Nuno Espirito Santo adds fuel to Nottingham Forest sack rumours with telling response

Nuno Espirito Santo has placed his own future at Nottingham Forest in grave doubt by admitting: “There is no smoke without fire.”

Head coach Nuno, who last week claimed his squad needed strengthening in all but one position, has said his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis has broken down and they are no longer speaking regularly.

The Portuguese signed a new three-year deal in June having guided Forest into Europe for the first time in 30 years. But in a remarkable press conference on Friday afternoon he said: “Look, I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very, very, very close, almost daily basis.

"This season, not so well, but I always believe that dialogue and what you what you say or your opinion, is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relationship has changed."

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Asked on what has caused the relationship to change, Nuno added: "I don't know exactly, but I'm being honest with you, I cannot say that is the same, because it's not the same. The reason behind it, I don't know.

"What I said last week or two weeks ago, was my concern and why I was worried. Because my job is always to try anticipate what's coming ahead of us, and that's what I said, what I said with respect.

"But the reality is that (the relationship) is not what it used to be, what it used to be, what it used to be was a good, disrespectful relationship, but was more based on trust and sharing opinions, and now it's not so good."

Then pushed for a response to social media speculation that he is about to be dismissed, Nuno said: “Where there's smoke, there's fire, so I know how things work.

"But I'm here to do my job. I understand, because I'm worried. I'm the first one to be worried. I'm the first one to be concerned.

A week ago the Reds boss said he wanted to strengthen his squad in every position aside from centre-back.

Since then Omari Hutchinson has arrived from Ipswich, midfielder James McAtee from Manchester City and striker Arnaud Kalimuendo from Rennes, while former Aston Villa central player Douglas Luiz arrived on loan from Juventus on Thursday.

But his spiky comments last week appear to have contributed to his relationship with Marinakis fracturing.

“I’m concerned,” Nuno said before their opening weekend win over Brentford. “We’re short on options, having solutions the game might need is a major concern.

“The problems will be ‘Ifs’ during the game, problems that arise, we need options and solutions. Things are moving, potentially, medicals and then let’s see. We need players but for sure. We are aware of the needs, the club knows.”

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