'Disjointed', 'Robust', 'Revival?'

'Disjointed', 'Robust', 'Revival?' - National media react as Nottingham Forest lay foundation for revival at Brighton

Nottingham Forest are being widely praised for their defensive display against Brighton and Hove Albion after holding the Seagulls to a stalemate to pick up just their second away point of the season.

The 0-0 draw also resulted in a first Premier League clean sheet away from the City Ground this season, adding to the one earned in the 1-0 win over West Ham United back in mid-August. The Reds conceded 21 goals in the ensuing two months, 12 of which were on their travels, but have noticeably tightened up since being well-beaten by East Midlands rivals Leicester City.

This trend has also been recognised nationally after conceding just two goals in the three matches since. Here is the reaction from three national newspapers after Tuesday night's match...

Guardian

This was a frustrating, sapping 95 minutes of football and Steve Cooper did not overly care. For long periods Nottingham Forest played like the disjointed, slung-together set of players they inescapably are but it did not cost them. On the contrary, they looked more comfortable as the game progressed against an increasingly exasperated Brighton and fought admirably to earn a point that takes them off the bottom of the table.

The robustness of their defending rendered the fact they barely mounted an attack of note irrelevant. If Forest rode their luck for spells of the first half they spent long stretches of the second untroubled, running the clock down expertly and playing on the audible nerves of a home crowd that has seen this all before. Brighton’s old impotence has made an unwelcome return lately and, when Pascal Gross was thwarted by the best of several saves from Dean Henderson with nine minutes left, Roberto De Zerbi’s chances of a first win evaporated.

Telegraph

Forest celebrated only a second away point of the season, which may not sound much of a cause for rejoicing, but it takes Steve Cooper's side off the bottom of the Premier League table at the expense of Leicester City, who host Leeds United on Thursday.

And they have arguably an even more daunting a fixture list than Brighton, with three of their next four games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. So it was important that they got a positive result at the Amex, and despite being overrun for most of the 95 minutes, they battled hard to achieve it.

Times

Steve Cooper, meanwhile, signed a new contract on October 7 but stability has not yet brought a boost to results, as this stalemate followed a defeat by the managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers and a draw at home to struggling Aston Villa. Those two games came after three consecutive losses to Bournemouth, Fulham and Leicester City and Cooper will hope this determined defensive display, even if it was painfully short on attacking inspiration, might be the foundation now for a revival.

What do you make of their reaction? Have your say in the comments...

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