No Ball? No Problem. How Forest Are Breaking The Possession Obsession

"If God had wanted america to play shot successful nan clouds, he'd person put writer up there."

The legendary Brian Clough ever had an absorbing measurement of looking astatine things, and his position of long-ball shot was nary different.

He mightiness good person been appreciative of passing nan shot to feet, but nan erstwhile Nottingham Forest leader would nary uncertainty beryllium enjoying nan caller attack nan Reds are taking to unafraid a return to European shot this season.

On Monday they secured a hugely awesome 2-1 triumph astatine Tottenham, doing truthful having seen conscionable 30% of nan ball.

That has been nan taxable for almost each of their games this season, arsenic they beryllium bottommost of nan Premier League erstwhile it comes to mean possession statistics.

But nan broadside that was battling against relegation past word presently sits 3rd successful nan array and is firmly successful nan hunt for finishing successful nan Champions League places.

"We person a clear measurement to play and erstwhile we recovered ourselves successful our identity," Nottingham Forest head Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC Match of nan Day.

"We had goals [against Tottenham] but besides they created chances successful nan 2nd half and we had to clasp connected to what we had.

"We've been capable this play to compete good and conflict for each ball."

Should Nottingham Forest decorativeness successful nan apical 4 pinch their existent mean possession statistics, they will go nan first squad to do truthful pinch specified a debased figure.

Leicester City memorably won nan Premier League against nan likelihood successful 2015-16 and did truthful pinch mean possession statistic of 42.4%

But Everton, pinch 48.5% successful 2004-05, are nan only different broadside to decorativeness successful nan apical 4 pinch little than 50% possession connected average.

So acold this play Forest person seen conscionable 39.3% possession per game.

It whitethorn beryllium astatine likelihood pinch nan style of teams astir them - and moreover crossed nan English crippled much broadly - but Forest's shot is firmly connected people to guarantee their fans will beryllium capable to bask a European escapade adjacent season.

Possession, of course, isn't everything.

Southampton person been relegated from nan Premier League and are still successful threat of equalling nan lowest-ever points full successful nan top-flight, yet they person gone down pinch amended possession statistic than almost half nan remainder of nan league.

All of this isn't to opportunity Forest's shot is unattractive.

They are alternatively masters of winning nan shot precocious up nan transportation and past quickly turning that into attacking opportunities done their awesome shot carriers, specified arsenic Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

"That's 1 of their main characteristics," said Nuno. "They person nan talent to springiness america these steps guardant up nan pitch."

They are besides objective pinch nan chances they get, arsenic shown against Tottenham arsenic they scored 2 goals from their 3 efforts connected target.

And erstwhile they get up they seldom fto teams backmost in.

They person scored first much than immoderate different squad successful nan Premier League (24 times) and haven't grounded to triumph from a 2-0 lead since October 2023.

"You cannot disregard erstwhile you are successful beforehand nan privilege is to incorporate and artifact nan game," said Nuno.

"We thief each different successful each situation, springiness balance, thief each other, clear things disconnected nan line."

They are besides up of 12 different Premier League teams successful galore of nan cardinal protect metrics, making nan astir clearances and headed clearances, while they rank highly for astir interceptions (eight), tackles (seven) and saves (seven).

Only champions-elect Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal tin boast a amended defence than Forest's, which has conceded conscionable 39 goals successful 33 games, while successful Matz Sels they person nan goalkeeper who is starring nan measurement successful nan conflict for nan Golden Glove this season.

The Belgian has kept 13 cleanable sheets truthful acold this play successful nan Premier League and was only denied a 14th by Richarlison's precocious header, aft stopping nan striker pinch a superb prevention a fewer minutes earlier.

"You mightiness beryllium captious of different teams for sinking deep, but Forest really want to do that and opportunity 'we'll backmost ourselves'," erstwhile Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said connected Sky Sports.

"I don't deliberation you should beryllium praising Tottenham excessively overmuch for having truthful galore shots aliases being connected nan ball, Nottingham Forest let you to do that."