Former Nottingham Forest defender turned Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson has expressed doubts in the ability of his former club to maintain their current form and secure Champions League qualification ahead of next season.
Nottingham Forest currently sit third in the Premier League standings under Nuno Espirito Santo, maintaining a strong position in the top four. For the past nine weeks, the Tricky Trees have consistently held their place among the league’s top four teams.
This season, the Reds have held their own against the traditional top Premier League sides in impressive fashion. Their latest outing against second-placed Arsenal ended in a keenly battled 0-0 stalemate at City Ground.
With eleven league games remaining, only six points separate third-placed Forest and tenth-placed Aston Villa. Dawson, who made 111 appearances for Forest across two spells, expressed concern that his former team might fall short.
“I’d love to say yes, but I’m worried,” Dawson told Nottinghamshire Live when asked whether Forest could make the top four.
“I knew this was a big week for them with the games they had – Newcastle, Arsenal and then Man City. Three teams who beat them earlier on in the season.
“Good point for them against Arsenal. It was good to stop the losing run. The way they play, to keep playing to that level is hard. You’ve got to remember where they were in the previous two seasons, fighting against relegation. Even to be talked about and be in the equation to be challenging for Champions League football is remarkable.
“But when your players are playing to the maximum of their level for this long and you just fall off, with the amount of teams who are coming with a late run I think it is going to be a real challenge. If they can get any kind of Europe it would be remarkable. My outside team is Brighton.”
Nottingham Forest’s next Premier League assignment will see Pep Guardiola’s erratic Manchester City pay a visit to City Ground. City won their last meeting 3-0 and another defeat could push Forest out of the top four.
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