Sean Dyche and his players felt the full force of Nottingham Forest fans’ fury as Ryan Yates’ farcical own-goal saw them slip to a dispiriting defeat to Braga made worse by a late red card for Elliot Anderson.
The result means Forest have only an outside chance of finishing in the top eight of the league phase and earning a bye to the last 16 of the Europa League.
A win over Ferencvaros at the City Ground next week should at least secure a spot in the play-off round but that was not enough to placate these angry supporters.
Less than a minute after Morgan Gibbs-White had missed a second-half penalty, Yates tried to cut out a cross and watched in anguish as the ball trickled into his own net. Supporters can handle such misfortune if it is part of a strong performance – but a significant proportion of the 2,100 who travelled to northern Portugal signalled they had had enough.
They booed the team off at half-time and at various points in the second half. ‘Sideways and backwards, everywhere we go,’ some jeered as Forest struggled to put Braga under pressure.
The irony of that would not have been lost on Dyche, criticised throughout his career for his commitment to direct football.
Ryan Yates scored an own goal and it was enough to consign Nottingham Forest to defeat
Braga’s players are seen celebrating with the substitutes after going ahead
Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty for the visitors before they fell behind
Few players were spared. Summer signings Dilane Bakwa and James McAtee were booed when they were substituted and Dyche now badly needs a strong result and performance at Brentford on Saturday to calm the waters.
Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams were brought on in the second half and all three will surely start at Brentford.
Dyche had made seven changes to the Forest team for this one and with Igor Jesus injured, was without an orthodox striker.
As long as he passes a medical, centre-forward Lorenzo Lucca could make his Forest debut on Sunday as he prepares to complete his loan move from Napoli.
There were just two chances before the break. Morgan Gibbs-White’s free-kick was pushed wide by the leaping Lukas Hornicek, while at the other end Gabri Martinez should have given Braga the lead when he eluded Nicolo Savona but headed Victor Gomez’s cross wide.
Soon after the break, Ricardo Horta steered over from close range – an even better opportunity for the hosts.
They were nearly made to regret it immediately. Martinez shoved James McAtee over as he tried to reach Gibbs-White’s cross and after a long delay, Hornicek guessed right and denied Gibbs-White from the spot.
Within 54 seconds, Forest were behind. Horta was slipped into space in the box as Yates tried to clear the cut-back, he found his feet in a tangle and could only roll the ball into his own net.
Forest fans were growing ever more restless. Gibbs-White tried to make amends but fired McAtee’s neat pass too high. A thunderous 30-yard effort from Ola Aina twanged the crossbar and then Braga sub Pau Victor struck the inside of a post. Amid a goalmouth scramble, Dan Ndoye and Yates came close to levelling.
A final thought: Forest were awful and Braga not much better.
Yet if UEFA insist on creating these ludicrous, bloated league phases to protect Europe’s wealthiest Champions League clubs and allow them to bank yet more revenue, then they will be left with so many games that do not seem to mean very much. Both clubs knew that defeat here would not prevent qualification.
Small wonder that for large parts, players’ minds seemed elsewhere.
Not that Forest fans have any intention of forgiving them for that.
To add insult to injury, Anderson was shown a straight red card in stoppage time, apparently for dissent, much to his own bewilderment and that of his team-mates.
