As the Premier League hurtles towards what looks like being a tense, nervy run-in, Nottingham Forest are going to need the kind of spirit they showed on Sunday.
They are going to need Brennan Johnson, too. And Morgan Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates. For different reasons those three have shown they are invaluable to the Reds; absolute must-have starters when fit and available.
After Johnson came to the rescue with an excellent brace against Everton - with Gibbs-White playing a part in both goals - Steve Cooper admitted it is not uncommon for his game-plan to centre around how to get the pair of them on the ball. Meanwhile, in a 20-minute cameo, Yates showed how much he has been missed in the past six weeks.
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The quality of Gibbs-White and Johnson, and the character of Yates are central to Forest’s survival fight. But Cooper would no doubt point out that everybody is going to be needed in the next couple of months. Players, staff and fans.
He talked about the sense of togetherness prior to the weekend’s game. And with his team’s collective will drawing on the strength of the City Ground crowd again, he reiterated that point post-match.
Dynamic duo
Johnson and Gibbs-White cause panic among defenders and get the crowd on the edge of their seats whenever they get the ball. With those two on the pitch, the Reds always have a chance of creating something.
In Johnson, particularly, they have someone who can finish those moments off. Both are capable of adding a sprinkling of stardust, though. They continue to show the Premier League is their stage, and given how young they are, their performances can still go up a few levels yet.
"It's an important part of our team,” Cooper said of their partnership. “We wanted Morgan to play off the side a little bit at the start, because we felt Everton were quite compact and there might not be enough room to get on the ball.
"We changed it a little bit in the second half, because the game was going as it was and we wanted to get some different width on the pitch. It ended up working quite nicely. I'm pleased with their connection, for sure.”
The hosts came up against a Toffees side now well-drilled under Sean Dyche. He had also clearly picked up on how to frustrate Forest from his visits Trentside while out of work.
A below-par first half left the Reds 2-1 down at the break, with Johnson slotting home the rebound from Gibbs-White’s effort to initially restore parity. A big block by the latter just before the break was also a key moment in the game.
The second half was much better, and it was thanks to their dynamic duo - plus Yates - that they managed to make that count. It was an exquisite touch and finish by Johnson for his second. With seven goals, he is the team’s top scorer in the league, while he has nine in all competitions. He will almost certainly reach double-figures.
That was also his second Premier League brace, and made it five goals in Forest’s last four home games. Continuing to find ways of getting the Wales international and Gibbs-White on the ball is going to be crucial.
Midfield dynamics
Cooper’s substitutions had been in the spotlight against West Ham United. But on this occasion, they worked well. Emmanuel Dennis was positive when he came on, and Andre Ayew wasn’t too far away from getting his first goal for the club as a winner was sought.
It was Yates’ arrival which really made a big difference, though. He added some drive to a midfield which had struggled to get going in the first half, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact as he laid the ball on beautifully for Johnson to make it 2-2.
Cooper admitted he had played the 25-year-old for longer than he perhaps should have done, on his comeback from illness. But you can imagine there would have been no complaints from the man himself - if anything, he’d have been desperate to get even more minutes under his belt.
Yates is the very epitome of grit and determination. Qualities which are going to be just as key in the coming weeks as the flair and finesse of Gibbs-White and Johnson. If anyone can help drag Forest to some vital results, it will be him. He will be right at the heart of the battle.
Getting the midfield balance right is not easy. Cooper needs to find a way of making sure his team are tough to break down but also have a platform to go forward.
You could argue the dynamic wasn’t quite right in the first half on Sunday. Yates’ return now gives the head coach a different option. When he is able to, there’s no question he’ll be in the XI.
Refereeing woes
Cooper made his thoughts on referee John Brooks very clear after the match. Dyche, too, wasn’t particularly happy with some of the decisions, arguing the visitors should have had a second penalty for a foul by Jack Colback.
The Reds could have little complaints about the first one, even if owner Evangelos Marinakis did leap out of his seat to express his frustration when it was awarded. It was a clumsy challenge by Jonjo Shelvey.
The game had a lot of needle in it. In some ways, it was a surprise it ended without a sending off.
Brooks certainly didn’t help matters. He was booed off, and Forest argued the free-kick awarded in Everton’s favour which led to their second goal should have been given the other way, for a foul on Gibbs-White. They definitely had a case.
Survival fight
You could sense the tension going into this one, and in the sluggish start from the hosts. There was no getting away from the fact there was a lot riding on it. In the circumstances, avoiding defeat has to be seen as a decent outcome.
Showing there was no “damage”, as Cooper put it, from the 4-0 thumping at the London Stadium. Twice coming from behind. Extending the unbeaten home run in the league. All positives to take from the afternoon. That’s not to gloss over the negatives. Cooper is well aware of those.
"Whatever happened could have been good or bad but it wasn't going to confirm anything,” he said. “It’s going to be games like this for a while. Brilliant, we want to be part of them.
"We relish these challenges. We don't want to be hiding away from it. We've worked all our lives to be here and the supporters have waited more than 20 years for days like this, so hence the atmosphere and the togetherness. What a place to be. Let's go.”
The table is tight. Stalemate keeps the cushion between Forest and the relegation zone at four points.
Victory would have provided a good buffer - and the Reds did go for it. Cooper urged them to quickly get back for the restart after Johnson’s second. And he had geed up the crowd after it had gone in, anticipating the roar which would push his team on.
Come the final whistle, he was heading straight to work on sorting out “the bloody away form”. That remains a big challenge, not least with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur next.
Forest were not at their best on Sunday. They still got something from the game. The rest of the campaign will not be for the faint-hearted, but in Gibbs-White, Johnson and Yates, in particular, the Reds have some big players capable of stepping up to the challenge.
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