ALMOST exactly 50 years ago, in early January 1975, Nottingham Forest’s greatest manager walked into the City Ground as boss for the first time. And while Nuno Espirito Santo has little in common with Brian Clough except the same job title, the Portuguese has Forest fans dreaming of a return to the biggest European stage after more than four decades.
![[Nuno Espirito Santo has turned Nottingham Forest into a top Premier League side this season]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/17-08-2024-nottingham-forest-934504746.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Monday's win at Wolves, a classic example of how this Forest side are arguably the most adept counter-attacking side in the Premier, drew them level on points with second-placed Arsenal. There is a bitter irony for Tottenham supporters that the man sacked because he did not live up to their expectations of how the game should be played is now staring down at Ange Postecoglou’s side - with the Aussie under persistent criticism for being far too open.
![[Nuno will be hoping he can emulate legendary Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough and win the league title]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/assistant-peter-taylor-r-show-893615179.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Yet that explains the biggest secret of Nuno’s Forest success. Unlike Postecoglou, who increasingly appears a hostage to his own philosophy, Nuno is unrepentant about the cautious, counter-attacking approach that will never be acceptable for more than a few weeks in N17.
![[Forest are currently level on points with second place Arsenal]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/anthony-elanga-nottingham-forest-celebrates-959031521.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
At Wolves, remember, he took the Molineux side out of the Championship and up to successive seventh-placed finishes - their best since 1980. He did it in exactly the same way as he is working the magic at Forest, not too dissimilar to the manner in which Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester stunned the Prem in 2016.
![[Nuno was unable to make things work at Tottenham]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/94bcc06b-6582-402f-8ed7-e92ec4afa5dd.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
