Nottinghamshire

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Dyche confirmed Murillo missed Thusday's Europa League defeat with "a tight hamstring" but did not say whether he will be available for Sunday.

• Igor Jesus also received "a bang on the hip" that was too "inflamed" to play with, but Dyche is hopeful he will be in contention if it settles down.

• He said they have "had to mix and match the whole squad" to deal with the demanding fixture schedule and "there will be changes again" against Brentford.

• Dyche is "hopeful" a striker will be signed before Sunday as "there's work in progress" behind the scenes. The BBC reports they are closing in on the signing of Napoli's Lorenzo Lucca.

• More from Dyche on needing reinforcements: "I think it's quite apparent. The club are working hard. It's not like they don't know the situation and they are working hard to correct the situation. But they are willing to trade and they have backed the club financially."

• On opponents Brentford: "Their home form has been good in general. It's certainly a tough game, but every game in the Premier League is. I don't throw that around lightly."

• He said they "have to play well again" like they did against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.

• On Chelsea being interested in Douglas Luiz: "It doesn't surprise me there is interest from other clubs in good players. That's the nature of the business. It's a doubled-edged sword. You sort of want people interested in your players as that means they are doing a good job and are good players, but you don't because you don't want them coming knocking on the door."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Brentford vs Nottingham Forest on Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 from 14:00 GMT

Is there a more wholesome sight than one of your players flying into a tackle?

For all the creativity, smart finishing and wonder goals the Premier League can offer, few such joys would be possible were it not for those feisty fellows charging around to win the ball back for the cause.

This season, those in the graphic above top the charts for putting their foot in.

Tottenham's Joao Palhinha was seemingly born in a pair of shinpads and primed to launch in on someone, while Everton's James Garner continues to impress this season in various areas of his game - underlining why talk of an England call-up continues.

Keep an eye out for these men this weekend. Their opponents will almost certainly end up seeing more of them than they'd bargained for.

David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham reporter

Image source, Getty Images

I'm sitting in Porto airport, surrounded by Forest fans shaking their heads in disbelief at last night's performance.

It wasn't the defeat that hurt them, nor even the fact that they became only the second team in Europa League history to miss a penalty, score an own goal and have a man sent off in the same match.

It's the fact that after travelling complicated journeys with connecting flights and then being confronted with torrential rain for their entire stay in Braga, supporters weren't treated to a level of performance that they feel they deserved.

Any fan would agree with Sean Dyche that survival in the Premier League is the top priority. The club have waited a long time for top-flight football and they can't lose it now.

But these fans have also waited a long time to get to travel around Europe and see their team push for a major trophy.

After last night's display, when hopes of a top-eight finish drifted away, fans we've spoken to are questioning whether Forest's enthusiasm for the Europa League matches their own.

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We asked for your thoughts after Thursday's Europa League between Sporting Braga and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Neil: I'm typing this from my hotel in Braga - this is simply not good enough. We keep hearing excuses from the manager, but ultimately the blame is collective because we keep falling short of expectations in big games. We have spent a lot of money watching this rubbish and many of us are tired of it. Too disruptive to change things now but massive overhaul of staff needed in the summer, including our negative manager.

Simon: Given the team selection and our squad weakness it would seem that we place no importance on progressing. Serious questions should be asked of those who sanctioned our summer signings.

Dave: That performance was embarrassing. It was lacklustre and tactically inept. I am quickly losing faith in Dyche. Also, the club should never have loaned out Arnaud Kalimuendo until they had back up. We are going backwards.

Ben: Be in no doubt that losing to a team who fail to register a shot on target is as bad as it sounds. I don't understand why players fighting for a place in the starting 11 show so little effort when they finally get their chance. The worst performance to date in a frankly underwhelming season. But the biggest alarm bells are off the pitch, because this match is just the latest indication of how woefully poor Forest's summer recruitment was.

Martin: A very disappointing night which left me wondering if Forest are capable of surviving in the Premier League. I have very little confidence in a manager who doesn't seem able to a get a credible performance from the team. My sympathy goes out to the fans who spent their hard-earned cash to follow the team and were let down.

Jim: Disgusting performance! A toothless performance without desire, ideas or quality. The squad is relying on very average players when rotating.

Jamie: One of the worst performances I've seen from Forest, and I've followed them for a long time now. The moment towards the end where they passed the ball around the back like a Simpsons meme was just comically bad.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Wolves have rejected a bid from Leeds United for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The offer fell well below Wolves' £40m asking price and came a number of days ago.

Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Crystal Palace have shown an interest in the player this month.

Wolves are also willing to let defender Emmanuel Agbadou leave Molineux and are in talks with Besiktas.

The Turkish side's latest offer is £13m, with Wolves looking for £17m for the Ivory Coast international who joined from Reims for £16.6m last January.

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Former Nottingham Forest defender James Perch delivered a blunt assessment of his old club's performance after their 1-0 defeat to Braga, a result that leaves Forest 16th in the Europa League table and with a top-eight finish now almost certainly beyond reach.

Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham after the game, Perch questioned the players' mentality and belief on a night when Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty, and Ryan Yates' own goal proved decisive.

