Head coach Steve Cooper is confident Nottingham Forest are starting to forge an identity as a new-look group is beginning to look more like a team.
The Welshman has candidly admitted to the challenges posed by a busy summer transfer window which saw 22 signings made in preparation for life in the Premier League. It has taken a while for the squad to gel, but Sunday’s fightback to earn a 1-1 draw against Chelsea was another sign of progress being made.
The Reds remain in the relegation zone ahead of Wednesday’s trip to face bottom-placed Southampton. But Cooper believes there is a foundation to be built on, following a turnaround in fortunes since the 4-0 thumping at Leicester City in early October.
READ MORE: Forest show their potential as important marker achieved against Chelsea
READ MORE: Forest face six big transfer decisions in January window
“Everyone knows about the putting together of a squad and it being a completely new group,” said the Forest boss. “I said before the Palace game that it had been - and is - a really tough challenge for everybody. It is my biggest coaching challenge, for sure. It has also been really tough for the players to come into a dressing room where they are a new player, but everyone sitting around them is a new player as well.
“Time was always going to be the most important factor in trying to become something. I still think we are going through that.
“We are past the infancy of putting it together now, but we are not close to being established, in terms of our identity. What you’ve got to do while you are doing that is win enough games and pick up enough points, because that is what everyone is judging. We are trying to tackle all of those things.
“But, on and off the pitch, there has definitely been progression, including stuff that people won’t see in and around the training ground. What we’ve got to do is keep committing to that.
“We’re going to win games, lose games, draw games, and all of those experiences are giving us moments together which will build everything - spirit, togetherness, a way of playing. Even in the difficult moments, when people might be professionally falling out with each other or arguing or respectfully disagreeing, you need those moments to become something. That’s what all the best teams have.
“We are still trying to navigate our way to becoming that. Games like this (against Chelsea) can help, in terms of performance. We’ve just got to turn them into wins.”
Facing up to the challenge of improving the Reds’ away form is also on Cooper’s agenda. Forest have picked up just two points from eight games on the road so far this season.
“We’ve got to tackle things head on - like the away form,” he added. “That’s something that’s our own doing, and I want to keep talking about it, rather than swerving questions. If I don’t talk about it, then we’re not facing up to it.
“There’s lots we need to improve on. First thing is the league position. Away games are something we’ve got to get better at, along with a lot of other things.
“Whether we think things are going against us or not, whether there’s things we can do better or not, I want us to face up to everything and really fight for what we want to do this year.”
What did you make of Forest's performance against Chelsea? Have your say in the comments below
READ NEXT
