Latest Nottingham Forest news as Neco Williams reacts to 3-0 win over Liverpool for Sean Dyche’s Reds
Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche on the touchline against Liverpool(Image: Getty)
Nottingham Forest have a dressing room fully committed to the cause under Sean Dyche, according to defender Neco Williams.
Buoyed by back-to-back wins in the Premier League, the Reds are aiming to keep the feelgood factor going this week as they head into successive home games. And as they continue to navigate the challenges of competing in Europe, Dyche has got every player focused on doing their bit.
For Williams, few sum up what is expected of Forest more than Omari Hutchinson. The winger will not be able to feature against Malmo on Thursday night as he is not in the club’s Europa League squad, but he has more than played his part in the last two league games.
Against Liverpool at the weekend, Morgan Gibbs-White wrapped up a 3-0 triumph away to Liverpool when he pounced on Hutchinson’s rebounded shot. The summer signing had also impressed from off the bench against Leeds United prior to the international break, chipping in with an assist and winning a penalty as the hosts came through 3-1.
“We have got very good players and a very big squad now. The more we can use it, the better for us,” Williams said after the victory at Anfield.
“We are playing a lot of games at the minute, with being in Europe. It is important that the whole squad – every player – is ready and knows what to do when they come on.
“You have seen it with Omari in the last two games when he has come off the bench. In the last game (against Leeds), he got an assist and won a penalty. This time, he created a goal.
“That is the exact mentality that, as a team, we have got to have. He has definitely got that mentality; if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have done what he has done in the last few games.
“We have got a lot of games and are non-stop at the minute. But as footballers, they are the situations you want to be in. You want to be playing all the time, so there is no moaning on our side.
“It demands a lot of hard work but we are enjoying it. We showed what we can do, which is good for us.”
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Keeping defending champions Liverpool at bay represented a first clean sheet in the league since April for Forest. Meanwhile, the three points lifted them out of the relegation zone and provided them with a platform to build on as they work to turn their season around under Dyche.
The recently-appointed head coach has lost only once in all competitions since taking charge last month. After hosting Malmo, the Reds will welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to the City Ground on Sunday when their attention reverts back to the league.
“It is a real confidence booster; we have won two on the bounce now. It was a very important game and a very important win,” Williams said of toppling his former club.
“We always take it game by game, and that is what we have been doing. Against Leeds, we had a game plan and we stuck to it. It was the exact same here, and nothing is going to change for the next game. Hopefully we can build on this performance and build on the clean sheet, and take it into the next one.”
The full-back, who set up Nicolo Savona for the visitors’ second goal on Merseyside, added: “Since the manager has come in, you can see he has brought the togetherness back with the players, the staff and the fans – and that is really helping. We did so well last season because of the togetherness and bond we had between everyone. The manager has steadied the ship and brought that back.
“There has been a lot of running and a lot of hard work. The manager said that we needed to get fitter and, as players, we knew that we needed to.
“Training has been really tough, there has been a lot of running – but it is only going to benefit us. You have seen that in this performance. It was 90 minutes of a lot of running and hard work. You have to be fit to play in these kinds of games.
“It is back-to-back wins at Anfield for us and not many teams in the world can say that. We have to be proud of it, proud of the victory.
“It is important we got the clean sheet as well. The amount of goals Liverpool score with their world-class attacking players, to keep that clean sheet was important. It is a little bonus for us defenders.”
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