Master Nuno Espírito Santo’s counter-attacking tactics with Nottingham Forest in FM24 and dominate the Premier League!
Recreate Nuno Espírito Santo’s Counter-Attacking Masterclass and Lead
Nottingham Forest to Premier League Glory in FM24
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On the 19th December 2023, Steve Cooper was sacked by Nottingham Forest following a disappointing 0-2 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur – a defeat that left the club languishing in 17th in the Premier League table, worryingly close to the drop zone which they narrowly avoided just 7 months prior. Cooper’s replacement? In came former Wolves and Spurs boss Nuno Espírito Santo, just a month after his sacking from Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
Nottingham Forest managed to avoid relegation for the second season running,
as Nuno Espírito Santo steadied the ship at the City Ground, finishing 17th,
but clear of the relegation zone by 6 points. As a result, the club backed
Nuno heavily in the summer transfer window as they spent just over £100m on 9
new players, and an additional 2 players on loans. The result of this, along
with some excellent coaching by Nuno and a system change? Nottingham Forest
currently sit 3rd (THIRD) in the Premier League at just beyond the halfway
stage, and have already surpassed the key 40-point mark as the club are,
mathematically at least, in the midst of an unforeseen title race!
In this article, I’ll be giving my brief analysis of their incredible system
and will be recreating their tactics under Nuno Espírito Santo this season,
before showcasing the phenomenal results said tactic achieved in testing!
Firstly, let’s break down the system!
Nowadays, you’ll usually see most top-level teams looking to press high and impose themselves onto the game within a structured possession-based system built around keeping the ball and balancing risk and reward. Nottingham Forest, however, are an anomaly. In the Premier League this season, Forest rank in the bottom 5 teams for metrics such as ‘Average Possession’, ‘Passes Completed per 90’ and ‘PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action)’. Whilst most teams press high, Forest would rather sit in a meticulously planned mid-block, where they let the centre-backs have possession whilst marking their passing options, meaning most Forest games are played in the middle third of the pitch. Whilst most teams prefer a more patient approach to possession, looking to move the opponent around and using patterns of play and the ‘Positional Play’ model to eventually break teams down, Nottingham Forest would rather sit deep within their mid-block, allow teams to camp inside their half and commit men forward, before bursting away at speed to punish teams on the counter-attack to a devastating effect. Nottingham Forest are breaking the tactical moulds of football.
In modern football, most teams are built upon a structure and game-model that can create repeatable patterns. In fact, due to this, the stock in the managerial market for ‘counter-attacking’ managers has lowered significantly in the last 5-10 years, as modern football has been enamoured by repeatable patterns of play and artificial transitions – therefore, a team without set patterns of play is seen as inferior in modern football. This perceived ‘inferiority’ is Nottingham Forest’s biggest superiority, as they thrive in transitional moments where they’re creative players can let their imaginations run wild in tandem with their legs, as they combine to paint a beautifully chaotic picture on the counter-attack - Forest flourish in the midst of their artistic anarchy. In the modern game, teams will use different methods to prevent their opponents. Forest’s impending ingenuity, however, cannot be stopped by the same prepared prevention.
Breaking Tactical Trends
Nowadays, you’ll usually see most top-level teams looking to press high and impose themselves onto the game within a structured possession-based system built around keeping the ball and balancing risk and reward. Nottingham Forest, however, are an anomaly. In the Premier League this season, Forest rank in the bottom 5 teams for metrics such as ‘Average Possession’, ‘Passes Completed per 90’ and ‘PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action)’. Whilst most teams press high, Forest would rather sit in a meticulously planned mid-block, where they let the centre-backs have possession whilst marking their passing options, meaning most Forest games are played in the middle third of the pitch. Whilst most teams prefer a more patient approach to possession, looking to move the opponent around and using patterns of play and the ‘Positional Play’ model to eventually break teams down, Nottingham Forest would rather sit deep within their mid-block, allow teams to camp inside their half and commit men forward, before bursting away at speed to punish teams on the counter-attack to a devastating effect. Nottingham Forest are breaking the tactical moulds of football.