"They knew coming into this game that if they put in a performance and they would get this result tonight, they would set them up nicely next week and get us into that top eight," Perch said.

"They've only got themselves to blame. They looked like they didn't want to be there, which is unacceptable. They look like they didn't believe, which again is unacceptable, knowing what's at stake. No one really looked like they wanted to go and win the game. No one took the game by the neck.

"So disappointing, especially when you're in Portugal, fans have travelled and spent a lot of money, we are in a nice stadium, and to turn up with that is shocking really, so disappointing."

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Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott offered a damning assessment after Nottingham Forest's defeat to Braga, describing the performance as one that fell well short of the occasion.

Speaking on TNT Sports, the former defender labelled the display collectively unacceptable and warned that the fallout could be felt beyond this match, particularly with a crucial fixture looming next week and with Elliot Anderson having received a late red card.

"The perfect way to sum it up is a mess," he told TNT Sports. "Collectively, it wasn't good enough.

"To top it off and lose someone of the stature of Anderson when you have a massive game next week is devastating.

"You often look at games and wonder if there are any positives. I don't think there are any tonight. A terrible night, terrible performance on what should have been a marvellous evening."

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Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche, speaking to TNT Sports: "Very frustrating. One minute of madness. A game we never looked in trouble but never dominated as much as we liked.

"We don't have a recognised centre-forward and that can make it tricky. The reaction was nowhere good enough for a minute or so. We lost the game to a really poor goal.

"There is effort here, that killer edge, we want more of that. Of course, we are in that weird situation where we have to protect players who are playing a lot of football.

"We want to do well in this competition, we still do, of course.

"It is a fine line - it is a juggling act. You want to give everyone a chance to showcase themselves.

"They are working ever so hard in training. You might come away with a draw, but you shouldn't really lose that game.

"One minute of madness cost us the game. They hardly had a real chance, then we had a goalmouth scramble and even that can't go in."

Midfielder Ryan Yates, speaking to TNT Sports: "Very disappointing. I feel we controlled most parts of the game.

"I thought we stifled them in the first half. We had opportunities to make a breakthrough, we don't. Then, I unfortunately make a mistake at the other end. Then we could never get a foothold in the game after that.

"When you get handed an opportunity and you don't take it, you get punished. I have to hold my hands up. I should have done better.

"We are frustrated as I think we have done enough to win the game. Frustrating when results don't go your way. We have missed an opportunity and that's why we're frustrated - not that we were terrible on the night.

"Fine margins. We have to keep working and put that right. We are still in a solid position in the competition. No negativity in the dressing room, that's for sure."

Did you know?

• Nottingham Forest have won just two of their last 11 away matches in major European football, with this defeat ending their prior three match unbeaten run on the road in the Europa League.

• Forest became the first English club in Europa League history to miss a penalty and score an own goal in a single match.

• In this match, Braga became just the second side in Uefa Europa League history (since 2009-10) to win a match despite failing to record a shot on target, after Lazio beat Nice in November 2017.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Forest's display?

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Sean Dyche made seven changes to the Nottingham Forest XI from Saturday's draw against Arsenal, and much like the last time he made multiple changes - in their FA Cup exit at Wrexham - those brought in did little to boost their chance of more regular minutes.

While the conditions did not help, the first 45 minutes were among the most forgettable of the season with Braga showing next to no ambition to attack and Forest unable to cause them any problems going the other way.

The game livened up somewhat after the break but Morgan Gibbs-White failed to convert his penalty - his second failure from the spot in the Europa League this season - and Braga, with a bit of good fortune, immediately provided the sucker punch.

Forest's defending left a lot to be desired, and once Ryan Yates' own goal gave Braga the lead, the hosts were more than happy to defend it.

For all Forest pushed for a leveller, it was Braga who came closest to finding the game's second goal when substitute Pau Victor hit the inside of the post.

Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams were sent on to try to rectify the situation but, although there was added urgency in their play, the goal would not come.

Yates had a goalbound header kept out by a last-ditch block, while on another day Ndoye might have earned Forest a second penalty after a careless challenge from former Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho.

But, ultimately, the English side did not do enough and face Ferencvaros at the City Ground next week needing to win and hope for the most unlikely sequence of results if they are to avoid the play-offs.

Sean Dyche has rung the changes for Nottingham Forest tonight in Portugal.

He makes seven changes to the the XI that started Saturday's 0-0 draw against Arsenal.

Only Matz Sels, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic and Morgan Gibbs-White keep their places.

Braga make six changes from their last league game.

Braga XI: Hornicek, Lagerbielke, Niakate, Arrey-Mbi, Gomez, Grillitsch, Gorby, Martinez, Rodrigues, Ricardo Horta, Navarro.

Subs: Tiago Sa, Bellarouch, Lelo, Carvalho, Joao Moutinho, Paulo Oliveira, Gabriel Moscardo, Victor, Dorgeles, da Rocha, Aragao, Vidigal.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Aina, Bakwa, Yates, Douglas Luiz, McAtee, Ndoye, Gibbs-White.

Subs: Gunn, Willows, Williams, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Dominguez, Abbott, Whitehall, Thompson, Sinclair, Hammond.