Nuno Espirito Santo is living in uncomfortable moments at Nottingham Forest. Even with a 3–1 win over Brentford in the Premier League's first match, the Portuguese coach admitted that his relationship with Newcastle owner Evangelos Marinakis has broken down, and he does not have any assurance that he'll continue at the helm. His words disclosed an inner conflict that could destabilize Forest's project at the beginning of the season.
Shaken relationship and uncertain future
Talking to Reuters in an interview, Nuno was candid about the tension. "The relationship has changed. It's not as close, it's not on a daily basis. It's not good, everybody in the club must be together but that is not what is happening. The reality is no longer what it was.". It was a good and respectful relationship, founded more on trust and mutual opinions, now it's not that good." His words were unmistakable as to the speed with which the climate has deteriorated. What was trust yesterday is now doubt.
He was also plain when he spoke about his own position. "I hope to continue, but I don't know, I can't answer that.". I'm doing my best to help Forest, I can see I'm committed. We know each other very well, we've both been in the game a long time. Where there's smoke, there's fire, so I know how things work, but I'm here to do my job." The Portuguese manager discloses he wants to stay, but he also knows how rumors build and pressure mounts.
Reinforcements and new tension
The tension began after Nuno made public his grievances over a lack of planning and delayed preparation of the squad. The club reacted by making signings. Forest brought in four players, headlined by the record arrival of Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich for €43.4 million. Douglas Luiz also signed, along with Arnaud Kalimuendo and James McAtee. The club had already signed Igor Jesus, Jair, Dan Ndoye and goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
In spite of that, the criticism had its effect. Marinakis, who was used to keeping decisions internal, did not appreciate seeing matters aired outside of the boardroom. To him, it was a betrayal of trust. That tension is the reason Nuno's future is uncertain now, even with the positive response on the pitch.
Forest are back in action this Sunday against Crystal Palace. The win over Brentford provided the club with some confidence, but there is still the doubt over how long Nuno will have to work if his relationship with the club's owner is not mended.