Modern Football’s Biggest Disapproval is Forest’s Greatest Asset
In modern football, most teams are built upon a structure and game-model that can create repeatable patterns. In fact, due to this, the stock in the managerial market for ‘counter-attacking’ managers has lowered significantly in the last 5-10 years, as modern football has been enamoured by repeatable patterns of play and artificial transitions – therefore, a team without set patterns of play is seen as inferior in modern football. This perceived ‘inferiority’ is Nottingham Forest’s biggest superiority, as they thrive in transitional moments where they’re creative players can let their imaginations run wild in tandem with their legs, as they combine to paint a beautifully chaotic picture on the counter-attack - Forest flourish in the midst of their artistic anarchy. In the modern game, teams will use different methods to prevent their opponents. Forest’s impending ingenuity, however, cannot be stopped by the same prepared prevention.
Let’s Break Down the Tactic
In Possession
When Forest have possession of the ball, they rarely opt for a shorter range of passes and will regularly go long, mainly towards Wood. When Forest do opt for a slightly shorter passing game, the ball is usually worked into wide areas as Forest will look to work an angle for a cross into the box. Finally, Forest will almost always look for runs in-behind.
In Transition
When Forest lose the ball, they will look to counter-press to try and win the ball back. If they’re unable to, they will retreat into their mid-block. On the other hand, if they do win back the ball, they will look to spring rapid counter-attacks to exploit the opponent’s high positioning or poor transitional set-up. From goal-kicks, Matz Sels will generally go long as he aims for Chris Wood. This approach allows Forest to gain some territory higher up the pitch.
Out of Possession
When Forest don’t have the ball, as aforementioned, they will sit in a mid-block. Within this mid-block, Forest will look to close off central passing options by marking the central players and will force the opposition into wide areas - to achieve this, they will rarely ever press the opposition centre-backs. Finally, should Forest’s midfield line be breached, their defensive line will take a defence-first approach and will drop off to prevent space in-behind for the opposition to exploit.
READ ALSO: One Starter Tactic for EVERY 24/25 Premier League Team in FM24
In this position, Matz Sels has one job and that’s to prevent shots from going into the goal. Because he goes long from goal-kicks, he doesn’t need to engage in build-up phases. Lastly, due to the defence dropping off, Sels rarely ever sweeps off his line. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
Ola Aina has been fantastic this season and has been a standout performer in this Forest side. In this system, Aina is the more attacking full-back as he’s asked to move higher to overlap Elanga and support counter-attacks, along with providing a secondary goal threat – as seen from his goal against Brentford this season. Lastly, Ola Aina’s dribbling and ball-carrying skills have been crucial for Nottingham Forest this season, as he can use an array of skills, along with his blistering speed, to try and reach the byline for cut-back situations. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Nikola Milenkovic is a player I’ve been a massive fan of since 2020, and he has formed an immense duo with Murillo this season as they work together to prevent teams from scoring goals. In this system, the Serbian’s job is simple: stop the opposition. When Forest have the ball, he will usually take the safer approach or will go long towards Wood. Therefore, I felt this role was suitable, with the added instruction:
In this system, Murillo has shone alongside Milenkovic as the latter allows Murillo to showcase his unique ball-playing ability and ambitious nature of taking long-shots from in excess of 30 yards away! Murillo is usually the more tenacious of the two, however, there is situational differentiation as Milenkovic can also be the more tenacious. Therefore, I didn’t deem it necessary to add an instruction like ‘Tackle Harder’ or ‘Close Down More’ to either of their roles. As a result, I believe this is the perfect role, with the added instructions:
In this system, the left-back is the more cautious of the two full-backs and will only really move higher and overlap if the situation calls for it. In general, he’ll pick and choose when to move higher and when to drop deep – either way, he usually holds a wider position. Therefore, I feel this role is suitable, with the added instruction:
In this system, the double-pivots have to be workhorses as they have the responsibility to get around and put out fires in the midfield, with the main aim of protecting the back-four. Nicolas Dominguez is particularly efficient at this, as he sits in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues for ‘Tackles per 90’. Therefore, I feel this is the most suitable role, with the added instruction:
In this midfield pivot, Elliot Anderson is the more creative and progressive of the two as he will regularly look to use his stamina to carry the ball aggressively into forward positions. Along with that, Anderson has shown great creativity at times as he regularly looks to feed forwards. Finally, as with his partner Dominguez, Anderson will be aggressive and assertive out of possession, and will look to put out fires in midfield areas. Therefore, I felt this role was ideal, with the added instructions:
