Martin O’Neill knows that the pressure is on to get results at Nottingham Forest, according to his former right-hand man John Robertson.
O’Neill was appointed as Reds manager in January after Aitor Karanka’s departure, though he couldn’t mastermind a run to the play-offs with Forest eventually finishing in ninth place in the Championship, eight points behind arch-rivals Derby in sixth spot.
Forest’s form worsened in the closing stages of the campaign with four straight defeats against Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn and Sheffield United ultimately dashing any lingering hopes of making the top six, a run which saw O’Neill come under fire from some supporters, before the Reds won their final three games.
Reds legend Robertson, who spent almost two decades working alongside the Ulsterman as his assistant manager at the likes of Celtic and Aston Villa, accepts that the heat will be on O’Neill once the season gets underway, with promotion the clear and obvious target.
“I worked with Martin O’Neill for 16 years as his assistant and I had a great time with him,” Scotsman Robertson told the Post.
“He knows his onions and I think it’s the best appointment that they could have made, I don’t think there’s any shadow of a doubt about that.
“Time will tell, though.
“Martin knows he’s got to get results and time will tell if that happens, but he’s certainly the best man for the job.”
Despite a season which showed signs of promise before eventually fizzling out, crowds flocked back to the City Ground, with fans helping to increase the average attendance to 28,144 – the highest since 1980, something which is pleasing to the man who played a pivotal role in Forest winning back-to-back European Cups four decades ago, inscribing his name into Reds folklore.
“It’s brilliant, and it shows that there’s plenty of optimism there,” he said.
“Once Martin gets started from the beginning of the season, we can all make judgements.
“He’s come in halfway through and there was a time when he wasn’t getting the results, but the last three results were very positive and we hope that it continues from there,” added 66-year-old.
