The battle for survival is reaching a nail-biting climax as Nottingham Forest approach their final two games of the Premier League season.
Steve Cooper’s side have their top-flight fate in their own hands as they sit above the bottom three, but they face a tough finish to the campaign. First up is a meeting with Arsenal at the City Ground on Saturday, followed by a trip to Crystal Palace on the last day.
Ahead of the clash with the Gunners, Reds reporter Sarah Clapson held a live Q&A on our Forest Facebook page with supporters Here’s how it panned out...
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Q: Any news on Jonjo Shelvey?
A: He has been carrying a calf problem, but he is fit and available. It’s just that he’s not making the cut for the match squad at the minute.
Steve Cooper made the point last week, when he was asked about the situation, that difficult selection decisions always have to be taken and there will be players who fall on the wrong side of that. There are others who are ahead of Shelvey now in the pecking order. I just don’t see how he can work his way back into the starting XI in the final games because the players who have been playing have been putting in really good performances.
The combination of Danilo, Orel Mangala and Ryan Yates works really well. Forest have found a solution to what had previously been a problem area.
Danilo has come on leaps and bounds in recent weeks; he’s looking a proper gem. Mangala has been excellent, too. And we all know what Yates brings and how big a boost it is having him back.
Remo Freuler has found himself looking on from the bench, while Cheikhou Kouyate has generally had to settle for coming on as a substitute. With the way things have been going, it would make little sense to disrupt a fairly settled line-up which has found some form - in fact, the two probably go hand in hand. Forest are able to field arguably their strongest XI at a key time.
I can understand why the manager took the stance he did with Shelvey, when there was the disagreement before Liverpool. Team spirit and unity is so important and it’s been a big strength again for Forest this season.
Cooper has insisted there is no problem between him and Shelvey. He’s got a lot of work to do to force his way back into contention, though.
Q: We need 3 points Saturday, nothing less. I hate final game tensions!
A: Don’t we all! I hate any game tensions!
Forest at the City Ground are a difficult prospect for anybody. They are capable of beating any side at home. Hopefully there is one more big moment to come there.
Arsenal are going to be really tricky opponents. The title race is pretty much over, but they will be hurting and will want a response. We saw at the Emirates how much damage they are capable of doing. They’ve got bags of quality.
Crystal Palace away is a tough game, too. Even though they haven’t got anything to play for, Roy Hodgson hasn’t got them to that point by allowing them to take it easy. They will want to finish strongly at home.
Forest have found form at a good time, though. They have built a bit of momentum with some improved performances, even when they haven’t always got the result to go with them.
They seem to have turned a bit of a corner, in terms of having found resilience and an ability to come back in games. A few months ago, I’m not so sure they would have been able to get a result after going behind at Chelsea.
They are showing a lot of character and fighting spirit. Conceding a goal doesn’t automatically mean game over now.
And they’ve got players who, individually, are in great form. If Taiwo Awoniyi can keep up his goalscoring streak, that would be huge. Scoring goals isn’t always easy for teams down the bottom - that’s why they are where they are - so to have a goalscorer on a hot streak is a big plus.
All of that combined has got to be a real positive at this stage. The players can take a lot of confidence and belief from it. But it all comes down to getting the right results.
It would be great if Forest can get the job done before Palace - we’d all breathe a little easier then. It wouldn’t surprise me if it does go down to the wire, though.
Q: Leeds and Everton’s last 2 games worry me… they’re playing poor teams with very little to play for… can see those taking at least 4 points, which means we probably still need to win one. Important thing is we’re playing well and look united.
A: That last point is key. Forest are in good form. They are also showing a never-say-die attitude which means any scenario is not a lost cause; if they fall behind, they’ve shown they are capable of coming back.
One more win, be it on Saturday or at Palace, should be enough. Leicester look like they are down, so it’s between Forest, Everton and Leeds for the final spot. I can see Everton and Leeds picking up some points, though.
The goal difference worries me a bit, because I do think the points tallies are going to be really close. Forest are well aware of that and Cooper has admitted they know it’s points they need because they don’t have the advantage of having goal difference count for an extra one.
The good thing is the points tally is in Forest’s hands. If they can match or better the results of those below them, they’ll be safe. Easier said than done, though.
You can spend ages predicting and analysing who might pick up what result, but we’ve already seen anything can happen. Forest’s opponents - Arsenal and Palace - arguably also have little to play for, with the title race being all but over, but nobody is classing those games as easy.
The unity you mentioned can count for a lot. Not every side has that. Likewise, the level of support; home and away it has been absolutely phenomenal and it makes a real difference.
Q: Why is Lingard not playing?
A: Similar to Shelvey’s situation, he’s just not been getting his chance. There are others ahead of him who have been performing really well. Like Shelvey, it’s difficult to see how he forces his way back in.
He has had some injury problems this season, and they came just as he was starting to hit his stride a bit. When he has had a chance since, he’s not really shown that kind of form again.
If you’re going to earn a place in the team, you really have to seize the opportunity when you get it and make an impact when you come on. It’s been a while since Lingard has had the chance to do that, but I can’t think of many times where he made a difference as a substitute.
He’s still a good option to have, though. You never know what can happen in the final games, particularly with the injury woes this season. Having as many options as possible is key and everybody can play a part.
Even while he hasn’t been getting on the pitch, Lingard has still been a big (and positive) character in the dressing room. He’s well liked and you can see he’s part of the unity factor we spoke about by the way he always joins in the celebrations and kicks every ball when he’s watching on the sidelines.
Will Forest stay up? Have your say in the comments below
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