Just three months ago, Nottingham Forest celebrated their best league performance in three decades. The City Ground is preparing for its first European football season in years, recalling a time when legends like Stuart Pearce, Bryan Roy, and a different Haaland graced the pitch. Last season, their manager orchestrated a top-flight winning streak that surpassed even Brian Clough`s celebrated achievements. Currently, they occupy fifth place in the nascent Premier League standings.
In essence, this is hardly the scenario where a manager of almost any other club would face queries about his job security. Yet, this was precisely the situation Nuno Espirito Santo encountered on Friday. He addressed speculation that owner Evangelos Marinakis was contemplating his dismissal, remarking, `When there`s smoke, there`s fire.` This statement, like tossing a cigarette into smoldering bushes, suggests an imminent escalation of the situation at Forest.
“Where there`s smoke, there`s fire, so I know how things work,”
the 51-year-old manager stated when questioned about the rumors of his potential departure. He continued,
“But I`m here to do my job. I understand, because I`m worried. I`m the first one to be worried. I`m the first one to be concerned.”
Addressing his relationship with Marinakis directly—an owner known for being one of European football`s most volatile and unpredictable figures, which is saying something—Nuno elaborated:
“I always had a very good relationship with the owner; last season, we were very, very, very close, almost on a daily basis.”
“This season, it`s not been as good,”
he continued,
“but I always believe that dialogue and what you say or your opinion is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season we have ahead of us. However, our relationship has changed.”
This remarkable public criticism of the club`s ownership is not Nuno`s first this season, which is only two weeks old. Last week, the former Wolves and Tottenham manager lamented the failure to strengthen his squad. This week, he appeared to express dissatisfaction both with the new signings and the hierarchy`s inability to offload players not fitting his plans.
In just the last week, Forest has invested approximately $125 million, acquiring English attacking midfielders Omari Hutchison and James McAtee, along with French forward Arnaud Kalimuendo. Veteran midfielder Douglas Luiz has also joined on loan from Juventus, and the club is reportedly looking to bolster its right-back position, with Aston Villa`s Matty Cash linked to a return to his former club.
When asked about the changes in his relationship with the ownership, Nuno responded:
“I don`t know exactly, but I`m being honest with you. I cannot say that it is the same, because it`s not the same. The reason behind it, I don`t know.”
“What I said last week or two weeks ago was my concern and why I was worried. My job is always to try to anticipate what`s coming ahead of us, and that`s what I said, always with respect.”
While Nuno refrained from detailing precisely when the relationship shifted, many observers outside the club point to a pivotal moment last May. Following a 2-2 draw with Leicester, Marinakis reportedly confronted his manager on the pitch. Although the club later dismissed this as “fake news,” claiming the owner was merely showing support for injured striker Taiwo Awoniyi, this explanation failed to account for his visible disagreement with Nuno. That draw ultimately contributed significantly to Forest`s late-season slide, costing them a spot in the Champions League qualification.
Subsequently, Forest appointed Edu Gaspar as the new Global Head of Football, a position designed to act as a buffer between Nuno and Marinakis. In this role, Gaspar would ultimately determine the head coach`s tenure. Just two weeks ago, such a situation would have been unthinkable, even for a club as famously volatile as Nottingham Forest. Now, a change in leadership appears increasingly inevitable.
