Nottingham Forest supporters showed their support for Nuno Espirito Santo as they chanted their manager’s name following the 1-1 draw away to Crystal Palace.
The Forest boss is set for showdown talks with the club’s owner Evangelos Marinakis and global head of football Edu over his future.
Forest fans at Selhurst Park made their feeling clear that they want Espirito Santo to remain in charge.
Speaking ahead of the game, the 51-year-old dismissed suggestions that he was looking to leave Forest.
Espirito Santo told Sky Sports: ‘That’s nonsense. Doesn’t make any kind of sense.
‘We are focused on the game and that is more important. Make sure that the players are ready. This game is going to be very tough.’
Nottingham Forest fans showed their support for Nuno Espirito Santo at Selhurst Park
The Forest boss is set for showdown talks with the club’s owner Evangelos Marinakis
Espirito Santo is also set to hold discussions with Forest’s global head of football Edu
Palace took the lead through Ismaila Sarr in the 37th minute before Callum Hudson-Odoi equalised for Forest in the second half.
Pressed on whether he wants to remain in charge of Forest, Espirito Santo was emphatic. ‘Of course! Of course,’ he said.
He also confirmed that he is set to hold discussions with Marinakis and Edu about transfer plans. ‘Yes, that’s what we need to do and we’re going to do it,’ Espirito Santo said.
Commenting on mounting speculation over his future, he added: ‘There is no speculation around anything. What we have to do is communicate and approach the final days of the market and prepare our boys.’
Espirito Santo’s comments came just two days after he threw his own position into doubt by publicly admitting his relationship with Marinakis was ‘not so good’.
The 51-year-old told reporters on Friday that while he and the Greek tycoon had been ‘very, very, very close’ last season, speaking almost on a daily basis, that bond had deteriorated this summer.
‘Our relationship has changed,’ Espirito Santo admitted.
‘It’s not so close, it’s not on a daily basis. It’s not good. I think everybody at the club should be together but it’s not the reality.’
Espirito Santo gestured to the Forest supporters after his team’s draw against Crystal Palace
Espirito Santo has been in charge of Forest since December 2023 and guided Forest to a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League last season, with the club to compete in the Europa League this campaign.
In June he signed a new contract with Forest that is set to run until 2028 but doubts have subsequently emerged about his future at the club.
Tensions are thought to centre on the recent arrival of Edu as global head of football to oversee recruitment across Marinakis’s multi-club network.
It has been claimed that disagreements over transfer strategy have led to heated exchanges, with Espirito Santo feeling his influence on signings has been reduced.
Forest have made some significant signings in this transfer window, bringing in the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Dan Ndoye, James McAtee and Arnaud Kalimuendo, while Douglas Luiz joined on loan from Juventus.