to be him.
The decision to rule out his header just before the break might have been the correct one, but it still felt harsh. Yates deserved to have got on the scoresheet. He had already gone close with a long-range strike which David De Gea had to chest away.
The Reds will target strengthening in midfield - along with central defence and attack - next month. But regardless of what happens, Yates has made himself one of the first names on the teamsheet.
What do Forest need to do to improve their away form? Have your say in the comments below
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