Jamie Carragher has backed Nottingham Forest to build on their Premier League survival by continuing to feed off the “energy” at the City Ground.
The Reds’ home record has been integral to Steve Cooper’s side retaining their top-flight status. Thirty of the 37 points they have amassed so far have been picked up on the banks of the Trent, with Saturday’s victory over Arsenal confirming safety.
Sky Sports pundit and former defender Carragher says newly-promoted sides can learn a lot from Forest’s approach, with the backing the team have received being crucial in getting them over the line. And he has compared the Reds to Brentford, believing there is an opportunity for the club to keep progressing.
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“You’re saying can they (use it)? They have. They have used it," he said on Monday Night Football. "That support, that stadium, that energy there, Mull of Kintyre before the game, absolutely fantastic. Always sing along myself.
“It reminds me of Brentford. We’ve talked about Brentford since they’ve come into the league, you’re not just going to watch a game of football at Brentford or at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, it feels like it’s an event.
“It feels like there’s an energy there created by the DJ, the supporters. Everybody gets involved.
“I think it’s a lesson for teams coming up. Teams have got to make their ground a fortress. You think of in the past how teams did that, it might be long balls, tackles, being aggressive, or maybe even the pitch wasn’t as good. That’s going back 20 or 30 years.
“You haven’t really got that as much now - lovely pitches, the game’s a little bit more technical, you’re only allowed one foul before a yellow card. So the energy maybe has to come even more so from the crowd.
“These clubs are doing a lot to actually provide that for the supporters. It’s maybe a lesson for some of the promoted teams next season.”
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