The Craven Cottage press conference room has not been a happy environment for Nottingham Forest managers in recent years.
In December 2023 a clearly emotional Steve Cooper faced difficult questions about his future, following a 5-0 defeat that put his position in serious peril — with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis having left the game early. His patience lasted only another two games.
Last season Nuno Espirito Santo’s then third-placed Forest side had beaten Brighton 7-0 in their previous Premier League outing, to enhance their Champions League credentials — but the Portuguese was left scratching his head as they followed that by losing 2-1 here in February.
And Sean Dyche will have felt similar sentiments as Forest went from being creative, dominant and free flowing against Tottenham Hotspur — as they notched up an emphatic 3-0 victory at the City Ground — to being devoid of all three qualities on a frustrating night on the banks of the Thames.
Since their return to the Premier League, Forest have now lost all four games here — by an aggregate score of 10-1.
And, even in the build-up to the game, during the warm-up, it felt as though something was off, missing even. Passes were going astray and shooting exercises were troubling the fans behind the goal as much as the Forest goalkeepers.
It never really felt like Forest were going to win. If not for a Raul Jimenez penalty, the game would have got the outcome it deserved — a 0-0 draw. Forest mustered 12 efforts on goal, but hit the target only twice. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno did not have a meaningful save to make. Equally, Jimenez’ penalty was the only time the home side hit the target, from 11 efforts.
In his own post match assessment, Dyche described his side as lacking “edge”, which was an entirely accurate summation.
“It is about the ‘edge’ you need. It is hard to define what that is. How do you define it? But when you have been involved in so many games as a coach and a player, you can tell when you have it,” said Dyche, the former Burnley and Everton manager. “We have shown it a lot this season, certainly last week (against Tottenham). But you can tell when it is not there, when you do not have that spark.
“The last one does not guarantee the next one. I said that to the players. Just because you get a load of praise for your last one (performance) it does not guarantee that the next one is coming. We were just waiting for somebody to do something, to take the game on.”
Sean Dyche described his Forest players as lacking ‘edge’ (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Forest did not deserve to lose a frankly drab, uninspiring contest. But nor did they ever do enough to have merited three points, either. Which was in total contrast to what unfolded against Tottenham, when victory had felt inevitable for long spells. Dyche admitted as much in an honest press conference. But, as he tries to find the answers that truly matter, the most challenging one remains that of consistency.
The start Dyche has made to his Forest career has been unquestionably impressive. He has changed the mood of the entire club and given fans the opportunity to dare to look hopefully upwards, rather than over their shoulders. Players talk positively about the impact he has made, about how he has given them fresh impetus.
Forest still have a five point buffer between themselves and the bottom three. But they arrived at Craven Cottage knowing they had an opportunity to increase that to eight while, in the process, overtaking Fulham and putting them and Leeds between themselves and the relegation zone.
This was a game with little quality, but big ramifications, in the short-term at least. It was definitely a reminder that Forest remain a work in progress.
Forest lacked quality in key moments, they lacked everything they had shown themselves capable of being in their previous outing. But in the aftermath of Tottenham, Dyche had warned that it did not mean all of Forest’s problems were solved. “It was another step forward. This is not a massive step back, but it was a reminder that, if you are not going to do the killer instinct bits, if you do not have the hard yards and the basics…” added Dyche.
For all of Dyche’s snappy soundbites, the most significant factor was a simple one: the manner in which so many of Forest’s biggest influences had so little influence.
Callum Hudson-Odoi went from scoring twice against Tottenham, to looking a tentative, uncertain figure down the Forest left.
It was a landmark night for Morgan Gibbs-White, as he made his 123rd Premier League appearance for Forest, which put him level with Stuart Pearce. Only Steve Chettle (174), Mark Crossley (162), Ian Woan (132) and Scott Gemmill (127) have made more in the competition. But it was not a night he will want to remember for long, as he toiled in an effort to make something happen.
Morgan Gibbs-White toiled in his 123rd Premier League appearance for Forest (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The same was true of Elliot Anderson, so often the side’s most outstanding performer, and his midfield partner, Douglas Luiz, who showed flashes of flair, without backing it up with anything of substance, beyond giving away the penalty with an awkward, unorthodox challenge.
Forest have now failed to score in four of their last six away games in the Premier League — even if that run has also included a remarkable 3-0 win at Anfield and a ground out but important 1-0 success at Wolves.
It would be unfair to blame Igor Jesus for Forest’s lack of firepower in Fulham. The striker was living off scraps, all while embroiled in a constantly physical scrap with Fulham’s defenders, without being given much in the way of protection by referee Anthony Taylor.
As Forest head into 2026, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and positivity. Not least the knowledge that they are capable of far better than this.
But, before then, Forest will finish off 2025 with two challenging home games, against Manchester City and Everton and Dyche must find a way to help his side find their edge, on a more regular basis.