Nuno Espirito Santo makes genius change behind the scenes that will help Nottingham Forest

Not that working and managing a club like Forest isn’t attractive, but replacing arguably the club’s best manager like the legendary Brian Clough would put most people off.

   However, Espirito Santo had different ideas.    He joined the club following the sacking of Steve Cooper with a point to prove after a short – and somewhat unhappy – spell at Tottenham in which he was sacked after just 17 games in charge.

   Of course, with this being his last time in England, Forest fans were not convinced.    But his time at Wolves was overlooked as he guided the team to promotion and then seven successive League One finishes.

   His first few months at Forest were somewhat difficult.    AFCON disrupted his squad and stuck around while the club didn’t quite hit the jackpot in the January window and Evangelos Marinakis actually thought twice about sacking Espirito Santo.

   Thankfully, the owner stood firm with the man he chose to replace Cooper.    Now the club is reaping the rewards and he seems to have his fingers on the pulse of the entire club.

   Nuno Espirito Santo is making a difference behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest

   The start of the Reds’ 2024/25 campaign was the result of careful planning and good recruitment.    Forest have given Espiritu Santo time to work properly with a club that already looks set to prove itself as a Championship side.

   However, it seems that it is not just the first team that is benefiting from Espirito Santo’s input.    The Forest head coach has also made some adjustments in the academy in an attempt to maintain a clear path on Trentside.

   An article from The Athletic claims that Espirito Santo has now insisted that the B team use the same tactical system as him.    This was evident in the EFL Trophy last night when the Reds lost to Morecambe.

   In addition, he now also makes sure that both teams train together at the same time.    He was supposed to show players where they could train later in their careers if they work hard and demand the best of themselves.

   Espirito Santo will not forget Forest Academy

   Given a less than impressive history of nurturing young talent at Wolves and Tottenham, Forest fans may have had reservations.    But things are different at Forest – and Espirito Santo knows it.

   You have to go back to 1941 when Forest last played a game and named a squad that did not contain a player who had come up through the youth ranks to play first team football.

   This record is something the club is very proud of and behind the scenes the tradition is being maintained and will continue under the supervision of the current hierarchy.

   Espirito Santo may not be a fist-pumping purist like Cooper was.    But he does a lot of good things behind the scenes and this small tweak to the club’s academy could prove to be a stroke of genius in the years to come.