Three friendlies in. Four to go. And three weeks before the action begins for real for Nottingham Forest.
Saturday evening at Oakwell was the very definition of a pre-season run-out. It was certainly not one for the purists.
No goals, few chances for either side, but another step forward in terms of match fitness for the Reds. The stalemate at Barnsley followed on from a defeat to Coventry City in Spain and a midweek victory over Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium.
READ MORE: How the Reds players fared at Oakwell
READ MORE: Re-live the action from Oakwell
Steve Cooper’s side still have matches against Hertha Berlin, Union Berlin, Notts County and Valencia to come before their opening Premier League fixture at Newcastle United on August 6. Forest reporter Sarah Clapson looks at some of the talking points from the match against the Tykes.
Recruitment drive
Cooper spoke afterwards about needing to pick up the pace again with the club’s summer signing spree, after it had “slowed down”. And it’s clear which areas need the most attention.
Reading too much into friendlies is unwise - they are primarily for building fitness - but the Reds do need creative/attacking reinforcements. They lacked a spark at Oakwell, with front man Taiwo Awoniyi barely getting a touch in the first half.
Filling the no.10 role which Philip Zinckernagel was so effective at last term is going to be key. It is so crucial to the way Forest play.
Youngster Oli Hammond has given a good account of himself while stepping in - with Joe Lolley turning out for the Under-23s in their friendly against Boston United on Saturday, having been told he is not part of the club’s plans for this campaign. But a long-term solution is needed.
Likewise, another striker. Midfield requires strengthening, too. Cooper is very much rebuilding a squad; ensuring it has the necessary strength in depth for the top-flight. He’s having to do it in a fairly short time-frame, too.
Settling in
With such a turnover of players comes a bit of a transition period; it takes a little time for a new group to get used to each other. Something these games are also useful for.
Having got a significant chunk of transfer business already done helps. The longer players have to work with each other before the serious action starts, the better - another reason why Cooper wants further additions in quickly.
Against the Tykes, Forest generally struggled to find much by way of cohesion. Play was a bit disjointed at times - although the heat didn’t help.
Last season, Cooper stuck with a very settled starting XI which knew each other inside-out by the end of the year. This is a new-look team which is building its familiarity.
Not that that’s any cause for concern. There was an influx of signings 12 months ago, too, and that didn’t pan out too badly.
Making an impression
Alex Mighten has really caught the eye in the three matches so far. He has looked bright in each.
Positive with the ball, he forced the kind of openings the Reds had been struggling to carve out prior to his introduction on Saturday. His driving runs had the hosts on the back foot, and he set up a couple of good chances when he came off the bench.
He helped change the pace of the game. That was on top of looking lively against Coventry City and Burton Albion.
And that leaves Forest with something of a dilemma. At the age of 20, he could do with regular game time this season. But a call must be made over whether a loan move would be best for his development or whether he can have a part to play in the Premier League.
As per our colleagues at LancsLive, Blackpool are understood to have enquired about Mighten, before looking at other options.There would be no shortage of other takers, but he is certainly doing his best to give the manager food for thought.
First appearances
Saturday saw debuts for Neco Williams and Wayne Hennessey. Meanwhile, Brennan Johnson, Scott McKenna and Richie Laryea made their first appearances of the summer, having been given extra time off for being on international duty.
Williams found himself deployed at left wing-back, as Giulian Biancone kept his place on the right. The former Liverpool man made some good runs down the flank as he looked to get into his stride, while Barnsley kept him on his toes defensively as they did their best to press their opponents into making mistakes.
Hennessey was called upon slightly sooner than expected. He was due to replace Dean Henderson at half-time, but the Manchester United loanee came off on the half-hour having “felt his groin a little bit” - although Cooper stressed afterwards there was no injury concern.
McKenna, meanwhile, pretty much picked up from where he left off. He was strong on the ball and tried to drive forward. There was even a rendition of ‘you’ll never beat McKenna’ from the 2,000-strong travelling support. While the more things change, the more some stay the same.
Who stood out for you at Oakwell? Have your say in the comments below
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