Sorry, We Need To Talk About Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest finished 17th in the Premier League last season, one place above the relegation zone, after being hit with a four point deduction for breaking the league's PSR rules.
Now Forest are third in the Premier League, above Manchester City & Chelsea, and level on points with Arsenal, putting them in genuine Champions League - if not Premier League title - contention.
In this video, HITC Sevens takes a look at the remarkable rise of Nottingham Forest, the club's predicament on and off the pitch, and what kind of precedent their unorthodox strategy could set.
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[@JJ-mr5lj]

No need to apologize Alfie it’s quite alright

[@Joeyplaysguitar1082]

No it’s not

[@MrFreakybeaver]

​@@Joeyplaysguitar1082 you're right, he's way out of line here

[@madjack18]

Quintessential Britishess to begin a sentence with an apology

[@nunkatsu]

​@@madjack18 no wonder they founded canada

[@VanCraic]

I forgive you

[@MrEjwheeler]

People also forget that when Cooper took over in Sep 2021 we were rock bottom of the Championship with 4 points from 8 games, and somehow turned it into promotion. Between him and Nuno they've performed miracles.

[@parker-ii7fg]

Forest winning the EPL in this mass monetized day and age would arguably be an even bigger achievement than their 3 year rise from the old second division (now championship) to European Cup winners in the late 1970's under the legendary late Brian Clough. As a Liverpool fan, I am obviously hoping we win it but part of me actually wants Forest to pull off a Leicester 2.0. It would be the most amazing underdog success story.

[@jackmanley1473]

I think we also fired Cooper at exactly the right time. He was an absolute mastermind in the Championship, but it was clear after a season-and-a-half in the EPL that he had some glaring flaws (particularly his loyalty to guys in the back 4 who just weren't up to the calibur of the league). Nuno came in and spent this summer building the defense with fresh eyes, and it's been the biggest difference for the side.

[@jarektopa5791]

Steve is nowhere near Nuno level.

[@parker-ii7fg]

@@jackmanley1473 If you believe in deja vu, Forest have the same number of points after twenty games (40) as what Leicester did in 2016.

[@maciejbala477]

@@jackmanley1473 yeah, I think because you had a replacement lined up, it all worked out well.

[@AccidentallyDecent]

4-2-3-1✅, fast and physical players✅, buying Brazilian wonder kids before the traditional big clubs do✅. This sounds like a classic fm save to me

[@computerKwastaken]

Yup.. something suspicious is going on 😂

[@tomdreler6528]

Don't tell anyone....but i'm managing forest from my laptop via fm24. And i've already running simulations for the next seasons. And let me just tell you this...keep an eye out for a certain club playing in budapest in June 26

[@NegaRenGenX2gay2lift]

I signed like 10 players when I promoted Wimbledon in fm24. Got 15th place in first season

[@Perkelenaattori]

Nuno clearly bought the editor to see the PA & CA

[@mariolis]

That is also the system preferred by Olympiacos ...

[@DanielCooper-r3f]

People forget how decent Chris Wood was at Burnley. The guy scored double figures in the Premier league for about 5 years in a row for the most defensive side in the league (including one season where he scored 14 or 15). Wood has like 85 premier league goals, and is likely to make the 100 goals club, which is a very exclusive list. Especially given wood didn't start playing in the premier league regularly until he was like 25.

[@jessegarcia423]

I remember feeling like he was a much better option for United than Weghorst

[@cheifwhat]

I doubt he well make the 100 club. His luck will run out and he will return to being the lower side of average. His form, as the video suggests, isn't sustainable and he is already 33.

[@DanielCooper-r3f]

@@cheifwhat the guy is like 1 season away from the 100 club

[@celtic69]

he might be the goat

[@RATH678]

People also forget that how good was he in Leeds United

[@rjw4762]

As a Forest fan of 45 years, this is the proudest I've felt since 1996 when we reached the UEFA Cup QF (the only British CLub to reach the last 8 of either European Comp that season). No-one will want to play us now - home OR away - in fact we are better Away from home ! I still think that 4th is the best we will do - but the thought of CL football is astonishing given the past 25 years !

[@ForestAHistory]

You reds!!!!

[@coen8677]

I hope you make UCL football next season, however, you might even win the Prem this season 😮 this season looks very similar to the 15/16 season...

[@DJ-dk8he]

We will win against liverpool on a large margin next week ! And trust me after that we will be discussed all over the world again 💥🌳

[@kevinhunter3473]

@@DJ-dk8he Speak to you after the game

[@JamesDONK-d5k]

And we went out to Bayern Munich

[@thejamdude1234]

It's worth mentioning that the players seem to get on really well off the pitch. I see quite a few of the players in a couple of local bars/cafes quite often at weekends just enjoying eachothers company. Stuff like that just adds to team morale and helps loads.

