View from the Visitors: Michael Dawson on Forest, City and Pep | OneFootball

We spoke to former Nottingham Forest defender Michael Dawson – who spent two spells at the City Ground – ahead of tonight’s game.

How much did you enjoy your two spells at Forest?

They were brilliant. I was at that football club from the age of nine or ten, signed for them at 14, left home at 16 and then got the opportunity to play in the first team. That is your aim as a young boy. They had the faith in me.

It was great to go and finish there for three years. The first two were good, the second year was the best of them just missing out in the Play-Offs and then unfortunately my last year was hard. I was coming to the end. I wanted to help the guys, the younger players and pass my experience on but it’s a club that I hold closely to my heart.

Is it fitting that Forest are back in the Premier League?

100%. But I also have to say that Leeds is the closest team to me here and you look at them with their size and tradition and they aren’t in the Premier League!

You always earn the right. I have always said that.

The size of Nottingham Forest, the history of the club, the legend that was Brian Clough, the two European Cups, going back to the City Ground now in the Premier League, it’s incredible.

They don’t just want to be a team that survives every season in 16th or 17th, they want to try and build and improve – and I think you are seeing that.

You can’t get too far ahead of yourself though because there are always difficult games on the horizon. I think if Forest could finish in the top 10, top 12, it would have been a remarkable season for them.

They are trying to become an established Premier League team because they have the stadium, the fans, the atmosphere and it’s a great city. It’s a special part of my life and my family’s too.

What do you make of Nuno – proving his pedigree?

It was a hard job for him at Spurs. But I loved him at Wolves.

I came up against him when I was at Hull City at the time. He had a very time there, got them promoted and then they finished seventh in their first season in the Premier League. He had two or three very good seasons there at Molineux.

He went to Spurs and it didn’t go to plan. But now he’s gone into Forest after Steve Cooper who was a legend at the City Ground with the fans. People questioned – is he the right man? Well, he’s certainly showing he is at this moment in time, no question.

He’s had a really good start to the season and he will want to carry that on tonight, albeit the Etihad is never, ever an easy place to go even in the run that City are currently on.

How do you assess City’s last few seasons?

They have been phenomenal - absolutely phenomenal! You will only ever hear me speak highly of Manchester City. It’s mind-blowing, that’s how I would describe what they’ve been able to do. They deserve all the credit in the world.

When I was 17, I remember sitting on the bench for Forest at Maine Road. Look at where we are now – over 20 years later – and what’s happened since is incredible.

You have to enjoy those times. It’s not quite happening at the moment but that’s football for you. It’s not always smooth sailing.

What do you make of Pep?

He’s one of the best of my era.

What he has achieved everywhere he’s gone – Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City – incredible!

I questioned if he could come to the Premier League and do what he’s done and in the way he’s done it with his playing style.

The biggest compliment has to be, you look at the younger generation of managers, they all seem to model their style of play on Pep Guardiola. He’s been doing it for years. When you copy what someone has been doing – that’s the biggest compliment you can pay someone.

When you’re on Soccer Saturday, do you enjoy it when you’re covering City?

I love doing the job I do and when City are on, yes I look forward to it because you always expect goals.

People have been petrified of playing Manchester City. A lot of teams have played with a low block and City have had to find a way to break teams down and generally they do.

City have had a difficult run. They’ve had injuries to key players which hasn’t helped. But in football, if you lose matches, you lose confidence. These lads are human beings. When you win confidence is high and you feel unstoppable. But if you make a mistake, that can lead to two mistakes and so on.

Then you lose games and that’s what’s been happening. Manchester City haven’t been in this position before. But what I would say is – never, ever write Manchester City off.