Is there still magic in the FA Cup? Not if you pay attention to Nuno Espirito Santo, the head coach of Nottingham Forest.
The Reds may prioritize winning the Premier League in order to avoid relegation. However, that does not lessen the significance of this weekend’s third-round matchup with Blackpool.
When it comes to cup tournaments, Forest has a long history, which includes the FA Cup. Additionally, Nuno has experience succeeding in it, having led Wolverhampton Wanderers to the semi-finals during his tenure.
Nuno addressed the media this afternoon prior to the match on Sunday. Here is a glimpse of what he said.
There are several references to Forest’s illustrious past in the recently renovated media area at the City Ground. Reprints of vintage newspaper cuttings, including some from the 1959 FA Cup victory, are displayed on large posters hanging on the walls.
Nuno, who was seated close to those exhibits, emphasized the continued significance of the competition. Without a doubt, he is focused on winning the game on Sunday in order to achieve a winning start to the new year and a third straight triumph.
He remarked, “We all want to keep it going.” “To attempt to have a nice game in a unique tournament that we all adore is what we are working toward.
“Forest has a history in the FA Cup and with silverware. We are going to make every effort to return to those joyful times because it has been a while.
On Sunday, there will be a packed house at the City Ground once more, demonstrating our respect and affection for the FA Cup and its significance to Forest. I hope we can perform well on the field. It’s a huge club with an incredible past. You sense that you are at a fantastic place.
“Our goal is to do our finest work here. I feel incredibly honored and happy to be here.
We intend to exert as much effort as we can. We’re going to give it our all. Every FA Cup match is like the championship. Let’s see what lies ahead for us.
“Regardless of the opposition, we must exert every effort to perform well on the field. It’s true that the FA Cup has significant meaning.
Team assignment
Nuno is probably going to have a formidable starting lineup against the Seasiders. However, he might offer a few unimportant players a chance to draw attention.
Since taking over the position last month, he has been eager to evaluate his team thoroughly, emphasizing that everyone had a fresh start with him. Additionally, he may need to alter his starting lineup due to a couple injury concerns and the absence of six players from the Africa Cup of Nations.
“I’ve said it’s a new opportunity for everyone since day one,” he remarked. “The team still needs to be decided. We will make a decision following our training session tomorrow. Indeed, given the absenteeism and some problems we’ve had
The players are putting forth a lot of effort. Even though we are new, we are making an effort to advance and share our thoughts. They deserve praise since they have been putting in a lot of effort.
“We have been well-organized and the effort put forth in the three games we have played has been outstanding. The dedication has been a major plus.
AFCON absences: While competing for their nations at the Africa Cup of Nations, Forest must deal with the absence of a few key players. They might miss up to four Premier League games, depending on how far they advance in the competition.
Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare, Ola Aina, Serge Aurier, Moussa Niakhate, and Cheikhou Kouyate have all been called up for the competition, which takes place from January 13 to February 11. Being without Niakhate and Boly could leave the Reds lacking, especially at center-back, given Felipe’s continued absence from action.
“We made an effort to plan ahead and anticipate because we knew it would happen. It’s up to us to discover answers now,” Nuno stated.
Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic opportunity for the players to demonstrate and advance. We must deal with that.
“They may be absent for some time, contingent on the performance of their national teams.” For that, we need to be prepared. We’ll figure something out, always assembling a potent starting lineup to match up well.
Following Storm Henk, Nottinghamshire has had severe flooding around the county this week. Although the River Trent is still high right now, there is no indication that Sunday’s game is in jeopardy.
Nuno was happy to report that, in spite of the challenging weather over the week, everyone managed to attend training at the Nigel Doughty Academy. “Thoughtless yesterday, but the boys managed to escape—they discovered an alternate route! Everyone arrived on time, he joked.
And he gave guarantees right away that the contest would proceed. “No,” he responded when asked if there could be any question. Without a doubt, no. We definitely have excellent groundskeepers who will take care of it.
