Sean Dyche spoke after his Nottingham Forest side ran out 3-0 winners at defending Premier League champions Liverpool
Sean Dyche talks to Nottingham Forest’s second goalscorer Nicolo Savona during the win at Liverpool(Image: Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)
Sean Dyche has admitted he was ‘gutted’ that Nottingham Forest were not able to play Liverpool straight after their loss to Manchester City despite consigning further misery on the defending champions. The Reds lost 3-0 at the Etihad prior to the November international break before losing by the same scoreline on their return to action at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool have now lost six of their last seven games in the Premier League and dropped to 11th in the table as a result with the pressure continuing to mount as their disappointing campaign continues.
Speaking after the final whistle, Forest’s former Everton boss Dyche was delighted to see his side come out on top against the title holders. And praising his players for adapting well to a change of tactical approach, he also revealed the warning he had given them ahead of the game.
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“The early part (of the game), credit to Liverpool,” he said. “I was a bit gutted that there was a two-week break after the Man City game.
“There was a lot of noise, a lot of questioning. It calms, it settles. I warned the players. These have proven what they can do here. They’re winners. They’ve won cups, leagues, all sorts.
“I said: ‘You’ve got to remind yourselves of that, we need to be ready’. Fair play to them, they started really strong. I thought we defended fantastically well in the early part of the game.
“Then the feel of the game starts changing, you can sense it in the atmosphere of the stadium. Then we scored a goal. And our shape and basics were really good after that.
“And we still had enough in our locker to cause trouble on the break. That’s a different way of winning but it’s still a way of winning.”
He continued: “We changed the tactical style massively today. I said to them: ‘We’re not passing out, don’t worry about that’. People can question me about it, I’m not bothered.
“I said: ‘We’re going long because these are going to press the life out of you’. Which they tried to do early in the game. And they delivered it, they accepted it.
“I know we’ve got players who can play. We know we can mix our football and play good football as people call it now. I prefer wins, personally.
“I thought we’d mix it tactically today, but that’s credit to the players. If you’re willing to deliver it, it’s got a better chance of working. And it did today.
“It’s the strangest thing about football. Last year, this football club used it (winning at Anfield) as a catalyst and carried on. We hope for that. But because of my awareness of the division, because I’ve been here a long time, it doesn’t guarantee the next one.
“Of course it’s to be enjoyed. I do enjoy it. People think I don’t, I do. But it’s for the fans and players.
“We’ve got to go again. It’s not solved but it’s a good strong marker about this group.”