Morgan Gibbs-White knows what Nottingham Forest cannot shy away from in Tottenham battle
The Nottingham Forest captain has discussed the Premier League relegation battle and the Europa League quarter-final against Porto during an open training session at the City Ground
Nottingham Forest should not shy away from the reality of the Premier League table, Morgan Gibbs-White has said, as a potentially dramatic run-in gets set to begin.
Forest beat Tottenham 3-0 in the capital in a hugely-important victory before the international break, the win moving them three points clear of the relegation zone.
And while there’s often a temptation to avoid too much focus on the details of the standings, Gibbs-White says it’s something he and his team-mates have to keep at the front of their minds.
“The situation we’re in, it’s been a difficult season, the bottom of the table is very tight still,” the Forest midfielder told Sky Sports. “We can’t shy away from that. We’ve got to still look at that.
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“(The win over Spurs) has brought a positive vibe around the group. We’ve had a massive break so we’re recovered and ready to go again.”
That victory over Spurs, combined with Europa League progression, has gone some way to restoring the good mood at the City Ground, so much so that 7,000 supporters turned out for an open training session on Saturday.
While Forest are gearing up for the Premier League run-in, they’ve got a Europa League quarter-final against Porto coming up first.
On the turnout at the City Ground, Gibbs-White said: “It’s incredible. We know what the fans are like, they’ve been with us through thick and thin. We knew it was going to be a good turnout because of how positive and how good they’ve been with us.
“We all know how difficult this season has been and they’ve stuck with us through it. It was nice to be able to put on a training session for them. I think it’s something we should have done a long time ago. It was nice to see happy faces again.
Ahead of the trip to Portugal, he added: “It’s going to be incredible. It’s a quarter-final, it’s a big game. They’re in good form but we’re really looking forward to it.
“It’s exciting. It’s something this club deserves. It’s a massive club in English history. It’s a special feeling and we’ve worked so hard to get there. We’re going into it with full concentration and positivity that we can succeed in the competition.”