Nuno calls for Forest focus to put seal safety
Nuno Espirito Santo insists Nottingham Forest “still have to finish the job” of securing their Premier League safety when it faces Burnley at Turf Moor on the final day of the season.
Three points clear of 18th-place Luton Town in 17th, Forest is all but safe from relegation, while it would take an unlikely 12-goal swing in the Hatters’ favour to change that.
Nevertheless, Nuno is not taking anything for granted and has called for focus from his players, who he saluted for their efforts throughout the campaign.
"We still have to finish the job," he said. "But credit to the players because it was not an easy season. We have always been able to compete really well in games.
"The feeling is always that we should have been better. We have never felt that someone beat us; it was just that we let games get away from us.
"Yes, in certain games we have been punished, but we have always been a team that wants to attack and score. That is part of our identity.
"There is still a game to go, and we know how football can go. It is best that we prepare the same way with commitment. We are clear about everything that can happen. It is up to us to achieve what we want."
Meanwhile, Burnley is preparing for life back in the Championship, with its immediate return secured after last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Coach Vincent Kompany says the match marks the first step towards the Clarets' recovery from the disappointment.
"If we're treating this as the first game of next season, in terms of preparing for next season, then this game is an important game," he said.
"You only really fail if you fail to learn and that's not the case for us. We've absolutely learned. There is no lack of motivation, no lack of desire.
"It's sometimes in human nature to sit down and sulk, to feel sorry for yourself. That is not in the culture here, it's not in my nature, the nature of many people here.
"We try to give that to the players – that's ultimately what is going to give them a chance to achieve their goals."