Because the previous adage goes, by no means return. Except your opponents are Tottenham Hotspur and your identify is Nuno Espírito Santo that’s.
On an evening when Nottingham Forest desperately wanted to get their Champions League problem again on the rails, Ange Postecoglou’s aspect may hardly have been extra obliging opponents till they lastly mounted a late flurry after Richarlison had pulled a objective again with three minutes to play.
Dr Tottenham had already helped Crystal Palace finish their seek for a primary win of the season on the ninth try again in October after which allowed relegated Leicester to document their solitary victory in a run of 15 straight defeats. So watching the supervisor who lasted solely 124 days in north London earlier than being sacked in November 2021 information Forest to their first double over his former membership since 1997 has to go down as one of many extra predictable outcomes of the season.
Nuno had mentioned beforehand that revenge was not on his agenda on solely his second return to this stadium since he grew to become the shortest reigning everlasting supervisor in Tottenham’s historical past. However you might inform this meant a lot extra as he celebrated Elliot Anderson’s opener after simply 5 minutes and Chris Wooden’s nineteenth objective of the Premier League marketing campaign not lengthy afterwards.
In actual fact, the one time Nuno or any of his gamers confirmed the slightest signal of nerves towards an underwhelming Tottenham aspect got here as Forest ran down the clock throughout an agonising 5 minutes of stoppage time. After just a few bear hugs for his gamers and a fast wave to the travelling supporters, he was again down the tunnel inside 60 seconds of the ultimate whistle to depart the stage clear for his gamers.
This was basic Nuno-ball: rating two fast objectives on the break after which defend to your lives. But it’s a entice that quite a few opponents have fallen into this season and why he’ll deservedly function extremely on the contenders for supervisor of the yr, even when Forest don’t find yourself ending within the high 5.
After all it’s tempting to marvel at this level what might need occurred if Nuno hadn’t been sacked by Tottenham after a house defeat to Manchester United solely 17 video games into his tenure in October 2021. Spurs have been eighth on the time having scored solely 9 objectives from their opening 10 league matches, with Harry Kane nonetheless making an attempt to recover from the frustration of failing to drive a transfer away.
Regardless of profitable August’s supervisor of the month award due to a victory over Manchester Metropolis, it all the time felt as if he was on borrowed time in north London after Daniel Levy had initially been extra serious about appointing Hansi Flick, Erik ten Hag, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca, Gennaro Gattuso and even bringing again Mauricio Pochettino earlier than deciding on the previous goalkeeper.
After José Mourinho’s ill-fated reign the earlier season, Daniel Levy had promised to nominate somebody who would carry again “free-flowing, attacking and entertaining” soccer to the membership, whose motto is mainly a variation on Del Boy’s “he who dares wins”. Postecoglou appeared to suit that invoice throughout his first season in cost as Spurs entertained on their method to fifth place but the early promise has given method to disappointment, even when the Europa League may but provide unlikely salvation.
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After an uncharacteristically strong defensive show within the second leg of their quarter-final towards Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, Postecoglou tried to channel his internal Nuno by deciding on a combative midfield trio and leaving James Maddison on the bench together with the more and more influential Lucas Bergvall. Nevertheless, as early because the fourth minute when Morgan Gibbs-White produced an exquisite pirouette to take the ball away from Pape Matar Sarr earlier than taking pictures in the identical motion, it was Forest who undoubtedly seemed extra up for the struggle.
Anderson thumped within the opening objective from the ensuing nook and after some extra slapstick defending prompted by Rodrigo Bentancur, Wooden’s objective – shortly having one other disallowed for offside by VAR – was the immediate for an additional group hug on the Forest bench as Postecoglou scowled within the path of his. One of many complaints about Nuno throughout his temporary spell at Spurs was that he had been too quiet or uncommunicative on the coaching floor however the identical can’t be mentioned at his current membership, the place he appears to have shaped a detailed bond since changing the favored Steve Cooper final season.
“Since Nuno’s received there, they’ve provide you with a gameplan that fits the gamers they’ve,” acknowledged Postecoglou within the buildup. Easy stuff actually. With an FA Cup semi-final towards Manchester Metropolis up first on Sunday, Forest face a month that may outline their season. Residence video games towards Brentford, Leicester and top-five rivals Chelsea on the ultimate day needs to be essential to their possibilities of reaching the promised land. You may make sure that Nuno has a plan for all of them.
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