[@12thMandalorian]

This is so true, when you see Elliot Anderson do karaoke after a few drinks you just know he is a top guy 😂

[@joshfairweather97]

As a Liverpool fan, I'm more worried about Forest than I am Arsenal. Nuno has got them playing some brilliant football. Chris Wood is a baller, and is a proper striker.

[@dbz9393]

Regardless on the outcome I'm just so proud of the lads they have been playing like absolute kings. Will be a good match

[@rjw4762]

Arsenal try to walk the ball into the net. Forest play on the break. Lots of examples of opposition being on edge of our box, and then 3-4 passes later they've just conceded - that's what happened at Anfield. I'll take a point next Tuesday, just to keep the Points tally ticking upwards - then we won't have to think about Liverpool again this season !!

[@lukesponheim4773]

Thats just delusion

[@jackmanley1473]

We're a weirdly difficult matchup for Liverpool, I think. We're built to take advantage of teams that function best when they press high up the pitch, and Liverpool's attack has been winning matches by smothering defenders with pressure. Going to be fascinating to watch.

[@lukesponheim4773]

@jackmanley1473 A team goes through a patch of good form and people act like they're better than us.

[@matthewhernandez8342]

Congratulations to Nottingham Forest I hope they qualify for the UCL next year. I hope they display their 2 UCL trophies like Aston Villa did this season.

[@SGC90-t5y]

Neither club has won UCL. It was simply the European Cup in those days.

[@matthewhernandez8342]

@ The Champions League is the continuation of the European Cup. Even the trophy is the same. Same thing like UEFA Cup and Europa League. Only the name and the amount of teams changed.

[@jonahs4819]

I’m an American Forest fan. I am from the Washington DC metro area, which makes me a born and bred Washington Redskins/Commanders fan as well. It’s remarkable that both of my favorite teams, who have been terrible for the past few decades, have BOTH blossomed this year. This year has been amazing for me. Seriously, even if you guys don’t care about American football, look up the story of how the Commanders have done this year compared to the past 20 years. The parallels between DC and Nottingham are plentiful.

[@bassmindopekukjata]

They have reached the semifinals in the NFL after being forced to change the name, logo and being mess for years

[@destroysword0567]

As a Nottingham Forest fan, and a subscriber of 5-6 years, I thought the day would never come, and, if it did, I thought it would be us going either bankrupt or going to League One. May it continue, and perhaps another HITC Sevens video soon.

[@LeviathanRider-b5v]

Either way it will be better than another Hull video

[@jbaggaz]

I've been a Forest fan since the League One 2006/07 season days, but the past three years have felt like one of our fans has sucked off a genie in exchange for the secret recipe for success or something... It's like every piece of our jigsaw puzzle has been shaken up in the box and magically assembled. Milenkovic and Anderson have been fantastic signings, and the injuries to Sangare and Danilo early in the season has forced us to play this style of football that sees us have less of the ball, but counter attack more effectively. Milenkovic's height is the PERFECT complement to Murillo's lack of it. Murillo's technical ability is the PERFECT match for Milenkovic's less technique-based approach. I also heard that Matz Sels has not had an error leading to a goal in over ten years of playing, and although the Premier League website states he was at fault for one this season, other websites say he still hasn't. You will NEVER see Sels play out from the back, which potentially surrenders possession, but also means we might hit you on the break more often. Wood is so clinical because we seemed to have taken Sean Dyche's approach to managing him: stop thinking Wood's a target man to hold up the ball or wrestle people off it. He's NOT. He's clinical, and he's a great header of the ball, and if you give him the service, he will score. They're not the same thing. The job Steve Cooper did was nothing short of phenomenal. Nuno is carrying that mantle to perfection. I sincerely hope we can get a European spot this season, because Nuno and the players deserve it.

[@maciejbala477]

It's really refreshing to see a team who doesn't care much about possession, yeah. Counterattacking teams have become my favorite ones to watch. Brentford is similar, like a mini-Forest but much more leaky defensively. Still, both are absolutely deadly on the counter. I guess it's also always why I rooted for Liverpool in title races as opposed to City, Arsenal or others

[@pgtips73]

Regarding Sels not playing out from the back - that pass he pinged in to the path of the on running CHO in the Wolves game was a perfect example.

