Colin Fray: Nottingham Forest’s Top-Five Position Outweighs Recent Defeat

BBC Radio Nottingham’s Colin Fray expressed confidence that Nottingham Forest’s “phenomenal” start to the season provides “enough to be positive about,” mitigating concerns stemming from Sunday’s home loss to Newcastle. He cautioned against dwelling on the setback, stating, “The worst thing they can do off the back of this is to start moping about the defeat and start to get down on themselves.” Fray emphasized the team’s current standing, adding, “Forest are top five and that still represents a phenomenal start to the season. They have some very difficult games to come back to but it’s about reflections and the bigger picture.” He also commended manager Nuno’s perspective, noting, “I liked Nuno’s phrase where he said: ‘We had done to us what we have been doing to other teams.’ And he’s right.” Fray elaborated on this point, drawing a parallel between Newcastle’s victory over Forest and Forest’s own win against West Ham the previous week. He acknowledged Newcastle’s performance, calling them “the best side to come to the City Ground this season” and stating, “You have to give Newcastle credit.” While admitting Forest’s performance was “off it a bit compared with where they have been,” Fray suggested moving past the result. He speculated that if the team achieves similar results in their “next dozen fixture,” the recent loss would not be a major concern. Despite acknowledging a “daunting” series of upcoming away fixtures and the less-than-ideal timing of an an international break following such a performance, Fray reiterated that the team’s earlier games this season offer “enough to be positive about.”