Nottingham Forest have received a boost in their pursuit of a Premier League captain, with the player in question admitting he would like to go there.
Forest is looking at Man City as they are facing a tough one
Forest have little to smile about now, but Wednesday’s trip to Man City is a chance to show the rest of the Premier League that they still mean business.
Vitor Pereira’s side remain just two points clear of the relegation zone with 10 games of a brutal season still to play.
A 2-1 defeat at Brighton on Sunday was another blow, leaving Forest still waiting for their first league win under the Portuguese manager.
Injuries are piling up, the team is at breaking point, and the Europa League run – as brilliant as it has been – continues to drain what little energy is left in the tank.
Nicolo Savona is now undergoing surgery and could miss the entire campaign, joining Willy Boly, John Victor and Chris Wood on the sidelines.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels played against Brighton with his best judgment, his body was not ready, because there was no one else to put him between the sticks.
Nottingham Forest player to assess future with camp amid complaints about conduct – Sky reporter
His behavior was not well received by the fans.
Sels held talks with Pereira about his inclusion in the Brighton game and wanted to play his part, despite the risks involved in rushing back from injury.
And now, of all the programs on the calendar, comes a trip to the Etihad.
City are terrifying at home, and in the kind of form that makes even the top teams in the Premier League nervous. Forest will head there with an empty squad, saddled with injuries and uncertainty, needing to keep their legs strong for the next few crucial games.
Survival must come first. Efficiency would be a bonus, anything beyond that would be extraordinary.
Yet in the midst of all this chaos, something interesting has emerged – a story that could be important to supporters.
Tom Cairney admits he would love to play for Nottingham Forest
Tom Cairney, Fulham’s captain and one of the Premier League’s most experienced midfielders, admitted in a TalkSPORT Q&A session (via Forest News) that the club he would most like to play for – the one he has never been injured in – is Forest.
It makes perfect sense if you know the background.
Cairney was born in Nottingham, his family are lifelong Forest fans, and he spent time at their youth academy before being released and eventually finding his way to Leeds United and Hull City as a youngster.
His next move took him from Blackburn Rovers to Fulham, where he spent more than a decade and became a true club legend, captaining the club and scoring the goal that sealed their promotion to the Premier League in the 2018 play-off final at Wembley.
But home is home. And for Cairney, home is Nottingham.
He is 35, and with his Fulham contract now extended until the summer of 2027, any move to the City Ground this year is unlikely.
The question of what comes after that contract is a completely different matter.
Should Fulham decide not to renew given his age, and if Forest manage to get out of the relegation zone and stay in the Premier League, there is a strong argument to bring him in.
He is an experienced, creative, technically sound playmaker – the kind of calm, assured presence that Forest’s midfield has been crying out for at times this season.
First things first, though. Stay still.
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