[@luiginb]

Better analysis than most pundits out there

[@RealSupplier]

Bro said sucked off a genie

[@nzmeta2039]

As a New Zealander Chris Wood is such a star for us, very cool to see a kiwi doing so well at the highest level

[@runningforasthma_]

Murillo had only played 13 senior games when we signed him. It's one thing for Napoli or City to be linked with him, but clubs like that rarely pull the trigger on players who have barely played senior football, let alone put them pretty much straight into the team.

[@nikgarus3709]

It always depends on the alternatives. Obviously Forest didn't have a better option to play than him.

[@n3mish]

🎶 Is this the way to Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Lazio, Roma, Forest boys are taking over, Champions league awaits for me 🎶

[@Ramtamtama]

Is this the way with our Murillo, Gibbs-White, Yatesy, and Danilo, Nuno Espirito Santo Champions League awaits for me

[@nikgarus3709]

Strange to include Lazio and Roma. Will they even be in the Champions League next season?

[@vman99]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish above us (Arsenal). They look mor dangerous and a more coherent unit. Long May it continue, they have my backing.

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

In the spirit of Ryuzaki Day 15 of asking for an in-depth video on Bodø/Glimt, who just recently became champions for the 4th time in 5 years, and who only got promoted back to Eliteserien as recently as 2017 Furthermore, they now regularly compete in Europe, have kept their successful trainer Kjetil Knutsen, and are on course for a new modern stadium that will replace Aspmyra I got here early now Alfie. I know you want this. Let me seduce you. Make this video happen 🔥 Cheers! 🇳🇴😎

[@JinZanmato]

Might also make a "What on Earth" video about Rosenborg and Lillestrøm too if he decide to take a tour in Norway. 😅

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

@JinZanmato Rosenborg definitely needs a "what on earth" video. Used to be the pride of Norwegian football, now most definitely in their banter era. And they have been for a long time

[@JinZanmato]

Looks like Rosenborg experience much of the same as Man United. Struggling to adapt and form an identity with a winning mentality after Nils Arne Eggen left (just as Man United after Ferguson). Their chairman strike me as somewhat of a clown too. Just the impression I got. But what do a humble Stabæk fan like me know what really going at Rosenborg? 😂

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

@JinZanmato 100%, Eggen brought Rosenborg as far as the QF in CL where they got beaten by Juventus. Their club history is rich and mighty. No Norwegian club has reached the group stage of the CL since 2007. Reaching a CL QF is unimaginable. Bodø/Glimt reached the QF of the Conference League and only lost out to eventual winners Roma, but it's still the third highest tier of European Competition Now they are way, way behind Bodø/Glimt and Molde, and I struggle to see what their coach is going for. But I'm not an RBK fan, so wtf do I know 🤷‍♂️

[@AdamMalster]

Been waiting for this one. We are staying up! COYR!

[@crisscrosscruz2034]

Sorry I'm betting on forests relegation this season Gonna make bank I reckon

[@AdamMalster]

@@crisscrosscruz2034 I think you just lost your stake.

[@ForestAHistory]

Me /

[@itssupernova429]

​@@crisscrosscruz2034they mathematically can't get relegated anymore The streets are calling, mate

[@bambadaily]

@@crisscrosscruz2034 You are now in debt, enjoy

[@James-Lea-z9k]

Wolves should have never got rid of Nuno. We finished 7th twice and then, in the Covid season finished 13th, and they sacked him. We'd never finished higher that 13th in the PL before Nuno and have only managed it once since.

[@indexpictures]

liverpool's hardest game of the season will be forest A welcome back 1979

[@HartDynastyHD]

Hopefully for Forest and their fans, the club can be in a European spot when the season is done. Especially happy for Nuno getting some redemption in terms of his reputation

[@ruben7624]

Missiemark🔥

[@chrisRNTGG]

Newcastle fan here. Forest are amazing this year. People keep saying 'they'll drop off' but it never seems to happen. You have to say it's at least partly Nuno...

[@rthraitor]

People forget how good he was for wolves lol

[@agin1519]

That said they do have a tough couple of months coming up. If they hold their place they’ll earn it!

[@ethanjaworski0677]

I’ve only watched them play against United and maybe it was an off game but they played horrible and only won because of horrendous mistakes by United. Idk I can’t see them getting top 6 but we’ll see

[@Rawr1752]

I really do appreciate the way that Forest plays because I think it's a lot of what I feel has been missing. Forest aren't a passing team, they're aren't going to carve you up with fast intricate passing. No, they're gonna defend, and then carve you up on the break with their quicker players. They've realized that they don't necessarily have the players for possession style, so they don't play possession style--I think a lot of teams try to play possession style, because they know it works, but it works because you have the players to facilitate it. I think a lot of coaches build a system and then fit players into that system, and less coaches build a system out of the players.

