Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw with Fulham displayed their lack of character and spirit to rise from adversity and convert draws into wins, as the Reds’ City Ground goalscoring conundrum continues to rumble on. George Edwards was at the match
The character that epitomised Nottingham Forest last season has completely evaporated — they look devoid of it both physically and mentally.
In December 2024, Forest hosted Aston Villa on an evening where they just couldn’t get going. They had been marginally the better side when they went behind in the 63rd minute, but from that point on, it looked increasingly unlikely that they’d claw themselves back level.
With nine minutes to play, substitute Anthony Elanga swept off the bench and put one on a plate for Chris Wood, sliding the ball home from a matter of yards to equalise. By the barest of margins, VAR disallowed the goal for offside.
But that moment defined the game, and defined Forest’s spirit at that moment.
Twelve minutes later Forest had completed a sensational comeback, Elanga and Nikola Milenkovic grabbing late goals to turn the game around and kickstart Forest’s top four push, going on to win five of their next six matches — a side that thrived when adversity demanded a response.
In similar circumstances today, half-time substitute Dan Ndoye put Forest one up on 63 minutes after a cute ball over the top from Neco Williams sent him through, slotting past Fulham’s Bernd Leno with conviction.
By the width of his left heel, VAR disallowed the goal, following Forest’s best spell of the game immediately after the interval; Ndoye also seeing a penalty awarded but disallowed for offside just three minutes after the second period began.
Where the Forest of last season would likely have risen, this season’s iteration allowed that moment to define them negatively, all momentum gained following the break disintegrating after the overturn as the game petered out — only mustering four shots (none on target) in the match thereafter, as their mental and physical fatigue shone through.
Their mental weaknesses were notable, confidence visibly dipping from a moment that should have bred further momentum. And their tiredness spoke volumes, attacking with no pace or affluence as they chased the winning goal.
The point means Forest edged back above the relegation zone on goal difference after West Ham’s draw with Manchester City last night, the Reds and the Hammers matching results twice in two games, having played the same opposition in reverse.
Yet, it didn’t quite feel like enough. Fulham, as they always seem to at this stage of the season, have nothing substantial left to play for and didn’t come to the City Ground to be anything special.
They made the game an absolute horror, buying free kicks, slowing the game down at every opportunity and forcing Forest to be bold and win the match, knowing how important the three points would be to aid their relegation worries.
When it’s nasty, especially in a relegation battle, you’ve got to show some character and find a way to get the job done. Once again this season, that’s where Forest fell short.
Of their seven league wins this season, only two have been by a one-goal margin, showing that Forest normally have to a) catch a team on a vast off-day and b) be at their absolute best to claim victory. They have a distinct lack of character to dig deep and show personality when games are tight and competitive, often failing to manufacture match-defining moments in their favour.
Against Fulham, the host’s defence rarely sweated; Matz Sels made one neat save from a set piece from Calvin Bassey, but the offside flag rose to eradicate it from the record. The Cottagers had just five attempts on goal, only two from open play, and failed to get one on target.
But it was the same old story in front of goal for Forest, yet again failing to find the back of the net for the fourth home game in five, Vitor Pereira still searching for a first league win, now after four attempts. In the Premier League, Forest have only been ahead for 115 of their last 810 minutes played.
Again harking back to last season, the vast difference in goalscoring terms is their clinical edge, or their now lack of it.
Despite finishing seventh, their xG was the seventh-worst, and they overperformed their xG by more than any other side did (+11). Most of that boiled down to the class of Chris Wood and, despite his absence this season, he’s still Forest’s joint-top-scoring league striker this season having only starting seven games and not appearing since Ange Postecoglou’s reign.
Taiwo Awoniyi was introduced with 27 minutes to play and was a physical outlet and presence, certainly more than can be said of the 63 minutes Igor Jesus operated for. But the manner in which he fluffed the potentially match-winning moment five minutes from time showed exactly why he has struggled for game time under four managers this campaign.
The Nigerian was exquisitely sent through by Elliot Anderson for a one-on-one with Leno, but his lack of composure shone through, lashing wide from the middle of the box after controlling neatly and dribbling towards goal.
Despite that, Awoniyi has probably done enough to merit a start in Forest’s next Premier League match, a sombre indictment on Jesus’s shortcomings that winning a few headers and spurning sitters is all it takes to displace him.
Forest are running out of time to get things right. They got a taste of it last night, dropping into the relegation zone for the first time since November, while Tottenham’s late draw at Anfield ensured they remain a point above troubled waters.
No new issues arose from their underwhelming goalless draw to Fulham. If they can’t find a way to score goals and rediscover a shred of character from somewhere, sharpish, then that taste of relegation will start to become more and more familiar.
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