Nottingham Forest news: Opinion – Defense no longer the ‘soft underbelly’ of Reds

Last season, Nottingham Forest’s defensive record was their soft underbelly. Despite having some excellent players in the back four, we conceded goals – often from set pieces – which seriously undermined our position in the league.

This time around, match reports are increasingly stating that the Reds have the Premier League’s second-worst defense, behind only Liverpool and equal to Arsenal, with just six goals conceded in seven games.

Matz Sels deserves all the praise after his performance against Chelsea. World-class save after world-class save was matched only by his counterpart, Robert Sanchez.

And while Sels is sometimes not considered Forest’s long-term solution when it comes to goals, he has made a huge difference since replacing both Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos between the posts.

But the addition of Nikola Milenkovic addressed one of the Reds’ most obvious shortcomings in defense: length. The 6ft 4in centre-back won more aerial duels than most other defenders in Europe last season, and that alone has solved part of our problem.

Yet his assist for Chris Wood’s goal on Sunday proves his worth at the other end of the pitch, partly addressing our weakness at set pieces in both penalty areas.

Of course, height is not his only value. His partnership with Murillo is flourishing, he can read the game well and the midfield plays a big role in protecting the back four.

The commitment, determination and determination of the starting XI are clearly visible from the kick-off. The organization and understanding to close attacks, win second balls and get behind the ball when necessary is a team effort that will serve us very well this season.

It has been a balancing act for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, and Nuno Espirito Santo is still searching for the limit.

But stingy defense and serious attacking flair prove many pundits wrong.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The famous club, external