Alan Shearer hails Nottingham Forest men who have ‘had to put up with’ serious problems

The former Premier League striker has spoken out on Forest’s current condition after a weekend of mainly positive outcomes.

Alan Shearer has applauded Nottingham Forest’s players’ fortitude in the face of the club’s point deduction problems, which has all but secured the club’s Premier League status.

Forest were relegated in March after being fined four points for failing to comply with the top-flight Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

It’s been a hard-fought battle ever since, but following last weekend’s results, things are looking up in the East Midlands. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side is three points ahead of 18th-placed Luton Town and has a goal differential of 12 clear strikes with one game remaining, while Burnley’s relegation was confirmed to allay any anxieties.

“It’s been really tough for the players to deal with that because they’ve been put under a lot of pressure all season through no fault of their own,” Shearer remarked in response to The Rest is Football podcast.

“It wasn’t until the last six or seven weeks that they found out about their punishment, and the players have had to deal with it. People say that players should ignore it and simply go out and play, but it does effect you, and it will undoubtedly affect you as a player.

“I think the players have done really well in handling this stuff they’ve had to handle and coming through that.”

Forest head to Burnley on Sunday, the final day of the Premier League season. At the same time, Rob Edwards’ Luton play Fulham at Kenilworth Road, knowing they have a massive challenge ahead of them and will need a lot of luck to stay in the league for now.

Shearer also highlighted his admiration for certain players in the current Forest squad, describing Morgan Gibbs-White as a ‘exciting’ potential, despite the penalty the club received for making such large investments.