Here are your Nottingham Forest headlines on Friday, October 14, 2022.
Cooper on off-field changes
Head coach Steve Cooper says his focus remains on trying to pick up results amid off-field changes at Nottingham Forest.
Following a tough start to the season on their return to the Premier League, the Reds have undertaken a reshuffle behind the scenes. Last week, Filippo Giraldi was brought in as sporting director, with a view to auditing the existing infrastructure at the club. The departure of recruitment duo George Syrianos and Andy Scott followed, as Forest’s summer transfer business came under scrutiny.
Cooper insists matters off the pitch are not a distraction, however. And the Welshman says his priority is to try to get his team climbing up the Premier League table, having moved off the foot of the standings with Monday night’s 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa.
“There has been some changes. I can’t really go into the ‘why’, because it’s a club decision and they’ve decided to do that,” Cooper said, ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Niakhate still 'nowhere near'
Injured defender Moussa Niakhate is still “nowhere near” being in consideration for his Nottingham Forest comeback.
The summer signing has been out of action with a hamstring injury since the 1-0 victory over West Ham United in August. He linked up with the Senegal squad during the last international break and was named on the bench for a match against Bolivia, but then returned to the City Ground early to continue his rehabilitation.
And head coach Steve Cooper says the centre-back is still some way off getting back out on the pitch. It also remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to be in contention for next month’s World Cup with his country.
“No, he is not close. He is still very much in his rehab. He is nowhere near consideration, really,” Cooper said.
Bade 'down in the dumps'
Nottingham Forest loanee Loïc Badé is reportedly "down in the dumps" after making the transfer deadline day move from Stade Rennais.
The centre-back has yet to even feature on the bench for the Reds since arriving on a season-long loan almost a month and a half ago now. That is despite Forest conceding the second-most goals in the Premier League so far, shipping 22 in just nine matches.
Fellow more established central defensive signings Willy Boly and Moussa Niakhaté - before being sidelined with a thigh injury - have both featured this season, and even Loïc Mbe Soh made a pair of matchday squads back in August, but Badé continues to wait for a chance.
Food for thought
Striker Emmanuel Dennis has given Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper a different option to consider after scoring his first goal for the club.
The summer signing found the back of the net against Aston Villa on Monday night, helping the Reds end a five-match losing streak as they registered a 1-1 draw. Heading in Morgan Gibbs-White’s free-kick to open the scoring, it was the perfect way to mark his first league start in the Garibaldi.
Dennis has been hampered by a series of slight injury knocks since his switch from Watford. But as Cooper tries to find a more settled line-up in a bid to help Forest climb the Premier League table, he says the forward has offered food for thought ahead of this weekend’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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