Already for Ange Postecoglou it feels like an interminable wait. Just as it seemed he would record his first victory as Nottingham Forest manager in a competition he won last season, Antony levelled for Real Betis to kill the party. Igor Jesus scored twice as Forest recovered from Cédric Bakambu’s opener and hit the woodwork in pursuit of a first-half hat-trick but the former Manchester United winger, derided after struggling in the Premier League, equalised in the 85th minute. Compared to last week at Swansea, it was nothing – the Championship club scored in the 93rd and 97th minute to earn a comeback Carabao Cup victory – but it was galling all the same.
This was a big moment, Forest’s first competitive game on the European stage since March 1996 and, as Postecoglou highlighted, finally an opportunity for the generations of supporters who have heard the stories of yesteryear but not lived the experiences. About 5,000 Forest supporters travelled to Seville – 3,385 stationed in the away end, up in the gods at this beige out-of-town arena temporarily home to Betis while the Benito Villamarin is being upgraded. Most descended on the stadium from Parque de los Perdigones, a communal march presenting the ideal opportunity for fans to relive those less salubrious jaunts down the years.
Continue reading…Already for Ange Postecoglou it feels like an interminable wait. Just as it seemed he would record his first victory as Nottingham Forest manager in a competition he won last season, Antony levelled for Real Betis to kill the party. Igor Jesus scored twice as Forest recovered from Cédric Bakambu’s opener and hit the woodwork in pursuit of a first-half hat-trick but the former Manchester United winger, derided after struggling in the Premier League, equalised in the 85th minute. Compared to last week at Swansea, it was nothing – the Championship club scored in the 93rd and 97th minute to earn a comeback Carabao Cup victory – but it was galling all the same.This was a big moment, Forest’s first competitive game on the European stage since March 1996 and, as Postecoglou highlighted, finally an opportunity for the generations of supporters who have heard the stories of yesteryear but not lived the experiences. About 5,000 Forest supporters travelled to Seville – 3,385 stationed in the away end, up in the gods at this beige out-of-town arena temporarily home to Betis while the Benito Villamarin is being upgraded. Most descended on the stadium from Parque de los Perdigones, a communal march presenting the ideal opportunity for fans to relive those less salubrious jaunts down the years. Continue reading…