As Nottingham Forest were preparing for their Carabao Cup fourth round tie, head coach Steve Cooper gave his players a history lesson.
He talked through the Reds’ former glories in the competition - one they have won four times and finished as runners-up in twice. And he discussed how this particular piece of silverware has played an important role in the club’s illustrious past.
But he was unaware quite how long it has been since Forest reached the latter stages of the tournament. He only discovered after his team had seen off Blackburn Rovers that not since 1994 have the club reached the quarter-final stage of the League Cup.
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It is another significant milestone ticked off during Cooper’s time in charge. Last season saw the last-eight of the FA Cup reached for the first time in 26 years and an absence from the top-flight ended after more than two decades.
But victory at Ewood Park was also about the here and now. It was about the Reds starting as they mean to go on after the World Cup break, and building confidence and momentum ready for the return of the Premier League.
Attacking threat
In front of a crowd which featured almost as many travelling fans as home supporters (6,576 of a total 15,138), the visitors played some lovely football in the fourth round tie. They created chance, after chance, after chance. At times, they were queueing up to have shots on goal - racking up a whopping 27 efforts, 15 of which were on target.
They should have been out of sight well before half-time. That they weren’t is somewhat symptomatic of the season so far. It is in front of goal where there is still room for improvement.
Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears pulled off some decent saves, and the luck didn’t always go Forest’s way. But with a bit more ruthlessness and better decision-making at times, they could have had a hatful.
They sharpened up in the second half. Jesse Lingard thoroughly deserved to get on the scoresheet and seems to have found his groove now - not just when it comes to his celebrations. Brennan Johnson impressed, too, and was good value for his brace. And having got into countless promising positions, Taiwo Awoniyi finally managed to make one count.
Cooper does have plenty of quality at the top end of the pitch, even if finding the right combination is still proving tricky. But it is no surprise that bringing in attacking reinforcements is on the agenda for January. Awoniyi, in particular, remains something of an enigma, while Emmanuel Dennis hasn’t yet been able to pin down a starting spot and Sam Surridge continues to find minutes hard to come by - although he did make his cameo appearance count by weighing in with an assist.
Welsh connection
With Serge Aurier absent, Neco Williams took up the right-back spot on Wednesday night. He and Johnson ran rampant down that flank all evening, causing the hosts no end of problems.
Johnson’s pace was a constant threat, and the understanding between the two Wales internationals was clear to see. There was no evidence of any hangover from their World Cup exploits. Indeed, although it didn’t pan out how they would have liked in Qatar - and Williams also had personal heartbreak to deal with, having lost his grandfather - they seemed buoyed by the experience.
Whether Cooper looks to that partnership again, against United, remains to be seen. Leaving Williams out, based on his cup performance, would be harsh. But equally, Aurier - if fit - would feel hard done by to miss out, given he had been excellent before the break.
There is, of course, the option of switching Williams to the left and starting Aurier, if he is available. However, Renan Lodi had been doing well, while Harry Toffolo was solid enough against Blackburn.
Finding form
In friendlies against Olympiacos and Valencia, plenty of Forest players had picked up from where they left off before the hiatus. And Lingard still looked to be on a roll in Lancashire.
The hosts were far from at full-strength, seemingly content to focus on a Championship promotion push. But ahead of a return to his former club, it was the perfect platform for Lingard to maintain his momentum.
There was a hefty slice of good fortune about his goal, as his free-kick took a double deflection to wrong-foot Pears. It was a lovely bit of play from the 30-year-old to win the set-piece in the first place, however, and he was lively throughout. His assist for Awoniyi was a delightful pass.
A confidence player, Lingard will be full of it right now. That’s got to be a positive for the Reds as they prepare to face a very tough test against United.
Nevertheless, regardless of how that one goes, the summer signing has shown how influential he can be in the second half of the campaign. Likewise Johnson, who was a clear man of the match and will have received a timely boost as a result.
At the back
Blackburn had a few decent spells of possession, but they didn’t test Dean Henderson too often. Unlike Forest, they did capitalise on their only chance of the first half, however.
Cooper wasn’t happy with the equaliser - neither the lead-up to it or how Scott Wharton was able to head in from brother Adam’s free-kick. And the Welshman does have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to selecting his defence for next week’s clash.
Joe Worrall did some good work, but also had a few wobbly moments. He and Willy Boly had deservedly kept their places, having been solid against Tottenham Hotspur in the last round and then against Crystal Palace.
Cooper must weigh up whether to stick with them again, for what will be a significant step up in opposition, or consider reverting to the partnership of Scott McKenna and Steve Cook. Moussa Niakhate is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, but given the length of time he has been sidelined for, no risks will be taken. Bringing in another centre-back is also on the January shopping list.
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