Andy Gray and Richard Keys clash over 'hard watch' Nottingham Forest
26/04/2025 14:27
Nottingham Forest are enjoying an incredible season in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo but they aren’t impressing everyone.
Having spent the last two seasons fighting to avoid relegation back to the Championship, the current campaign has gone very diffrently at The City Ground.
Nuno’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, putting them in contention to qualify for the Champions League, and will face Man City in the semi finals of the FA Cup on Sunday (27 April).
But for all the admiration of the effort made by Nottingham Forest to get to that position, there has been debate over the style of football they are producing.
Nuno Espirito Santo questioned over style of play
There will be five English teams who qualify for next season’s Champions League, with Nuno‘s side one of several still competing for those positions.
Speaking on beIN Sports, Richard Keys and Andy Gray were in agreement that they would like to see Nottingham Forest qualify for Europe’s top competition given the work they have done.
Opinion though was split over whether they are in fact an enjoyable team to watch when they are out on the pitch.
When comparing The City Ground outfit with some of their rivals for a European spot, Keys said: “They [Nottingham Forest] have given us more than [Aston] Villa have. Villa’s best performances I think have been saved for the Champions League.”
Gray though was unconvinced, noting that Unai Emery’s side faced a “big ask” by competing in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, telling Keys to “Come on”.
| Nottingham Forest last five games | Result |
| Brighton (H) | Drew 0-0 (won on penalties) |
| Man United (H) | Won 1-0 |
| Aston Villa (A) | Lost 2-1 |
| Everton (H) | Lost 1-0 |
| Tottenham (A) | Won 2-1 |
The presenter however responded by insisting he has enjoyed watching Nottingham Forest more than Aston Villa, although Gray seemingly disagreed with that observation.
The former Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton striker replied: “They’ve been the surprise package but listen, the thing about Forest is that sometimes, they’re a hard watch. They are what they are and they play football a certain way.”
Keys then asked what Gray meant by that claim, with the Scot insisting “you know what I mean”.
The presenter responded by emphatically claiming “No I don’t. I know what they are, they know what they are, they play a low block, they break, they score goals which are exciting and get you out of your chair.”
Gray then reiterated: “They can be a hard watch. I think they’ve been brilliant, I think what he’s [Nuno] done and achieved with that group of players, and the players themselves, have been sensational in what they’ve done. I, like you, would like to see them get a Champions League spot.”
After the former striker then again made his point about Villa taking too much, Keys reiterated his claim he would prefer to watch Nottingham Forest, claiming they have provided some “outstanding performances”.
Gray then replied by simply stating: “Well they’ve had outstanding results that’s for sure.”
Nottingham Forest do not need to worry about quality of performances
Football Insider Verdict
Ultimately football is a results business, and that is what will get them the points that deliver the rewards they like any club need more than anything else.
In that respect this season has been a huge success for Nottingham Forest, who have put their struggles from the past couple of seasons right behind them.
Even if some may not have been all that imprssed by their performances, that will be of little concern to those at the City Ground.
With some of their wins in league and cup, they have delivered moments and memories of celebrations that will last a lifetime for everyone involved.
Indeed, there have also been some performances that have been thrilling from Nuno’s men, not least when Brighton were thrashed 7-0 by Nottingham Forest earlier this year.
With that in mind, this can only be considered to be an excellent and productive campaign for the club, and qualification for the Champions League would be just reward for that.
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