Forest deserve to be respected

For many supporters, this will represent a huge shock.

For instance, when United were following up another league title with Champions League glory, against Chelsea in Moscow in 2008, the East Midlands outfit had just spent a third successive campaign in League One.

They then spent 14 seasons in the second tier, which will mean a generation will associate them as a Championship club.

That was, until 2022/23, when Forest finally regained a place among the country's elite, for the first time since our Treble-winning term.

In that first season back in the top flight, we came across the City Ground side four times and won on each occasion, twice in the league and both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Not only that, we kept four clean sheets and won by at least two goals in each fixture.

Forest were still finding their feet but avoided relegation, consolidated and pushed on. They beat us on their home turf in 2023/24 and, although Casemiro crucially settled the Emirates FA Cup tie in stoppage time, on the way to lifting the trophy, they were becoming a sterner proposition.

Back in December, they left Old Trafford with the three points after a 3-2 win, their first victory against us at the Theatre of Dreams since 1994, when Stuart Pearce and Stan Collymore scored in a 2-1 triumph.

So, while Forest's improvement has been swift and impressive, it may be difficult for younger fans to appreciate this turnaround is only reinstating them back to a pecking order they once enjoyed under the inimitable Brian Clough.

While their appearance in the Champions League would be remarkable, they won the European Cup in the first year I started following football (1979) and, not only that, defended it 12 months later. Clough would continue to build teams that played in an impressive style and they remained formidable opponents throughout his reign.

Successive third-placed finishes in the late 1980s and two League Cups were further evidence they were a force to be reckoned with.

It is why I have always had a healthy respect for Forest, indeed a lot my classmates at school supported them and Ipswich Town, purely because they were the top teams at the time.

I went to the FA Cup game last year and they are certainly one of those clubs that have long earned my admiration, so it does not necessarily feel like a huge shock to see them doing so well.

And the point is, this is what can happen in football, it changes so quickly. When I read that it may take United years and years to be challenging for a title again, history tells us that the standings can be very fluid, which is really what we all pine for.

It has not taken Forest long to be jostling for a Champions League spot and so, under Ruben Amorim, there is clearly the ambition that we can get back up there again in 2025/26.

While the hosts may be approaching Tuesday's game looking down at United, we can all hope the roles will be reversed the next time we meet. However, Forest deserve to be treated as tough opponents and it is likely to be a stern examination on the night.

The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.