It looks set to be a nail-biting end to the season for a number of clubs, including Nottingham Forest as Premier League football returns after the international break.
For a lot of clubs they face a crucial run of games that could determine their fate at the end of the season. And that is the case at the City Ground.
The Reds currently sit in 16th place in the Premier League table, with just two points separating them and the dreaded bottom three. A run of six games without a win has seen Steve Cooper ’s side dragged deeper into the fight for survival at the end of the season.
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What could be good news for Forest is that there are also eight other sides involved in the scrap against relegation this season. Just four points separate bottom-of-the-table Southampton and Crystal Palace in 12th place in a congested bottom half of the league.
Forest re-start their campaign with a crucial clash against Wolves at the City Ground. Julen Lopetegui’s men are in 13th position, just one point above the Reds ahead of the game.
Over the next few weeks there'll be a number of other games which could play a crucial role in deciding who finishes in the bottom three. It will certainly be an interesting watch from them on the outside, while possibly being tense for those involved, including Forest.
A number of the clubs involved have opted to change manager, with varying degrees of success so far. Ahead of the return of league matches this weekend, NottinghamshireLive have got the inside track from all of the clubs fighting for survival with some predictions over what may happen also made.
Southampton (20th, 23 points) - Mark Wyatt - HampshireLive
What have recent performances been like? Has there been a difference with Ruben Selles at the helm?
There’s been a definite improvement under Ruben Selles. Southampton finally have some consistency in their line-up, their style of play and their results, which all come down to the manager. He’s had to be brutal with leaving some players completely out in the cold (Joe Aribo, Sam Edozie etc) but few can argue with his results - Saints’ form since he came into the job has been mid-table, and that’s included games against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
Saints should have been cut adrift at the bottom months ago, but this season’s relegation battle is unlike any other. With so few points among the places at the bottom, even the most pessimistic supporters can agree that there is still a chance that they stay up this season.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
Saints will fancy Forest to take their place in the relegation zone if they are able to escape themselves. Steve Cooper’s side have some very tricky fixtures but their next three games (Wolves, Leeds, Villa) are all going to be tight. Come through them with six points or more, and you’d back them to survive. But that’s a tall order for a side with the second-worst goal difference this season.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
Southampton, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest (order unspecified)
AFC Bournemouth (19th, 24 points) - Daniel Davis - DorsetLive
What have recent performances been like?
Recent performances have certainly been an improvement in comparison to earlier in the season, but they remain frustratingly mixed. There have been a number of flowing, incisive attacks, largely inspired by the new January signings, but also some poor, stunted counter-attacks on the flip side. All too often, they have lacked a cutting edge and this has hurt them, especially because they don’t create hordes of chances. They have also endured mixed fortunes defensively, with individual and structural errors causing problems. On the whole, though, there has been a gradual upward trend and this must continue.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
This seems to differ week by week and depends heavily on results. After the victory over Liverpool, the overriding feeling among supporters was a slight confidence that Bournemouth would stay up, albeit one also acknowledging the fact that there is still a long way to go. But after the defeat to Aston Villa last time out, the mood seemed to swing the other way. Bournemouth have struggled to find a semblance of consistency this season, and this to-ing and fro-ing has left the fanbase fearing the worst but hoping for the best. As it stands, I hope there is at least some degree of optimism.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
There is still a lingering rivalry between both clubs stretching back from the promotion race last season, and as a result, I think Bournemouth supporters may be quietly smug should Forest go down. However, there is also an acceptance that Forest do have a strong squad and a good manager to boot. If they are able to fix their away form and tighten up somewhat at home, they will be fine.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
It’s genuinely difficult to predict. I think Southampton are nailed-on to go down, while a lot of pundits have Bournemouth to also be relegated in 19th. For the sake of optimism, I will instead lump for Everton (they just don’t score enough goals) and Leeds United.
West Ham (18th, 24 points) - Rob Warlow - football.london
What have recent performances been like?
Up and down. West Ham have had some positive performances in the league against Nottingham Forest and in the UEFA Europa Conference League, but there have also been some poor showings against Tottenham and Brighton. Consistency has been lacking all season and they need to find some between now and the end of the season.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
There are mixed feelings among supporters, particularly around David Moyes, who is facing scrutiny over his position with West Ham struggling this season in the Premier League. He has done well in recent seasons, with the Hammers impressing in the league and in Europe, but this season has been a different story domestically. There is quality within the West Ham squad, but the players haven't produced consistently enough on the pitch, but need to be up for the fight now.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
Forest have done well this season to get points on the board, particularly at home, and they looked to be getting themselves clear of the relegation fight at one stage. But they have been dragged back in and with their away form and tough fixtures to come, Steve Cooper's men could still go down.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
In truth, it could be any three of the current bottom nine, who have been poor for large spells of the season. There are some teams that seem to be on the up in recent weeks, including Everton under Sean Dyche, Leeds United under Javi Gracia and bottom club Southampton with new manager Ruben Selles.
Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Crystal Palace are, conversely, on the slide. I can see Forest dropping into the bottom three, but I think Palace and Leicester will have enough about them to stay up. I think Bournemouth will go down too and despite Saints' recent improvement, it is still a tough task for them to stay up. It is likely to come down to the wire, and it could be between several clubs on the final day, including Southampton, West Ham, Leeds United and more.
Leicester City (17th, 25 points) - Jordan Blackwell - LeicestershireLive
What have recent performances been like?
The recent performances have been slightly better than recent results would suggest, but they have still not been at a level that inspires any confidence in Leicester surviving the relegation battle. Just one point from their last five Premier League games has dragged them right into the thick of it.
In attack, they have misfired in front of goal, which is unlike this team. Certainly in the Southampton and Chelsea defeats they had the chances to get something from the games. They’re usually pretty decent finishers, so while it may just be a sticky patch, it could also be a sign that pressure is getting to the players.
In defence, they were much better in their last outing against Brentford, perhaps because newly-installed goalkeeper Daniel Iversen brings a greater calm to the back-line. It will be interesting to see if that continues, because a shaky rearguard has been their downfall this season.
The big issue though is that the performances over the past few weeks, aside from Brentford, don’t seem to show any recognition of the predicament that Leicester are in. There isn’t that extra fight that you would expect of a team just outside the bottom three.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
Downbeat. While the algorithms say the chance of Leicester going down is less than 20 per cent at the moment, a big section of the fanbase is fearful of the drop, in part because of the lack of evidence on the pitch to suggest they can get out of it. They’ve picked up the fewest number of points since the World Cup.
It does not seem like any supporters are pumped up for a relegation battle, which is understandable given the pre-season expectations. But they would perhaps be more readily getting behind their team if they saw the players on the pitch really fighting to get Leicester out of trouble.
The fixture schedule is good for Leicester. They’ve got the games there to pick up the points they need and get out of the situation. But that’s not being viewed as a positive right now because it’s been so long since they won a game.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
The one thing they have in their favour is that everybody is on the same page about the club’s situation and are behind each other. Perhaps unusually for a team in trouble, it feels from the outside that the fans are fully supportive of the players and manager and are willing to drag their team over the line.
But, on paper, they have the toughest run-in of the nine teams in the battle at the bottom and only have two more home games against bottom-half sides. In comparison, Leicester have five. Their shortcomings away from home means they are in trouble.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
I think Southampton are the weakest team in the division and will go down. They too have a difficult fixture list. Bournemouth have done a valiant job to get to this point still well in the battle, but I don’t think they will have enough to survive either. They are too easy to create chances against.
That leaves one spot for the other seven clubs. I think Wolves will be fine under Julen Lopetegui and I’m surprised that Crystal Palace got rid of Patrick Vieira, because I think they have the fixtures to comfortably survive. That leaves five for one spot.
West Ham’s European adventure could leave them in trouble, but I think the combination of Forest’s away form and fixture list makes them the likeliest third team to go down as things stand.
Everton (15th, 26 points) - Chris Beesley - Liverpool Echo
What have recent performances been like? What difference has Sean Dyche made?
Both the performances - and most importantly of course, the results - have improved considerably since Sean Dyche took over.
Although he has only been in charge for a relatively short space of time, there seems to be greater resoluteness and organisation within the team and this has been shown with the upturn in fortunes.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
I think that many Evertonians were becoming convinced that a first relegation in 72 years was becoming increasingly inevitable under Frank Lampard so he had to go and as much as the club were hoping to avoid a continuation of the toxic cycle of hiring and firing, in truth he probably was allowed to linger a little bit too long.
There was also widespread disgust that Everton were the only team involved in the relegation battle not to strengthen their squad during the January transfer window, especially after Anthony Gordon was sold to Newcastle United for £45million so if they are to stay up, it will be down to Dyche rather than those at the top of the club who have squandered a fortune on only making the team worse and ensuring that supporters cannot even currently enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime buzz of a magnificent new stadium being built by the banks of the Mersey.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
Given the huge investment and recruitment in numbers that Forest made, they should be expected to survive although when you're having such a radical squad overhaul, there are likely to be issues with getting all the new faces to gel.
Like Everton, Forest's home record could be crucial and they've already picked up a large percentage of their points at the City Ground.
