Paul Merson amazed at what he’s read ahead of Tottenham v Nottingham Forest
Tottenham have to turn their focus back to Premier League action on Monday as they prepare to welcome Nottingham Forest.
Former boss Nuno Espirito Santo is having an excellent season with his new side, who are competing for a place in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Tottenham find themselves languishing in 15th place in the Premier League and seemingly unable to pick up results in league action.
Last time out, the Lilywhites were on the wrong end of a 4-2 scoreline against Wolves and Ange Postecoglou will be keen for his side to put things right.
Paul Merson predicts Tottenham v Nottingham Forest
Given that Tottenham saw off Frankfurt to progress to the semi-finals of the Europa League, Postecoglou’s focus will certainly be on European action.
That being said, with the boss’ future hanging on by a thread, improving league form has to be seen as important too, especially when it could end up having a part to play in Daniel Levy’s decision.
Nottingham Forest come into this game having lost their last two, which may give Spurs a boost, especially with the game taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Nevertheless, Nuno may feel as though he has a point to prove to the hierarchy in North London after he was sacked by Levy.
Furthermore, the opponents have a Champions League place at stake, giving them something to play for, while Tottenham’s focus is no longer on domestic action.
Paul Merson has shared a statistic that could give Postecoglou’s men a boost, though – and one in which he was seemingly surprised by when reading it.
He told Sportskeeda (18 April): “There’s an interesting statistic I wanted to share – In their last seven games away from home, Forest have just one win inside 90 minutes and that came against Ipswich!”
Merson predicted the game would end in a 1-1 draw, with the sides taking a point each.
Postecoglou needs to retain European focus
The only way that Tottenham come out of this season with any success is if they win the Europa League, and therefore this has to be the sole focus in North London.
While it is important that issues are addressed and Premier League form improves significantly, at this stage in the season, it’s not going to affect anything.
| Team | Position | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost |
| Tottenham | 15 | 32 | 11 | 4 | 17 |
| Nottingham Forest | 5 | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 |
Furthermore, with Nuno’s side actually having something to play for in the league, they may well be much more up for the occasion than the home side.
If Tottenham can get a result, it will be a strong win, but the manager can’t let himself get too distracted from the important games that lie ahead.
With so much pressure on the boss’ shoulders, if he wants to keep his job at Tottenham, then he must be prepared to reach the required levels.