Nuno makes Nottingham Forest point as he responds to Arne Slot comments ahead of Liverpool showdown
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is not getting caught up in the debate over whether Nottingham Forest are in the title race ahead of their showdown with Liverpool.
The third-placed Reds are aiming to do the double over Arne Slot’s side when they welcome the league leaders to the City Ground on Tuesday (8pm kick-off). They also know that victory would cut the gap at the top to just three points, albeit with Liverpool having a game in hand.
In his pre-match press conference, Slot said he considers Forest to be rivals for the title. But Nuno played down any such suggestions when he faced the media ahead of the clash.
Asked if the Liverpool boss might have been playing mind games with his comments, the Portuguese responded: “I don’t know. We try as much as possible to ignore what’s around.
“We never change. The way we see things is the way we see the competition and I would say it’s the way we see life. It’s day by day, focus on our tasks, and tomorrow is another tough one.
“We have to play the games. We are here to compete against all the teams and I think we are doing well.
“Nothing changes in our approach, it is the same. More important than anything is we know what we can do, how we want to do things and we know each other - our strengths and weaknesses. Let’s play the game.
“If we start thinking about ifs, it's if, if, if, if. That's why we always try to approach how we are going to prepare ourselves and how we are going to play the game. At the end of the game there will be no ifs.”
The Reds have been labelled by many as this season’s surprise package, given the way they are competing at the top end of the table. After successive relegation battles since their return to the Premier League, Nuno says nobody would have expected the club to be where they are in their third campaign back among the elite.
“No one in this room could ever predict what is happening. It is the ambition and desire to do things well and the hard work and commitment of the players,” he added.
“It's continuing and we have to enjoy together what is happening. But no one can predict what is happening.
“I see a group of players really committed to doing well. What can happen in the future we don't know, but the proof is we have done it (won games) before.
“We are improving through the competition. I truly believe the more time the players spend together, the better they can play together. I see a good group of people, more than players, that want to do things together. This is important, the togetherness, this is what I really value.”