[@maciejbala477]

yep. Southampton are the polar opposite of Forest lol. They are like an even worse Norwich, playing possession football as one of the worst teams in the division, failing badly, and inevitably going straight back down

[@CaptainGrumblebum]

Love the futureflash of an elderly Ryan Yates at 7:08

[@F1Krazy]

"Jermaine Jenas, Harold Shipman, and the guy who invented traffic lights" is an absolutely mental list

[@ollyo97]

And ibuprofen weirdly

[@personperson.7744]

Forgot the sausage roll Christmas songs singer

[@jonahlasvegas]

And brown sauce

[@RedSquirrelHands]

And the guy who created AC Milan

[@iroscoe]

Shipman was a Notts County fan which explains a lot about him and them .

[@curtis478]

15:42 more context to the man management. The team spend a lot of time together outside of training and matches. Just the other week, Murillo and his wife had a gender reveal for their baby at the city ground. Teammates, family and friends were present There is a real close knit feel to the squad, so I think this goes hand in hand with the other aspects of our resurgence

[@largestella7996]

Stuff like that doesn't get spoken about enough in my opinion, is all well and good players having great talent, but when they have real connections, both to the club and to each other, it really goes the distance with how they perform as a squad

[@Bumphuk]

@@largestella7996 Exactly, can you imagine Ineos letting a Man U player do something like that at old trafford?

[@ptmproductions]

Nuno is a very good coach and this basically guarantees him another top job with the caveat of a few signings making this a top job like what Emery did at Villa. Can't wait to see how it ends up.

[@GB-gi9by]

Let’s be honest having more possession means passing it round your back 4 for longer than needed while the other team waits for an attack. Forest work so hard as a team out of possession and like to force an attack asap when they get the ball that these numbers are meaningless.

[@redone4]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that Ipswich has spent more than Forest did in their first season and we are only half way through!!!

[@tgamagedon]

To be fair to Taiwo, he only got 200 minutes in 15 games in the league. Of course there are probably reasons, why he isn't getting more, but with more regular minutes, I think he could find his form again.

[@sheehan9305]

is he not still not fully fit after that big injury

[@agin1519]

@@sheehan9305hasn’t looked as fully mobile yet as he was previously.

[@Mark777-t3l]

I assume the same people who think our form isn't sustainable due to a lack of possession also think Southampton are going to climb the table soon due to their relatively high possession?

[@BaldricksTurnip1]

Well said, we've played several teams this season who have had much more possession,when Forest have possession we actually achieve something, unlike numerous other teams ‼️

[@JinZanmato]

Day 13 Best 7 Norwegian players in premier league excluding Haaland and Ødegaard(too predictable) Nottingham Forest is such a refreshing team in Premier league. Always love a good underdog story and someone else other then the normal, filthy rich clubs making it. 😁

[@joshall093]

Great content! Just FYI, it’s not Boly or Ward-Prowse who come off the bench to sure up when winning - it’s Morato and Yates/Doninguez (depending on who’s not starting)

[@jackmanley1473]

Feels like the cadence is Yates starting when we need to have an extra defensive edge & Dominguez when we expect more possession.

[@limestonemedia448]

Saved me typing this! Excellent video otherwise!

[@joshall093]

@@jackmanley1473 absolutely spot on! I think Dominguez also brings a bit more energy when we’re looking for all our counters too! It’ll be interesting to see how that changes when we get Danilo back to 100% & Sanghare too (as well as any Jan signings)

[@Bumphuk]

Thank you, it always soothes my sanity when someone else has already offered a correction. I am a little disappointed that Alfie didn't pick this up, his videos usually seem so well informed. He didn't even bring up that we can change formation halfway through a match and put a stranglehold on any oppositions attack. (if we're winning).

[@silvesta5027]

They’re like a mini Abramovich Chelsea

[@ForestAHistory]

I’ve been waiting for this video for the last 3 or 4 weeks as a massive forest fan and a huge fan of this channel thanks for making this video!

[@jabonorte]

Steve Cooper deserves some credit for starting a player-friendly environment, but Nuno seems firmer with tactics. I think the turning point for Forest was the 0-3 win against Newcastle last year, when Chris Wood showed (and probably told his team mates at half time) what happens when you use a traditional centre forward properly. Off the pitch, some of Marinakis' multi-club deals have paid dividends. The thing thst worries me most is that he's having a private lift installed at the city ground. He's a big guy, and you have to hope he's got a good cardiologist

[@muhammadrifqi7308]

Suggestion: the stupidest statements ever made by premier league pundits.