Morgan Gibbs-White has been another standout in this Forest side, as he has been the driving force in a lot of Forest’s attacks this season. From this position, Gibbs-White will naturally gravitate towards the ball and will ask for it. Once the ball’s at his feet, he’s an unpredictable magician who can choose between carrying the ball higher up, feeding the attackers ahead of him or taking a shot himself. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
Anthony Elanga is an example of Nottingham Forest’s astute transfer dealings in the last 18 months, as the promising winger was bought from Man Utd for a fee in the region of just £15m. In this system, Elanga’s raw pace and directness is put to good use, as Forest will regularly look to play the ball into his path for him to chase. Elanga usually holds a narrow position, almost as a second striker behind Wood at times which allows Aina to progress on the right. Because of this narrower positioning, Elanga’s given licence to roam towards the opposite side and link-up with Hudson-Odoi. Lastly, to counter the ‘Inside Forward’s’ selfishness, I applied the ‘Shoot Less Often’ instruction. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
In this position, Hudson-Odoi will usually look to hold the width on the left-side and look to expand play by making runs in-behind regularly. When he receives the ball to feet, his natural inclination is to cut inside with the ball to weigh up shooting/crossing opportunities. Therefore, I feel this role was ideal, with the added instructions:
Chris Wood has been exemplary this season, as he has conjured up 14 league goals from just 41 shots, leaving him with an outstanding 34.1% conversion rate in the Premier League this season. In this system, Wood is the target man who has the responsibility of holding up play, winning his aerial duels and linking with the players around him. Additionally, you’ll usually see Wood move into the channels and onto the shoulder of the last defender in an ‘Advanced Forward’ kind of way – this was most recently seen for his goal against Liverpool in the recent 1-1 draw at the City Ground. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instruction:
In the Premier League, we were excellent as we ended up winning Nottingham Forest’s first top-flight title since 1977/78! Of the 38 Premier League games, we won 27 games, drew 6 games and lost just 5 games! Our counter-attacking football was a joy to behold as we scored 90 goals in the league, the league’s best attacking record. The same can be said about our defending as we conceded only 26 league goals, also the league’s best record!
Unfortunately, we weren’t so successful in cup competitions as we were unable to win either of the English domestic cup competitions. We began with the Carabao Cup, where we fell at the semi-final stage after a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Aston Villa. We followed that up with our FA Cup campaign, where we disappointingly fell at the 3rd Round stage to eventual competition winners Liverpool after a late 3-2 defeat at Anfield.
When Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of Nottingham Forest, with the club struggling and in a relegation dogfight, few would’ve expected the club to be involved in a Premier League title race just a little over a year later! To achieve this, Nuno implemented a robust counter-attacking system and has made Nottingham Forest very difficult to beat. In this article, I analysed Forest’s tactics under Nuno Espirito Santo and recreated said tactics on Football Manager 2024, before showcasing the impressive results said tactics achieved in testing. If you want a taste of this thrilling tactic, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials. I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
Player Roles
Goalkeeper – Defend
In this position, Matz Sels has one job and that’s to prevent shots from going into the goal. Because he goes long from goal-kicks, he doesn’t need to engage in build-up phases. Lastly, due to the defence dropping off, Sels rarely ever sweeps off his line. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
Wing-Back – Support
Ola Aina has been fantastic this season and has been a standout performer in this Forest side. In this system, Aina is the more attacking full-back as he’s asked to move higher to overlap Elanga and support counter-attacks, along with providing a secondary goal threat – as seen from his goal against Brentford this season. Lastly, Ola Aina’s dribbling and ball-carrying skills have been crucial for Nottingham Forest this season, as he can use an array of skills, along with his blistering speed, to try and reach the byline for cut-back situations. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Central Defender – Defend
Nikola Milenkovic is a player I’ve been a massive fan of since 2020, and he has formed an immense duo with Murillo this season as they work together to prevent teams from scoring goals. In this system, the Serbian’s job is simple: stop the opposition. When Forest have the ball, he will usually take the safer approach or will go long towards Wood. Therefore, I felt this role was suitable, with the added instruction:
Ball-Playing Defender – Defend
In this system, Murillo has shone alongside Milenkovic as the latter allows Murillo to showcase his unique ball-playing ability and ambitious nature of taking long-shots from in excess of 30 yards away! Murillo is usually the more tenacious of the two, however, there is situational differentiation as Milenkovic can also be the more tenacious. Therefore, I didn’t deem it necessary to add an instruction like ‘Tackle Harder’ or ‘Close Down More’ to either of their roles. As a result, I believe this is the perfect role, with the added instructions:
