Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White says he “can finally breathe again” after the club ended a long winless streak with a morale-boosting 2–0 Europa League victory over Porto, marking Sean Dyche’s first game in charge.
The Reds had endured a rough spell since their opening-day win, a run that cost both Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou their jobs. Dyche became Forest’s third manager of the season on Tuesday and wasted no time in making an impact, guiding the team to their first European win in 30 years on Thursday night at the City Ground.
Gibbs-White opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Igor Jesus sealed the result with another spot-kick, ending a 10-match winless run across all competitions.
“It’s been a difficult couple of months with all the changes and poor results,” Gibbs-White told TNT Sports. “To get our first win after so long, especially here on a European night, is incredible. The fans have stuck by us through everything, this one’s for them.”
The skipper praised Dyche for restoring positivity and energy to the squad. The new manager, however, was quick to keep expectations grounded, noting that Forest currently 18th in the Premier League with just five points from eight matches still have plenty of work ahead.
“It’s a good step, but only a step,” Dyche said. “The Premier League form has to change, that’s the priority. Still, it’s great to see the club back competing in Europe after so many years.”
As Forest prepare to face high-flying Bournemouth on Sunday, Dyche hopes the momentum from Thursday’s win can carry over to their domestic campaign.
When asked about the fans’ jubilant chants of “Forest are back,” Dyche responded with his trademark pragmatism:
“You can tell when the noise is positive, and that’s good. I’m just focused on delivering what I can for this club, that’s my job.”
Advertisement
