Knackered Nottingham Forest have run out of steam in unexpected Champions League push

As mere mortal observers, we are prone, sometimes, to overlooking just how long and difficult a season is for footballers. Title-wining sides are invariably those who are best able to stay the distance all the way to the end.

This season, staying power is going to be the determining factor in who gets the Champions League places and who misses out – and Nottingham Forest look to be suffering more than anyone else in that battle for the top five.

In mid-January, 21 games into the Premier League season, Forest were in third place, just two points behind Arsenal. Coming into their Sunday encounter with Leicester City, they had won just six of their 14 previous league games games. A league table made up only of games from that period would have Forest in 13th, behind Brentford (5th), Wolves (8th) and Crystal Palace (11th).

The pressure of expectation created by that brilliant start to the season may have been a factor, and injuries have not helped either. But above all else, there has been an inescapable whiff of fatigue about Forest’s efforts over the past couple of months. Frankly, they have looked knackered.

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But Forest still had hope that having the finish line in sight could be just what they needed to give them that little push for the final few hundred yards. Apparently not; this game was Forest’s season captured in microcosm.

Leicester’s first-half goal, courtesy of Conor Coady, came somewhat against the run of play after a bright and energetic start from Forest. An encouraging start means little without follow-through, and after suffering a significant setback, they had to find a way not just to get back into the fight, but go on to win it. There was no room for heavy legs here.

That is not Forest’s game at all. For all their defensive organisation and ability to do the basics right, they have struggled when asked to patiently break an opponent down. As far back as November, their attempts to move away from counter-attacking football and into something more dominant backfired badly as a then-out-of-sorts Newcastle beat them at their own usual game.

There’s a reason Forest have gone behind fewer times this season than anyone in the league except Arsenal – and a reason they have one of the worst records in the Premier League on those rare occasions they are asked to come from behind to win. Even against Leicester, then, this was a challenge.

Morgan Gibbs-White provided a response within ten minutes of Forest falling behind, nodding home Anthony Elanga’s corner, before becoming the provider for Chris Wood to score a diving header that looked like a Phoenix From The Flame recreation of Robin van Persie’s famous 2014 World Cup goal against Spain. 2-1 up, and back in the top five.

And then, largely through their own making – and possibly as a result of those tired bodies and minds – Forest were out of the top five again. Facundo Buonanotte was allowed to waltz into the box much too easily before firing home an equaliser that could mean good night for Forest’s Champions League dreams.

Everything is still so tight in that top seven – just three points separate Forest from fourth-placed Manchester City – that we can’t write them off just yet, especially not with a direct head-to-head with Chelsea still to come on the final day.

As it looks right now, though, there are just a few wisps of steam left in Forest’s engine. There is no shame in that; nobody expected them to be anywhere near where they are now – European qualification of some form or other is now assured. Evangelos Marinakis would be well-advised to keep that in mind.

‘Scandalous from that Forest owner,’ was Gary Neville’s take on the Greek furiously taking to the pitch to make his frustrations clear to the manager. ‘Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.’

Perhaps not, but emotions are bound to run high. Unless they can summon up some new ideas and new energy from somewhere, Forest will still be left to rue what might have been.