[@Year8mandem]

I’m sure there are plenty of Michael Owen compilations out there already

[@muhammadrifqi7308]

@@Year8mandem fair, but other pundits have said stupid stuff, too.

[@cage94123567890]

You'd have to keep Michael Owen and Paul Merson out of the video just to make it fair, and to stop it running over into about 4 hours

[@paulwalters-pt3px]

Jamie Redknapp 'In his youth, Michael Owen was literally a greyhound'

[@Tazza81]

Nah. It would be dominated by Gary Neville

[@nemes1s_571]

been a fan since their first season back in the prem, i always hoped they did good this season like between 15th or 10th but damn they exceeded my expectations by light years

[@alec.mp4]

Forest, PLEASE win the prem

[@RickyCigarillo]

BOURNMOUTH AND FOREST IN CHAMPS LEAGUE LETS GO BABY!

[@jonathanfrimerman8855]

BOURNMOUTH will go to europa league UCL LIVERPOOL NEWCASTLE FOREST CHELSEA Europa league ARSENAL BOURNMOUTH CITY CONFRENCS LEAGUE VILLA OR FULHAM

[@thomasdaniel]

Of course wood is entirely at home at forest

[@ben6345]

HITC SEVENS has made a video about the club I support. What a day to be alive.

[@Rottinger]

Happy days, eh?

[@wildsurfer12]

Nottingham Forest are on the road back to glory!

[@airzee515]

Considering Forest isn't your club, that's pretty impressive knowledge!... As a Forest fan though, if I was to be picky, I'd perhaps have made more of the fact that we were league one bound, bottom of the championship hence the state of the squad, we also only breached rules as we didn't want to sell Brennen Johnson at the beginning of the window (PSR cut off which is mental) for £30,000,000 to Brentford when we knew we could get more for him (just basic good business sense) towards the end of the window. So ultimately still at fault but it wasn't as cynical a breach as you make it sound..... Also.... We play good football but shuuuush 🤫 don't tell anyone, we like all the negative media to keep ignoring the details 😉;we are lethal and attacking! Yes, I said it, attacking! 😆 None of this passing around for the sake of possession with no threat in front of your own keeper. You show me a team that when it has the ball looks more deadly and with attacking intent that Forest!

[@ballerboi4980]

Putting city in 6th in the thumbnail when they’re actually in 7th for dramatic effect. Love it

[@theharknetts]

I’ve watched them in-person twice this season. Once against Bournemouth (first game of the season) and the second against Wolves. I rarely watch Premier League teams any more, due to the pricing, so am not as knowledgeable about the top-flight game as I used to be. During those games, particularly against Bournemouth, I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality. I said to my friend “Is this how good the Prem ACTUALLY is?” I was saying the same thing when they played Wolves as well. They are well-drilled, all know their roles, and a well-defined system. They have players with something to prove: Hudson-Odoi, Elanga, Wood, Gibbs-White etc. Nuno has done something really special.

[@lllordllloyd]

I've always regarded Chris Wood as a bit of a banter centre forward. But he's made me look a fool in recent weeks, showing all sorts of abilities. Crazy, mate.

[@Jakobtatlow218]

Forest fan😊

[@andrewonuoha5085]

Alfie we need a what on earth is going on at young boys, they are 9th in Switzerland which is just 8 points off the relegation play-offs, usually winning or running up for the title so its crazy that they're where they are😮

[@leaguesmanoframsgate]

I'm happy for Forest. I don't know how happy they want me to be, being a Toon fan, but I'm happy for them. Nuno's playing style seems to work really well with his players, and it's great to see the league get some back-to-basics football that actually *works*. They deserve to be where they are in the League and long may it continue. --- Day 5 of the Restart: There is a country called the East African Federation that does not, at time of writing, exist. It comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. They're all footballing powerhouses, as we know. My premise is: what would a national team for the East African Federation look like? The ground rules are: you can't pick anyone who has played for another men's senior national team outside the eight listed countries. For example, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is eligible, as he's only ever played for England at U-20 and U-21 level, but the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Youri Tielemans, and Romelu Lukaku are off-limits for reasons I should hope are obvious. Ironically, back when I first started proposing this idea, Nkunku was eligible, as he had yet to be picked for the French senior team. The same is also true for Mike Tresor, who lit up the Belgian Pro League and broke the league record for assists in a single season, and who would have been eligible due to his Burundian and Rwandan heritage. He now plays for Burnley, if you're wondering just what this team's dealing with. =]

[@BarneysArmy82]

And this my friend is why Forest and Newcastle fans like each other..Good luck bro, I hope we both get into the CL next season, more real fans in those home stadiums than most of the tourist clubs of the so called big 6, both Forest and Newcastle deserve it more than most

[@jonwar833]

I'm not a Forest fan nor a fan of any team in the premier league but I'm very much a fan of the chaos Santos is causing, I honestly hope they pull off the impossible

[@redgreen53-z6k]

Ahhh...the great Forest of Nottingham, the pools of Liver, and the ARSEnal.

