Nuno Espírito Santo is a controversial figure within some footballing circles. But the Portuguese’s tactics have made him a highly dependable, successful manager. All of this has been enough to rescue Nottingham Forest’s Premier League season.
With Nottingham Forest enjoying the best season in its modern history, it’s time to update this article and see how Santo got his tactics right and just well Forest could finish this campaign.
Career Prior to Joining Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espírito Santo had a relatively successful career as a football player. During a career that lasted nearly two decades, he played for teams such as Vitoria Guimares, Porto, and Dynamo Moscow. He was a dependable goalkeeper.
Just as important as his personality and skill has been his association with football agent Jorge Mendes. Nuno was, in fact, his very first client. Mendes has, no doubt, helped him earn job opportunities for clubs such as Valencia, Porto, or Tottenham.
However, it was the manager’s time in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, then a newly promoted side, that solidified his reputation as a defensive-minded manager who can grind out results against some of the toughest opposition.
Football Philosophy
Nuno Espírito Santo’s football philosophy, as reflected in his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, is characterized by a cautious and defensive approach to the game. He prefers structured formations, typically employing a 4-2-3-1 setup, focusing on maintaining a solid defensive line and controlling the midfield area. His tactics emphasize stability, possession, and a disciplined defensive structure, often at the expense of attacking play.
Nuno’s philosophy also involves a conservative style of football, where teams under his guidance tend to prioritize not conceding goals over scoring them. This approach has led to criticism, especially in teams that have historically been more attack-oriented, as it can lead to the underutilization of forward players and a lack of goalscoring opportunities. Despite his defensive focus, his teams have struggled with maintaining clean sheets due to individual errors and ineffective pressing strategies.
Overall, Nuno’s football philosophy leans towards pragmatism and caution, with a significant emphasis on defensive solidity and midfield control, but often at the cost of attacking flair and effectiveness.
Formations and adaptability
At the time of writing and updating the article, Forest just triumphed 3-0 against West Ham. The team sits 3rd in the league, and there’s a real sense of excitement surrounding it.
Has Nuno stuck to his old tricks? Formations-wise, throughout the season, the Portuguese has nearly exclusively used a 4-2-3-1 formation. It was only during the 1-0 defeat to Fulham that the team started the game in a 4-4-2 system.
The 4-2-3-1 system has allowed Nuno to use the best players in his squad. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi have performed well as inside forwards. Morgan Gibbs-White has been able to utilize his creativity and skill playing behind the striker. And Chris Wood, long the big hope of the Forest fans, has really shone as his striker. He has netted 8 goals in 10 appearances.
Using the 4-2-3-1 Formation
Nuno Espírito Santo’s approach to formations and adaptability at Tottenham Hotspur showed a certain level of rigidity. He primarily favored a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is a structure he seemed to prefer due to its balance between defense and attack. However, the implementation of this formation under Nuno at Tottenham was criticized for being overly defensive and not making the best use of the team’s attacking talents.
The formation was intended to provide stability and control in the midfield, aiming to build up play methodically. However, this often resulted in slow and predictable attacks, making the team easy to defend against. The emphasis on maintaining shape and structure often led to a lack of creativity and dynamism in forward areas, which was a significant departure from the more fluid and attacking style seen under previous managers like Mauricio Pochettino.
In terms of adaptability, Nuno struggled to adjust his tactics effectively against different types of opponents. Instead of adapting his formation and style to exploit the weaknesses of opponents or to counter their strengths, he largely stuck to his preferred setup and strategic approach, even when it was clear that changes were needed. This lack of tactical flexibility contributed to poor results and ultimately led to his departure from the club.
Therefore, regarding formations and adaptability, Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure at Tottenham highlighted a preference for a particular setup that prioritized defensive solidity over attacking threat. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, is a team much more willing to adapt to the opposition’s style.
What Nottingham Forest Loos Like in Defense
Nuno Espírito Santo took over for Steve Cooper as manager of Nottingham Forest. The club has an ambitious project that has helped them retain their place in the Premier League. However, during the 2023/24 season, it looked like Forest was coming to the end of a cycle. With relegation dangerously in sight, the club’s higher-ups opted for Nuno to guide them.
Nuno Espírito Santo is known as a defensive-minded manager. It’s not an unfair reputation. Like West Ham’s David Moyes, Nuno prioritizes tactical discipline and a rigid team setup to ensure he gets results.
