Striker Taiwo Awoniyi says gelling as a team was crucial for Nottingham Forest as they hit their stride in the final weeks of last season and avoided relegation.
It is something the Reds are aiming to build on this time around, with the majority of the squad still in place. And for Awoniyi, the challenge is to better the 10 Premier League goals he netted in his first year at the City Ground as he looks to progress.
The Nigeria international bagged six in four games during the run-in, including scoring the winner against Arsenal in the penultimate fixture to clinch survival, having returned from a lengthy injury lay-off a few weeks earlier. The front man says by that point the players had got to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses after taking time to become a cohesive unit.
Awoniyi was part of the huge overhaul last summer which saw 22 players added in preparation for the step up in divisions. It is not a challenge head coach Steve Cooper should face this time around, with a “more normal” number of signings anticipated.
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“It is not just about me, it is a team sport. If you look at the team, it was more about us getting to understand each other,” Awoniyi told Eagles Tracker when asked about his red-hot scoring streak.
“If you look at the last games, it was more like, ‘OK, I know Taiwo better, I know what his strength is, I know what he is doing better’. That’s just us going through that time.
“Of course, as a striker you want to score every time. You feel very happy when you do.
“After the injury I had games which really brought me into the rhythm. That’s what most players need, they need games to get into the rhythm of the league.
“Whoever you are playing in the league, you want to score. You are there to score. No team is big, no team is small, they are all football clubs. Who you are playing against doesn’t really matter, the main thing is to fight for your own club and hopefully get the three points.
“As a striker, you need to score. That’s how I see games.
“I just want to be the best version of myself. The way I am last year is not the way I am this year, the way I was last year is not the way I was the last few years - that is me for you.
“The only thing I keep telling myself is to be the best version of myself. Even when I’m not playing, I still believe I am much better than I was in previous years.”
