Not so long ago, Nottingham Forest would go into games against some of the Premier League big boys thinking it would be a case of “damage limitation”.
Fast forward to this season and the Reds approach every match with a no-fear attitude. It is that shift in mentality which midfielder Ryan Yates believes has been keen to an impressive start to the campaign.
Forest have a chance to record three Premier League wins in a row for the first time in 25 years when they host West Ham United this afternoon (3pm kick-off). Last Friday’s 3-1 thumping of Leicester City temporarily moved them up to fifth in the table, while they have already triumphed away to Liverpool and drawn with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Defensive solidity has been at the heart of the Reds’ form and they have conceded the second-fewest goals in the division. For Yates, all these metrics point to the progress the club are making.
“Go back to pre-season and then to beating Liverpool… we feel we can take the game to anyone,” the Nigel Doughty Academy graduate said. “In our first season in the Premier League we would go to places like the Etihad believing that it would only be damage limitation.
“I just feel as though there is a shift in mentality now. You still have to respect the opposition, but there is just a belief that we have a defensive structure now, from top to bottom.
“Also, the subs are coming on and making such an impact – I’ve never been in a team where the subs are making such a difference to the game. Whether it’s seeing it out, getting us goals, that just shows the togetherness of the group.”
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