[@nettlecider]

.. the Man of Chester, the Ever the Ton, the L Sea, the Bio of Al, We the St. of Ham and Crystal Palace lol

[@thundabolt7867]

well tbf, Arsenal was named after a Cannon arsenal *edit, got the joke*

[@archstanton6102]

Scunthorpe

[@sentuhankecundang7351]

forest will do a leicester this season! forest all the way!! you deserve it!

[@ramiromaia592]

The team I barracked for in the 80s is back bigger & better

[@caseyfitch2330]

Forest fan here - while I anticipated we'd do quite a lot better than many pundits suggested this year, I could never have imagined how well the season has gone for us so far. Alfie is correct to say most of our games are close, and that we are managing those situations far better than we did in the previous 2 years. You only need to look at the set piece stats to confirm this - we were worst in the league for conceding & among the worst for scoring from set pieces in 23/24, whereas we're top of the shop this year. Much of that can be attributed to Milenkovic, who has been nothing short of unbeatable & whose signing has come at a perfect time for Murillo's development alongside him. Among the current first team, most of our key players will have a chip on their shoulder (CHO, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Wood, Aina, Williams) as they weren't given enough of a chance by their former 'big' clubs. They are now showing that in their form individually & collectively. We got pelters for our transfer spending since getting promoted, but this year was different - keeping the nucleus of the team together while making excellent additions in key areas is the kind of transfer window every club wants to have, and we were able to achieve that in the summer - and now no-one wants to leave!

[@MightBeBray]

Not a jab! but just a note that Murillo is pronounced will an ‘ill’ like in quill - as ll = y is the spanish pronunciation, not the Portuguese one. Fantastic video!

[@OrlovKruskayev]

I miss Danilo so much

[@alimonroe9859]

He's coming back bro

[@TertiaryScroat]

I had no idea, what the club have done is not the fans fault I am chuffed to bits for their fans, getting into that position after just having been promoted is seriously impressive.

[@kylecorman7859]

The question becomes whether or not taking the risk of breaching PSR was worth it to keep Forrest up rather than joining the remaining yo-yo clubs like Sheffield United, Southampton, Burnley, Leeds and the others that may fall into this category. European football seems to indicate that it was a worthwhile gamble. And while the Europa League may certainly be more winnable, current form may see them in the Champions League next season and that’s where the biggest money is going to be.

[@mariolis]

Olympiacos fan from Greece here, and this video has been... interesting

[@offtherecord681]

Arsenal fan here, but have a soft spot for Forest, too young for the Brian Clough era but the achievements of that great team will never be matched. I hope they get CL, would be great to see them display those two iconic European cups like Villa do this season 😄

[@starmersbarber]

Alfie- I meant to say (as a Leeds fan), well done to your lot for bringing it back to 3-3.

[@hopekgaogelo8261]

They are doing quite well. Happy for Elanga

[@mrdustykins]

Gowan Yates, what a guy and brother-in-law

[@hallo23779]

who?

[@simonjones7396]

Great video, one main reason why we have improved this season is not letting in a stupid amount of set pieces like we did last season.

[@erikhesjedal3569]

Everyone playing FM last 10 years know Milenkovic is grade A material

[@lataupe9809]

honestly as a strasbourg fan i still don't understand why we sold sels for so cheap he was a really good goalkeeper for years maybe too good for us but men seeing him doing so well make me happy but at the same time kinda sad cause his departure and some other strated the blue and co ownership just hope he can keep his current form cause i think he was underated and at least he manage to leave the ship before it sunk

[@ForestAHistory]

Please can you do a video on the 1983/84 cup semi final between forest and Anderlecht also been waiting for this video for a long time

[@mikezey9742]

Requesting a video on Union Omaha. Love the work Alfie

[@SilliusSodus]

As a Chelsea fan, I was gutted to see CHO leave. Nice to see him turn into a real threat on the LW once again, even after the injuries and the bad Leverkusen loan.

