A 'significant' win for three reasons

When Nottingham Forest look back at what I'm sure will be a successful season, the win over Ipswich on Saturday will not be near the top of the 'most memorable games' list - but I think it was really significant.

First, because they proved that they don't have to be at their flowing best to pick up three points. "Back to basics" was the message from their manager Nuno Espirito Santo after the 1-0 victory and apparently that was what he had drummed into the squad throughout the week leading up to the game.

"The basics are simple - let's be solid," he said to us post-match. "And solid is being aggressive, sticking to your task and helping your team-mates."

Secondly, Forest showed yet again that they have impressive depth in their squad.

Jota Silva was excellent on his first Premier League start, winning the crucial penalty. Meanwhile, Neco Williams also looked very comfortable taking his place in the first XI for the first time since August, offering a threat with his set-piece delivery.

And it must have been dispiriting for Ipswich to see so much quality coming off the bench, like Anthony Elanga and Alex Moreno.

"Options," Nuno said. "We have to understand that it doesn't really matter who starts. As long as we understand this philosophy, I think we are going to be OK because we have a good squad."

Thirdly, it is the win that halts the worrying run of two successive defeats, with six goals conceded, that threatened to derail Forest's great start to the campaign.

There are some very tough fixtures coming up for Nuno's side in December, but now they can go into those games with renewed belief and confidence.