There was a feeling that Everton might have sucked Forest back into trouble had they hung on for a win when the two sides met earlier this month only for that to be a missed opportunity but the fact that Steve Cooper's side are now below them in the table - albeit with a game in hand - shows how quickly things can change at the bottom and with a potentially difficult run-in, it could be a very nervy end to the season for them.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
We were asked this question last week and given that nobody has played since, I can't change my mind!
It's a really difficult call and I don't think anyone can speak with any kind of great confidence on the issue given how close the table is but Dyche has at least given long-suffering Evertonians the hope that he is capable of out-pointing at least three other of the teams in the mix.
Your readers might be glad to find out that I went for Southampton, Bournemouth and.... Leeds United.
Leeds United (14th, 26 points) - Will Jackson - LeedsLive
What have recent performances been like? What difference has Javi Garcia made?
It’s still only a small sample size, but we’ve definitely seen a marked improvement from Leeds United in the four Premier League games Javi Gracia has overseen. Performances have been encouraging under the Spaniard and wins over Southampton and Wolves have certainly eased the pressure around the club as things seem to be looking up.
Gracia has moved to tighten things up at the back and the style of play seems to be a little more relaxed, with Leeds edging away from such intense pressing and playing more of a possession based game at times. We’ve seen Leeds play with more pragmatism, too, doing enough to get the job done, and that is certainly a habit that could come in handy.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
Before Gracia’s arrival, most Leeds fans were anxiously looking down the fixture list wondering where their next win was coming from. The February losses at Nottingham Forest and Everton left a particularly sour taste as Leeds eventually found themselves in the bottom three.
There’s a new sense of optimism now, though, that Leeds will have enough to get over the line and secure a fourth straight season of top flight football. The win over Wolves did wonders on that front.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
They might be a point better off than Leicester but I think a lot of people are still expecting Forest to struggle over the remaining two months. Alarm bells must have been ringing after the 4-0 defeat to West Ham and it seems negative momentum has been allowed to set in since that win over Leeds.
Their home form is something they can look to for confidence, but their away form has let them down severely. Leeds fans see next week’s clash at Elland Road as a big opportunity for the Whites.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
My opinion changes on a weekly basis, but right now I’ll go with Southampton, Bournemouth and West Ham.
Wolves (13th, 27 points) - Alex Dicken - BirminghamLive
What have recent performances been like?
While performances have improved massively since Julen Lopetegui took charge after the World Cup break, Wolves didn't enjoy a particularly good March. Three defeats in four games saw Wolves spurn chances to pull clear of the relegation zone and supporters are rightly concerned going into the final run-in. Wolves' inability to score goals has been well documented, but they are now conceding some sloppy ones too. Refereeing decisions haven't helped either. Wolves might have got something away at Newcastle United had Nick Pope conceded a penalty and been given a red card for a clear foul on Raul Jimenez with the score at 0-0.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight?
Defeats to Bournemouth and Leeds United have created panic amongst Wolves fans, many of whom thought they would be clear of trouble by now after their superb start to 2023. The feeling is that this squad should be too good to go down, but the fact Wolves are still capable of churning out awful performances from time to time means they are at risk of relegation.
What is the outside view on Forest as relegation rivals?
Signing a shed load of players in the transfer window after promotion will no longer be known as 'Doing a Fulham'. It will be known from now on as 'Doing a Forest'. It has been comical to watch at times but Forest have thrown enough money at their problems to give themselves a chance. Steve Cooper is a good coach and Forest have some decent players in attacking areas but, with no win in six, they are in serious trouble.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season?
I have a feeling Southampton might get out of it. I'm going to go Bournemouth, Forest and Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace (12th, 27 points) - Mark Wyatt - football.london
What have recent performances been like?
Poor. The Eagles have been stuck in a slump since Christmas and it led to Patrick Vieira’s dismissal before the international break. The cruel twist is that they have managed some good performances (like against Liverpool and Manchester United at Selhurst Park) but conceded sucker punch late goals. Their 4-1 defeat against Arsenal following Vieira’s sacking was the first time they’d lost a game by more than one goal in 11 straight games.
What is the feeling among fans on the relegation fight and the return of Roy Hodgson?
Fans are largely confident that Palace will stay up. Their run of fixtures between now and the end of the season includes all the sides currently below them in the table and there are certainly three sides worse than them in the Premier League that will no doubt fill the relegation places.
The return of Roy Hodgson is an incredibly hard sell for Steve Parish, but he did it anyway. Fans aren’t thrilled at all by the appointment and many feel it’s made them a bit of a laughing stock. They need to absolutely nail their next appointment or the growing agitation towards Parish and the other three joint-owners will only get stronger.
Who do you think will go down at the end of the season? Tell us in the comments section
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