What Nottingham Forest shootout win says about Nuno's squad as FA Cup a big opportunity
Celebrations were slightly muted at the end. Nottingham Forest knew they had progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup by the skin of their teeth.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo had spoken about his fears for this tie with Exeter City in his pre-match press conference, and his concerns were well founded. The Reds very nearly found themselves going the way of Liverpool and being dumped out of the competition in Devon.
Forest had to come from behind at St James Park and had to fend off a late push for a winner from the 10-man hosts. Penalties were required in the end to decide who should host Ipswich Town in the fifth round.
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The Reds are through but they will know how close Tuesday night came to being a different story. Nuno cut a relieved figure once it was all done and dusted. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at some of the big talking points from Forest’s clash with the Grecians.
Team selection
As expected, it was a much-changed starting line-up against Exeter. As was the case in the previous round, when the Reds saw off Luton Town, Nuno had said he would use the match as a chance to “reward” those players who have seen little game time but who have been working hard in training.
Danilo was the only survivor from the Brighton-and-Hove-Albion-thumping XI. Forest should still have had enough to topple their hosts but they didn’t half make hard work of it.
At times, they looked like the makeshift team they were, without the kind of connections and relationships developed by those who have been playing more regularly. Rustiness also showed.
Few particularly pressed their cases for inclusion in the line-up for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Fulham.However, Nuno gave the impression he had no regrets and is planning to go with a similar selection against the Tractor Boys.
“It is not about rest, it is about how we are approaching the competition,” he said. “We did the same at home to Luton and we will probably do the same again.
“Unfortunately we cannot give minutes to all the players, so this is a reward for all the players who are working so hard and the young boys. It is good for us. It is not resting players, it is taking care of all of the squad.”
Nuno did at least have his big guns on the bench at St James Park - and he needed them against the gutsy Grecians. The theory is getting minutes in everyone’s legs can prove to be beneficial in the league without compromising too much on the cup. But given the Reds are now just two wins away from a Wembley semi-final, maintaining that strategy isn’t without some risk.
Looking sharp
Not all of those in from the start fluffed their lines. Two, in particular, stood out and demonstrated they can have a key role to play on all fronts in the remainder of the season.
Midfielder Ibrahim Sangare impressed on his first start since recovering from a hamstring injury. In the same way Danilo did on his full return against the Seagulls, the 27-year-old had a big impact on the game.
Sangare ended the evening with two assists, having set up Ramon Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi with a couple of delightful passes. He pulled the strings from the centre of the pitch in the first half.
Competition for places in midfield is fierce; it is a department where there is strength in depth. The opposition also has to be taken into account and Sangare will no doubt still need to build up to full sharpness, but he did enough to suggest Nuno will have a headache when it comes to settling on his first-choice partnership.
Awoniyi also caught the eye with his goal. It was vintage stuff from the Nigerian, the kind of turn and finish he hasn’t demonstrated too much of during a tough season for him. He still has it in him, though; he showed that much.
Forest need Awoniyi, particularly given the winter transfer window ended without forward reinforcements. Building on that display and getting him fully fit and firing again is a must.
Injury woes
First where Awoniyi is concerned, though, the Reds must hope he is OK after being on the end of a nasty-looking collision late on in the game. He barely moved for a good few minutes before being stretchered off.
In a positive sign, the forward was later seen walking around the edge of the pitch and acknowledging the away fans as they sang his name. Nuno said he had suffered a concussion and a broken nose.
By the time Awoniyi had gone off, Forest had already lost goalkeeper Carlos Miguel to injury. It was a bad night for the Brazilian; he paid the price for an error with the opener, conceded another one and then departed on the hour mark.
Although neither Awoniyi or Miguel would be likely to start at Craven Cottage this weekend, the injuries show just how finely balanced the squad is. There is very little leeway.
Anthony Elanga and Jota Silva would be capable of operating up front if required, but if Awoniyi misses Saturday (and any games after that), Chris Wood would be the only out-and-out forward option. The bench would be impacted.
If Miguel is missing for any length of time, Wayne Hennessey would take his place as Matz Sels’ back-up. The Welshman has not played competitively since representing Wales in October 2023. Sels’ fitness is crucial - as it was anyway given the form he has been in.
Nuno likes to work with a small group. A striker was on the club’s wanted list before the window closed but it had to be the right one.
The Reds boss insisted on Tuesday night that he has enough in his squad to compete on two fronts, but he knows it depends on his resources not being too thinly stretched. “As long as we are healthy and have enough numbers, I think we can compete in both competitions really well,” Nuno said.
Up for the cup
Nuno places a lot of value on the FA Cup. It is a special competition for him, and he also knows how much it means to Forest.
A fifth round draw at home to Ipswich presents a real opportunity to progress further. The lure of Wembley a little further down the horizon is a huge carrot.
With Liverpool and Arsenal out, the Reds remain the highest ranked side in the tournament. Plenty of teams will be thinking they are in with a chance of going far this year, and Forest should be no different.
They got the job done on Tuesday night. It wasn’t pretty but getting through to the next round was all that mattered.
Keeping winning momentum going is important. The Reds have some huge games coming up in the Premier League as they battle for European football. Getting over the line in Devon keeps them rolling on.