Full-Back – Support
In this system, the left-back is the more cautious of the two full-backs and will only really move higher and overlap if the situation calls for it. In general, he’ll pick and choose when to move higher and when to drop deep – either way, he usually holds a wider position. Therefore, I feel this role is suitable, with the added instruction:
Ball-Winning Midfielder – Defend
In this system, the double-pivots have to be workhorses as they have the responsibility to get around and put out fires in the midfield, with the main aim of protecting the back-four. Nicolas Dominguez is particularly efficient at this, as he sits in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues for ‘Tackles per 90’. Therefore, I feel this is the most suitable role, with the added instruction:
Defensive Midfielder – Support
In this midfield pivot, Elliot Anderson is the more creative and progressive of the two as he will regularly look to use his stamina to carry the ball aggressively into forward positions. Along with that, Anderson has shown great creativity at times as he regularly looks to feed forwards. Finally, as with his partner Dominguez, Anderson will be aggressive and assertive out of possession, and will look to put out fires in midfield areas. Therefore, I felt this role was ideal, with the added instructions:
Advanced Playmaker – Support
Morgan Gibbs-White has been another standout in this Forest side, as he has been the driving force in a lot of Forest’s attacks this season. From this position, Gibbs-White will naturally gravitate towards the ball and will ask for it. Once the ball’s at his feet, he’s an unpredictable magician who can choose between carrying the ball higher up, feeding the attackers ahead of him or taking a shot himself. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
Inside Forward – Attack
Anthony Elanga is an example of Nottingham Forest’s astute transfer dealings in the last 18 months, as the promising winger was bought from Man Utd for a fee in the region of just £15m. In this system, Elanga’s raw pace and directness is put to good use, as Forest will regularly look to play the ball into his path for him to chase. Elanga usually holds a narrow position, almost as a second striker behind Wood at times which allows Aina to progress on the right. Because of this narrower positioning, Elanga’s given licence to roam towards the opposite side and link-up with Hudson-Odoi. Lastly, to counter the ‘Inside Forward’s’ selfishness, I applied the ‘Shoot Less Often’ instruction. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
Winger – Attack
In this position, Hudson-Odoi will usually look to hold the width on the left-side and look to expand play by making runs in-behind regularly. When he receives the ball to feet, his natural inclination is to cut inside with the ball to weigh up shooting/crossing opportunities. Therefore, I feel this role was ideal, with the added instructions:
Target Forward – Attack
Chris Wood has been exemplary this season, as he has conjured up 14 league goals from just 41 shots, leaving him with an outstanding 34.1% conversion rate in the Premier League this season. In this system, Wood is the target man who has the responsibility of holding up play, winning his aerial duels and linking with the players around him. Additionally, you’ll usually see Wood move into the channels and onto the shoulder of the last defender in an ‘Advanced Forward’ kind of way – this was most recently seen for his goal against Liverpool in the recent 1-1 draw at the City Ground. Therefore, I feel this role is perfect, with the added instruction:
Opposition Instructions
Results
Premier League
In the Premier League, we were excellent as we ended up winning Nottingham Forest’s first top-flight title since 1977/78! Of the 38 Premier League games, we won 27 games, drew 6 games and lost just 5 games! Our counter-attacking football was a joy to behold as we scored 90 goals in the league, the league’s best attacking record. The same can be said about our defending as we conceded only 26 league goals, also the league’s best record!
Domestic Cups
Unfortunately, we weren’t so successful in cup competitions as we were unable to win either of the English domestic cup competitions. We began with the Carabao Cup, where we fell at the semi-final stage after a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Aston Villa. We followed that up with our FA Cup campaign, where we disappointingly fell at the 3rd Round stage to eventual competition winners Liverpool after a late 3-2 defeat at Anfield.
Conclusion
When Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of Nottingham Forest, with the club struggling and in a relegation dogfight, few would’ve expected the club to be involved in a Premier League title race just a little over a year later! To achieve this, Nuno implemented a robust counter-attacking system and has made Nottingham Forest very difficult to beat. In this article, I analysed Forest’s tactics under Nuno Espirito Santo and recreated said tactics on Football Manager 2024, before showcasing the impressive results said tactics achieved in testing. If you want a taste of this thrilling tactic, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials. I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
