Inside Nottingham Forest's 'cult of Nuno': How revitalised manager's bear hugs, 'fun games' and a simple set of instructions turned Forest into a force - and the one nagging question he still has to a

Nuno Espirito Santo is the Premier League manager of the season so far. Nuno Espirito Santo has turned Nottingham Forest into a force of nature this season Forest are just six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who they host on Tuesday night Much of the success has been down to the culture at the club, which has allowed the players to thrive To the casual observer, Nuno is the coach who had a nightmare at Tottenham in 2021 and lasted barely four months there, but that will not define his career in English football. The Forest boss often shows his approval by giving a player who has performed well a huge bear hug Nuno is shed to have shed a tear when he left Wolves, showing a different side to the Portuguese boss He is trying to arrange an overseas trip during the season to strengthen these bonds within the squad. Forest claimed a 3-0 win at Nuno's old club Wolves in their most recent Premier League outing Nuno has mellowed over the years and is getting the most out of his team at the City Ground He would deliver powerful criticisms about the responses of those in football and the wider political world to the pandemic, which made for fascinating listening – not bad in a second language. Will Nuno's low-possession tactics and bear hugs still have the same effect if Forest sign bigger-name players and compete regularly in Europe?