We expected Nuno Espirito Santo to bring exactly this approach to Nottingham Forest: wing-driven counterattacks, low-block defending, and a focus on physicality and aerial dominance. We saw glimpses of this in an early 2-0 win over West Ham last season, when Forest delivered a masterclass in Nuno’s efficiency, giving up possession to control the game through quick transitions and a resilient midfield. But, Nuno has made important changes this season.
Nuno has made updating and improving the defensive line a priority. The central defensive partnership of Nikola Milenkovic, formerly of Fiorentina, and Murillo, brought in 2023 from Corinthians, set the EPL side back nearly 27 million euros.
Pressing through the Mid-Block
Nottingham Forest tends to like to soak up pressure in a mid-block. Both central defenders are good in the air and highly responsible tactically. Meanwhile, the two pivots, defensive midfielders Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez, are good tacklers with excellent work rates. Forest may defend most of the time, but they don’t allow too many shots fired at goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The team’s success and many of its goals are based on the use of intelligent pressing traps. This requires tactical awareness and, once again, a great work rate. Nottingham Forest tries to restrict space, play compactly, and encourage the opposition to attack through the middle.
Nicolas Dominguez averaged one interception per game and 2.1 tackles. Ibrahim Sangare makes 5 tackles on average. Attacking players like Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi put up similar numbers.
The club has used the transfer market wisely. Current defenders seem to be an upgrade over a core group which included Moussa Nikhate, Scott McKenna, Willy Boly, and Felipe Augusto.
How Nottingham Forest Likes to Attack
Lightning-fast counter-attacks allow Forest to take advantage of the speed wingers Elanga and Hudson-Odoi, players whose EPL experience has taught them how to play quickly and under pressure.
I expected Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival to enhance Nottingham Forest’s efficiency in converting limited scoring opportunities—a style that perfectly suits his vision. I expected Nuno Tavares and Neco Williams to provide the necessary width and pace down the flanks. And I thought that Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi would be desperate to prove themselves.
Many of those predictions turned out to be correct. Forest is a highly compact team defending in a mid-block. The two wing-backs can help provide width-assist attacks. Those, however, are Alex Moreno and Ola Aina, usually, and their mission is more often a defensive one.
Instead, Forest tends to rely on the power of quick counterattacks. Elanga and Hudson-Odoi, who are just 22 and 23 years old, offer the speed and provide the width in these attacks. Chris Wood, seen by some as a striker with limited ability, has been wonderfully used for his finishing and ability in the air.
Nuno Santo’s Nottingham tends to press with five attacking players. All are lined up around the midway line. This willingness to press aggressively, as well as their speed, allows them to quickly break on the counterattack and usually do it in central areas of the pitch.
In recent press conferences, Nuno also insists that the team’s success this season has been due to the players’ togetherness and willingness to work in detail on exploiting space.
Utilizing the Squad
One of the biggest problems Nottingham faced upon their return to the Premier League was an uncontrolled spending spree and the acquisition of players who didn’t fit each new manager’s tactics. For example, club fans will remember Jesse Lingard struggling to find a place that suited the pitch and thus being reduced to a substitute role.
Many thought that the same would happen to teenager Elliot Anderson. Instead, the Scottish midfielder has been one of the team’s secret weapons this season.
Anderson is a technical player who is really comfortable on the ball. While he is naturally a creative attacking midfielder, this has not clashed with Gibbs-White’s role. It is because Nuno Santo has not been afraid to use the Scottish player in various roles and midfield positions.
Meanwhile, players like James Ward-Prowse or Ramon Sosa provide great backup options despite not being offered a starring role. Santo has managed to cut out the fat from this Nottingham Forest squad.
What Next for Nuno Espírito Santo and for Notthingham Forest?
Nuno Espírito Santo, on paper, looked like the kind of manager that could save Nottingham Forest from facing the drop. He’d done it before with Wolverhampton. This has proven true, and in the 2023/24 season, Forest presents itself as one of the most exciting underdog stories in the EPL.
After a quarter of the season, Santo’s Forest sits in a Champions League-qualifying spot. Truthfully, retaining this kind of form will be difficult. However, the statistics confirm that the table after ten games of the EPL tends to be similar to the final season table. That’s excellent news for Santo.
Beyond this, it’s hard to tell what will happen. Nuno Espírito Santo and Forest should enjoy the success now that they have it. However, the EPL’s high competitiveness and Santo’s own track record suggest that this may not last forever. Still, managing to turn the dream of getting Forest once more among the EPL’s elite is nothing to sneeze at.