[@John17489]

You could have got £50 million from him off Bayern a while back

[@SilliusSodus]

@ don’t remind me 💀

[@dbz9393]

He's finally getting his pace back as well

[@johnfarley4201]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT Such fabulous content ONE. NEW SUBSCRIBER

[@sheldon97sheldon]

Day 10 of asking for a video of the 7 greatest non-league players of all time. EDIT: Would the 7 greatest lower league players of all time make a slightly better video instead? Much like the one Alfie made about the 7 biggest lower league clubs a few days ago?

[@Lightwaverable]

10:32 ”And this is in a league that contains Sean Dyche’s Everton” Aht, aht, aht, not anymore Alfie.

[@MarkinBrasil]

Great video. Well balanced and intelligent analysis. Looking forward to the Liverpool game

[@kevinhunter3473]

Good player Wood, always rated him, never got a chance at Newcastle but always thought with the right players around him he is a really good CF.

[@jacklang3314]

He makes me wish that New Zealand was an Australian State.

[@Seagaltalk]

So glad Nottingham Forest is doing well. As a Robin Hood fan this is the best soccer news in years. Go Fighting Trees!!!!!

[@liamyoung541]

Idk if I mind them "breaking the rules" in this way, how else is a club ever supposed to compete at that top level and break into the top 4? If they have found a way to break the FFP monopoly then fair play to them, this is coming from essentially a neutral, other than being an admirer of Clough so I guess I have a bit of a soft spot for Forrest, but as a Rangers/Newcastle supporter (In that order! 😅) I think unless it was Sunderland I'd feel the same regardless of the club involved 😅. Enjoying Forrest's success though, and good for Chris Wood!! WATP 🔴⚪️🔵 HWTL⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️

[@michaelhook1380]

God I’d love to see them win the league. I know it’s still an incredible long shot, but still possible

[@Experiment53.]

Proper mad innit

[@liammcquillan7382]

This sounds like a video where we are being complimented, albeit backhandedly and almost somewhat like a slander piece because we do things differently on and off the pitch to the majority of teams who are now crying because we did it, they didn't and it worked

[@LeeHeron77]

I thought it is a well balanced video, as it doesn't come from someone wearing Garibaldi tinted goggles. It explains what we did and why in the first season and earnestly compliments the club on and off the field. It also puts our success this season in context, stat-wise. Not many channels will put out such a lengthy piece that goes past the surface of Forest.

[@edwarburton]

So Forrest are basically me every time I set up a new manager career mode. Love it.

[@calumbishop7082]

The thing is this Premier League season in general has been kinda bonkers. Bournmouth are in theory also Champions League contenders being only 3 points off the spots, Aston Villa are still up there also being 4 points off. (Also Newcastle are up there as well though given their owned by the Saudi's that's not really as big a deal as would of been before). Meanwhile Tottenham and Manchester United both find themselves in the bottom half of the table, with both sides closer to the relegation spots than to the Champions League. (It probably won't happen BUT can you imagine if one of those two went down, the humorous disaster it would be).

[@rjw4762]

SPurs, Man Utds AND Man City all having poor seasons is a major reason for Forest's success this season. And I say that as a Forest fan. Although I think that Man City will have a much better 2nd half of the season, I can't see Spurs or United overtaking us now. I think that we are odd on for Top 7.....but cannot see us finishing Top 3, I'm afraid.

[@maciejbala477]

@@rjw4762 yep, if Liverpool also weren't as good as they are, you'd basically have the condition for the 15/16 Leicester season once again, where all the top teams underperformed and Leicester won with 81 points, which isn't a lot

[@MrMelon-xg6pj]

A forest fan once said Man City wouldn’t be where they are if they followed the rules.

[@nichemphill8321]

With Nuno getting his wish of a full pre-season, the club conducted a reset and a comprehensive evaluation across every sector and department. This has proved crucial not only for the first team but also for the women's team, who have adopted a hybrid fully professional model, even as a tier three side. Another important factor was the construction of a new gym and medical centre, which includes recovery and relaxation areas at the renovated training ground at the NDA (Nigel Doughty Academy) The women's team has its own base at the former training centre at Holme Road, which has also been fully renovated.

[@CharlieyT95]

I thought this day would never come 😂

[@ismailovic3416]

Alfie can we Please address what the hell is going on at AC Milan

[@John17489]

Or AS Roma even

[@samelmudir]

They just won a trophy and a couple wins from a champions league spot

[@AlexandriaTheSecond]

Ac milan are always suck in the league. They're no juventus who has always conquered the league in Italy. Heck, even Inter are better in terms of league records.

