In a meeting above the lower middle class, Bournemouth stopped Nottingham Forest dead in their tracks. Forest’s Champions League dreams have taken a hit in reality, let alone any wild reveries of a title charge like Leicester 2016. Just like Manchester City and Arsenal, like Newcastle the week before, the jungle has been taken apart, the jungle has been taken apart before, with only 12-foot senior players on the squad at warp speed. was separated from attacking.
Bournemouth fans wanted six. His team is the team of the moment. If Andoni Arraola and Nuno Espirito Santo shared the secret qualities of improving teams and individuals, it was a Basque, friendly ethos that prevailed over the Portuguese whose zen-like calm masked hard-biting sensibilities.
“I’m not going to change the approach I’m taking,” said Iraola, continuing his team’s rise. “We are taking it game by game. We have Liverpool next. We are thin on numbers.
After a 4-1 win at Newcastle, and a full week’s rest, Bournemouth were unchanged and just as disastrous. As with Newcastle, Forest met them in uncharacteristic form – only Liverpool had taken points from Nuno’s side since December 4 – only to fall flat on their faces. “We did a lot of things wrong,” Nuno said.
“Scoring first was key,” said Iraola. Justin Clever’s opener ruined the best of plans. Last week’s hat-trick hero then sped on as the Forest defenders ran out in numbers, Ola Aina got away from the rubber, but as no challenge came, Kluwert let fly. Metz-Sales found himself disgraced in the jungle round.
As Ryan Yates returned Forest’s midfield attacker Nuno tried to throw Bournemouth’s high press back at them, defending in numbers so Pacey could traffic in counter-pressure and counter-attacks. “Our team needs to be closer together,” Nuno said. “The moment we lose that aspect of the game, it becomes so difficult.”
Bournemouth remained on the accelerator. Always, as their manager asks. The imaginative, clever construction of the squad is married to their manager’s ability to improve and rejuvenate. Cluvert was unpopular at Roma but now, at what point is Patrick Cluvert just known as Justin’s dad? Another Roma graduate – how could they or Juventus pass up such obvious talent? – Dean Hodgson made a couple of those, gliding forward runs reminiscent of Virgil van Dijk or Laurent Blanc in full flow. “He’s been doing it every game, being so young,” Errola said.
Any fervent, wild-eyed support in the Premier League, dreaming this season – has been muted. Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, previously perhaps the best centre-back pairing in England, quickly became a surprise as their opponents piled on their torment. “We have to realize the things we’ve done well so far, we have to do that,” Nuno said. “When we don’t do those things, we’re a very fragile team.”
For a spell, Yates and Jota Silva, the midfield provocateurs, slowed Bournemouth’s progress. Forest went in lucky to only score one goal. If there is a complaint about the Airola machine, its chances are lost. The injury crisis has robbed him of his strikers. Not that anyone would notice from recent weeks, or with Clovert and Dango Ouattara hanging around in them.
After the newsletter is advertised
Nuno’s half-time solution was to replace Yates with Nicolás Domingos, asking Elliott Anderson to move forward with him. This brought brief regional gains but little cohesion. Importantly, it freed up space. Sent down the left, Clovert cut inside and headed the ball towards the back post where Autra’s hang time gave him inches to head back across the cells. “He’s played four games as a No. 9, I think he’s playing really well,” Iraola said.
Veri then intervenes after Clovert ends a wave of attacks by Jali, only for his supplier, Oitara, to be officiated. Still, the forest was visible, formless, visible to Nuno. Otara, due to his previous lack of positioning when springing the offside trap, was dispatched by Tyler Adams, another jewel, recently polished, bursting to score. His third came when Marcus Tavernier’s shot was deflected into his path by the now careless Cells. Anton Semino’s fifth – so easy – completed a statement win for club and manager. Liverpool beware?
