Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Nottingham Post

Sport

Matt Davies

Squad trimming, Joao Palhinha and 50 being the new 40 for Nottingham Forest next season

Forest Joao Palhinha Nottingham Forest Steve Cooper EPL Garibaldi Red Brentford Arsenal Fulham

Nottingham Forest have already started planning for next season as they look to improve on their first campaign back in the Premier League.

Work has already started on the City Ground pitch after the Reds beat Arsenal 1-0 to secure their status, and manager Steve Cooper and his staff will now be looking at how to improve the team which plays on it.

On the latest Garibaldi Red podcast, broadcaster Darren Fletcher and former player Lewis McGugan discussed how the team will be looking to develop.

Cooper is already admired by other teams but he won't want to stand still. How important is it to get this summer right?

DF: "The first thing he (Cooper) will do is forensically examine what he did over the course of the season. He will have a real sense of satisfaction but the next focus is to be better.

"I said to someone over the weekend, there's no reason why Forest can't take a Brentford-like leap. If you look at the two starting line-ups there's not a lot in it.

"Forest have had so many injuries, but when Steve has had his best team they've won matches. Everyone is pretty much fit now and they've won three out of four. The skeleton of a team is there.

"His back three is Premier League standard, his midfield is Premier League standard and his number nine has become a better player over the course of the season.

"Hopefully they sign Dean Henderson and get the goalkeeper situation sorted. Brentford have got 50 odd points and could play in Europe next season with a fair wind behind them. I don't think there's any reason why Forest can't make that stride.

"I think it will be the ambition of the manager, I know it's the ambition of the players, and the owner said in an interview it's his ambition.

"Let's be honest, over the course of the season they've dropped 23 points from winning positions. Halve that and you're heading towards 50 points. They've not been good with the lead and they've not been good away from home.

"You can see how they can achieve what they want to achieve. I don't think we'll see another summer like last.

"I think they took a decision within the club that last summer would be like two summer windows rolled into one to give them a chance to stay up. They'll trade. Some will go. They'll try to add quality and reduce numbers because the squad is too big.

"The three teams who come up, I think will be weaker than the ones going down. I don't think the league is as tough in that regard.

"They will get better and it's not beyond the realms to say that Forest will hope to be a 50 point team next season."

From a former player's point of view and a coaching one, what do Forest need?

LM: "They've got a good spine, a nucleus of a good group. They've made mistakes recruitment wise, but staying up means they have a chance to rectify that from a strong position.

"They don't have to start again. Fletch mentions Brentford but I would add Fulham to that. They came up three or four years ago and spent so much money on player after player.

"It backfired. They had to basically start again. Since then that team has basically been the same but they've added two or three each season to add a bit of quality.

"It means you can organise and add players into how you want to play. You can drip feed players in. The aim the first season is always to stay in the league.

"At times the way you want to play has to go to the side just to stay in the league to give you confidence you belong.

"Next year is about building. This season we went into a back five. Is it appealing on the eye? No but it lets you have a solid base."

They look like they need a player like Fulham's Joao Palhinha? Is that an area to add to in midfield?

"They might look at it and say we need a genuine top class midfielder. If you are going to play with a back four you need that in this league.

"You mention Palhinha. If you have a player like that in the centre of your pitch with a skill set like that it makes you a different team. It opens up everything else you can do. This is where recruitment is essential. You have to add genuine quality to the areas you need it."