Head coach Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest’s approach will not change as they prepare for their City Ground decider with Sheffield United.
The teams meet on the banks of the Trent on Tuesday night to battle it out for a place at Wembley and a chance of promotion to the Premier League. The Reds are 2-1 ahead, going into the second leg of the play-offs semi-final, and will have the crowd behind them as they try to finish off the Blades.
But there will be no sitting back trying to defend their lead. And Cooper has made clear being at home, as well as being in front in the tie, can only work in Forest’s favour if they make the most of the opportunity.
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“Half-time gets mentioned a lot in play-offs. And at half-time, you would try to carry on. This is fairly similar,” he said.
“We’ve approached games in a certain manner, which has served us quite well. We have a certain attitude to how we want to be and what we want to get from it.
“I don’t think we should come away from that. We won’t come away from that.
“I’ve said to the lads, when there’s an opportunity to do anything, you must go grab it, do your best and try not to have any regrets. It doesn’t mean you are going to win or succeed, but at least you’ve gone in with the right approach and right intention.
“The dynamic has slightly changed (because of the scoreline and a home second leg), and you might refer to ‘advantages’. But they are only advantages if you use them well.
“To use them well, you’ve got to play well, you’ve got to act well in the occasion and you’ve got to do everything to be in control of your own performance. We’re not thinking about possible advantages, we’re just thinking about what it takes to play well again, what it takes to be in the best shape possible, physically and mentally, and turning up at the City Ground all as one, ready to go.
“We’re really clear about what it takes to succeed. We’re very clear about how we want to go about it. It’s about committing to that.”
