Nuno Espirito Santo Addresses European Aspirations, Team Expectations, and Chris Wood’s Form

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to the media in advance of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, which kicks off at 17:30 GMT. The following are the key points from his press conference: He reported that there are “no big issues” concerning injuries or the club. Regarding the victory over Manchester United, Nuno stated: “It was a good game, a fantastic result and a memorable moment for all of us at the club, in the game we were lucky in the moments we scored which makes a big difference on the momentum of the game. After that we held onto the advantage and managed the game well.” His message to the players, aimed at maintaining their focus, was: “Realise we’ve achieved nothing – it’s just the beginning, the big challenge is to stay focused and look for improvement. Compete always to the maximum that you can because every game you face is very difficult starting on Saturday against Villa. The challenge is to perform, compete and to do everything you can to maintain the standards we want.” On Chris Wood becoming Forest’s all-time Premier League top scorer, Nuno commented: “He’s in his peak, I hope he continues – he’s in his best moment. There’s no age, nothing of that – everything is possible. The squads are getting younger and younger because we’re looking at the next player. Sometimes you don’t realise a 33 year old can perform as good, his knowledge acquired from his career that he reflects on the pitch is immense.” Nuno indicated he is not “surprised at all” by Forest’s current standing in the table. However, when questioned about heightened expectations, he replied: “I’m not listening to that – but I don’t go too much away from my house.” He further elaborated: “We realise the importance of the club and community and what I see is happy people – what I tell them is let’s enjoy the journey, stick to the principles, see where we come from and where we want to go – just enjoy it. My job is to prepare the players to compete, if the team goes well, the club will and the City will be happy – this is what we want.” When asked about the club’s readiness for a European campaign, he affirmed: “We have a good platform and ambition to grow and improve. We are creating something, I really believe we are trying to build something nice together than can allow us to compete – this is what we have to look at.” He was also asked about the 2034 World Cup being hosted in Saudi Arabia and shared his experiences in the country: “My personal experience was good, very welcome and well treated. It was a good experience in my life on all levels – culturally it was very nice. It’s a country that wants to develop and host big events, you can see it all over sport. You just have to make sure everyone is going to be safe and enjoy the game – this is what is more important.”