A week containing European excitement culminated in a damning and lethargic performance for Nottingham Forest against West Ham United, as the Reds showed little fight or personality and deserved no more than a 3-0 home defeat. George Edwards was at the match
From frantically searching for European flights, renewing passports and celebrating Callum Hudson-Odoi’s new contract to watching a complete capitulation on home turf against a side yet to turn up this season — the life of a Nottingham Forest fan perfectly summed up in the space of 24 hours.
The silent protest from over half of the City Ground crowd as the Reds conceded three late goals at home to West Ham spoke volumes; the stadium by the end perhaps the emptiest during a match since Chris Hughton was sorrowfully standing in the dugout nearly four years ago.
Forest were toothless. No bite, no fight and no substance at either end of the pitch, an acceptance of defeat and a stark reminder of the level needed to compete in the Premier League.
The game lacked quality throughout, but in possession it was Forest who looked the most threatening. They had more purpose on the ball and looked a more distinct threat, West Ham seeming content with a point for most of the second half until a rare flurry forward saw Jarrod Bowen open the scoring with six minutes to play.
For all the hosts threat, they offered nothing in both boxes — somewhere West Ham excelled and ultimately won the game.
Matz Sels made five decent saves alongside the Hammers’ trio of goals, whereas Forest only mustered three shots on target throughout and saw themselves stagnated by a rigid West Ham defence whenever they ventured into the opposing penalty area.
The performance was somewhat a surprise after Forest’s trailblazing home display against Brentford, with key players failing to control the ball and no attacking rhythm ever figured out.
As attention turns to Europe and transfer deadline day, the result was a distinct reminder of the quality in the Premier League and that no point can be earned without 100% focus and commitment from minute one to minute 90.
Conceding three goals in eight minutes as they did drew an unwelcome parallel from the first few seasons Forest spent as a Premier League club upon promotion in 2022 — a collapse of the highest order that seemed to be firmly in the rearview mirror.
A display like that, given the current question marks around the manager’s future, has to generate questions around Nuno Espírito Santo’s status — particularly given Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was one of those who exited his seat once Lucas Paquetá scored West Ham’s second from the spot.
Both Nuno and Marinakis have been clear that they will remain a partnership in the near future, with meetings scheduled over the international break to address issues between the duo and global head of football Edu. However, recency bias has a tendency to prevail in scenarios such as this, as manager’s cry for more depth seemed to be answered by the hierarchy, Forest only picking up a point since the recent glut of signings came through the door.
Nuno’s failure to utilise his squad on the day seemed baffling, with Forest emerging from half-time flat and in need of a spark from somewhere, an instance where Anthony Elanga’s unpredictability may have aided Forest in similar situations last season.
Douglas Luiz and Omari Hutchinson both have Premier League experience and the excitement factor that Forest lacked, so the manager’s neglect of their involvement at 0-0 could further feed into the suggestion that they aren’t players picked out by the Portuguese.
Furthermore, West Ham’s introduction of Callum Wilson is what shifted the momentum in their favour, adding physicality up front and a focal point to play off, something Forest lost once Chris Wood was hooked.
Wood being substituted amidst lacklustre displays from Morgan Gibbs-White, Ola Aina and Ibrahim Sangaré was questionable, but ultimately Forest’s resigning performance cannot be pinned on individuals — their failings and shortcomings came collectively.
The positive is that a performance like today has come as a real shock. This display seemed abnormal, with the outside noise of a European tour, international call-ups and a new contract for Hudson-Odoi seeming to detract from what is always the number one objective: the here and now.
A visit to The Emirates looms for Forest the other side of the international break, before facing the promoted duo of Burnley and Sunderland. While their West Ham performance was unacceptable, Forest will return to their preferred status of underdogs against Arsenal, a role that they thrive in and a chance to prove that a dismal eight minutes against West Ham was just an anomaly.
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