Nuno delivers Nottingham Forest message as 'doesn't make sense' point made
by Sarah Clapson · NottinghamshireLiveNottingham Forest are preparing for the crunch stage of the campaign by keeping things exactly as they have been all season.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is determined to maintain the same approach right the way through until May as the Reds look to finish in style. After all, it is a philosophy which has served his team well so far.
Forest go to Ipswich Town on Saturday (3pm kick-off) sitting third in the Premier League table and in with a very real chance of securing Champions League qualification. They are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after seeing off the Tractor Boys in the fifth round last week courtesy of a penalty shootout win.
“The message is that we don’t have to change anything. We have to approach the games the same way we have been doing all season,” Nuno said when asked about his message to his players ahead of the trip to Portman Road.
“We try to get across as many details as we can and then prepare ourselves to compete against a very tough team. Everything is going to be decided now, so all the teams are going to be ready to go and we have to be ready to compete against Ipswich.
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“It doesn’t make sense to change our approach. We have been going game by game, day by day and training session by training session. This is what we believe is the best way to approach every game until the end.
“First, the big challenge is Ipswich. That is the main challenge we have ahead of us.
“They are a tough team. We know how hard it was against them in the FA Cup, because we only achieved it by penalties.
“They are a good team with a good coach. This is our major challenge. They have quality players and they play good football. They are intense and we expect a very tough match at their home.”
Nottingham Forest: Special reports
To celebrate the success of Nottingham Forest this season, we are writing a series of features celebrating events at the City Ground.
From the finances to the former managers. Looking at how the City is benefitting from what Nuno's team are doing on the pitch.
We take a deep dive into Evangelos Marinakis and his aspirations for the club - can the Reds match them?
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VIEW FROM THE TERRACES: 'I've had a Forest season ticket for 20 years - we've never had it so good'
FUTURE GROWTH: Special report: What Forest success this season could mean for club's future
EVANGELOS MARINAKIS: Forest can fulfil Evangelos Marinakis' big ambition as magical season just the start
NUNO'S IMPACT: French Alps trip and the surprising role Manchester United played in remarkable transformation
For Nuno, the run-in will be all-consuming. The stakes are high and the Portuguese will leave no stone unturned in the quest to cap what has already been a special season with a memorable ending.
“My career is tomorrow. This is my life - tomorrow. I finish speaking now and I will go back to work and prepare the training session for tomorrow,” he said.