[@FalseSheps]

From sitting in the lower bridgeford watching yeovil knock us out the play offs spectacularly, to seeing us tear teams apart in the premier, has me thinking I am in some sort of dream 😅

[@david.watson]

I was there at that one too. It's insane, I remember how toxic the atmosphere turned. Wasn't it a 2-4 loss to Yeovil or something similar?

[@FalseSheps]

@@david.watson it was something like that yeah, the own goal from our defender who was on loan at the time pretty much summed it up lol

[@tombkingsethbattlechannel9419]

I remember, few days ago, in a popular german sports/football show they talked about Mo Salah/Liverpool and showed the current table of the premier league. When the listed the top 3 the moderator apologized to the audience that the regie maybe made a mistake for placing Not Forrest on rank 3 until another one explained to him that they are really really really there :D

[@lordlarssen]

Cool with Forest this year. I was a little afraid last year after all their transfer dealings, that they could take a "Q.P.R" ... (Not on the level QPR fell through of course hehe) But surviving that difficult 1st season and giving them the gift of summer and time, seems to have made all the difference ... And Forest belong in the top league along side Leeds and Sheff Wed (In my 50 year old brains meaning :)

[@CourageOfMyConvictions]

Only things I'd add would be that Morato/Jota Silva (great recent additions), Yates (only keeps improving) and Dominguez (thought to be on the outs) have all chipped in with immense performances over the course of this season as well!

[@danielkitts9685]

All Forrest done was look at the risk/reward when it comes to breaching PSR. Took a short term hit for long term gain it's a trick as old as time.

[@philipb3033]

It’s ok Alfie, totally understand. Tell us what’s been troubling you

[@Snowtonk666]

I seem to remember back in 2023 a certain KZbinr using a Chris Wood premier league hat trick as an analogy for an extremely unlikely event about 2 weeks before the Newcastle game…

[@petestaley7903]

Cheers Alfie mate. Bloody brilliant vid, well researched ❤ COYR x FTID Edit. Earned yourself a sub

[@AdamMiligan]

Murilo was a player from Corinthians, the team that I support here in Brazil, he came from our youth ranks and he was amazing for us, such a solid and brave defender, I still don't believe we sold him for almost nothing.

[@otaviofrnazario]

Corinthians seem to do this a lot... Marquinhos was the same (not at his best but had many good years), sold for peanuts

[@Mark777-t3l]

What a player and comes across as a lovely lad too

[@alimonroe9859]

We like a player from Corinthians 😁

[@rowanhiggins3376]

As a Forest fan he's an absolute legendary defender. At 22 he can only get better. Really hoping we can keep him 🙏 I fear a massive European club will buy him!

[@tristanwhite3472]

Nottingham Forest have been incredible this season. Hope they can keep up the good form.

[@maciejbala477]

Also, Forest have few left-footed players. Murillo as the LCB, and Alex Moreno on loan from Villa as the left back are two I can think of, but often Neco Williams and Ola Aina play as full backs, and they are both primarily right footed. Similarly on the wings, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi, Sosa... all primarily right-footed. This is in an era where clubs often insist to have left footed leftbacks and right wingers, and opposite for the other sides, so credit to them for making it work regardless

[@maciejbala477]

by the way, I know that because I have a long-running FM save as Forest (with the squad from last season)

[@CMCM16116]

24 views in a minute this isn’t the mr beast levels you’ve built yourself up to have Alfie tut tut tut

[@coen8677]

Who cares, Mr Beast is a fraud lol

[@22teamswans]

Never thought we would make it onto this series 😂

[@siler22]

i'm hardly watching football nowdwys, its just way to much of it nowdays, its overwhelming to keep track of it, but been a subscriber of hitc7 since 2018 so this might be my only source of news in football i depth nowdays

[@rogink]

Taking nothing away from Leicester's win in 2016, but this feels more significant. OK, it looks like Man City are on the slide, but Arsenal, Villa and Chelsea have looked good enough to win the league this season, as well as City up to October. But somehow they are behind Forest (OK, Arsenal level on points). I don't know enough about Nuno's start at Wolves, but it seemed like they were destined to stay in the second tier until they started winning under him. And then they outperformed anyone's expectations in the Prem. Clearly that ran out of steam at some point and he was sacked. At Tottenham he took over when they weren't exactly struggling - I don't suppose they were doing any worse than they are now. I hope I'm wrong, as it would be nice to see Forest back to where they were when I was a lad and Cloughie was in charge. But I sense that Nuno is great for taking a group of struggling players with great potential and turning them around, but I wonder if he sustain this?