Music & methods - why Forest could be Europa League favourites

Forest, without a major trophy since 1990, are second in the Premier League form table over the last six games - behind Brighton - having scored 15 goals, including Friday's 5-0 thumping of Sunderland. Nine of them have come in the last two games following comprehensive wins over Burnley and the Black Cats which should provide the platform for survival. West Ham and Tottenham's late wins on Saturday ensured there is still work to do in the run-in - and Pereira has underlined the Premier League is the priority - but there is an expectation they will beat the drop. Five points above third-bottom Tottenham with four games left, that breathing space could allow Forest to take the handbrake off against Villa and confidence has grown since Pereira arrived in February. The players never bought into former boss Sean Dyche's philosophy and when the Portuguese replaced him, he pinpointed two key issues - a lack of confidence in their own ability and a lack of identity on the pitch - although not really unexpected with three previous managers in a troubled season. Pereira felt the first job was to restore confidence in the group - the majority who finished seventh in the league last season - and introduce a style which suited the squad's qualities. The players responded well, embraced the changes and met the high standards in training, which included music being played. …