Nottingham Forest clinched Premier League survival with a game to spare thanks to Saturday’s victory over Arsenal.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal proved to be the difference amid an incredible atmosphere at the City Ground. Steve Cooper’s side will now sign off for the campaign with a trip to Crystal Palace this weekend, before looking ahead to a summer where they can plan for another season in the top-flight.
With so much going on, there was plenty to talk about when Reds reporter Sarah Clapson held a live Q&A on our Forest Facebook page. Here’s how it panned out.
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Q: Going to be interesting to see how the team play without pressure.
A: It’s a real luxury for Forest to be able to go to Palace with nothing riding on the game. It wouldn’t surprise me if a few changes are made to the side. Some players have been carrying knocks, and there’s no real need to take any risks now.
Brennan Johnson is an obvious change which could be made, bringing him back into the XI. It was a big call to leave him out again, against Arsenal. But you can understand the logic behind it as Steve Cooper stuck with what worked at Chelsea, and it paid off with the right result.
Cooper has had to compromise a little bit with how he would like to play this season, in order to pick up points. In recent games particularly, Forest have had little possession and have focused on the counterattack. That’s been an effective approach; they’ve done what they needed to do and have posed a real threat with it.
Now they don’t need to get a certain result on Sunday, there’s an opportunity to try to play with a bit more freedom and look to impose themselves on the game. Cooper will still play to win. He will want to finish well and will want to end the season on a high away from home, particularly as Forest have struggled on their travels.
Q: Do you think we will see Omar Richards in a red shirt?
A: I really hope so. It’s a massive shame we haven’t been able to see what he has to offer yet.
He came in with a really good reputation and had the makings of being a very promising signing. It’s frustrating and disappointing for all concerned - not least the player - that he hasn’t been able to get on the pitch. When you sign for a club, you want to get out there as soon as possible and show what you’re about.
It would be great if he’s fully fit and available come pre-season and is ready to go when the new campaign starts. Full-back is an area which Forest are going to need to assess in the summer, though.
At the minute, they’ve got three left-backs on the books, in Richards, Renan Lodi and Harry Toffolo. Trying to get Lodi on a permanent deal would be a great bit of business because he has been excellent.
Forest will want to make sure they have sufficient cover in all areas next term, knowing full well the impact having a number of injuries can have. But there’s a balance to be struck in making sure they don’t have too many players in one position. If Richards is fit and there is the possibility of Lodi coming back, that could then lead to uncertainty over Toffolo, as was the case in January.
But there’s quite a few variables within that. Not least Richards’ fitness.
Q: Told you big T was the difference.
A: It’s been great to see him finish the season in good form. It’s only emphasised how much he was missed while he was out injured. He made a huge difference when he came back.
Forest look a much better side when he plays and he’s capable of making a massive impact in games - he’s already shown that on a number of occasions. He’s scored some crucial goals, not least the one which confirmed survival. He’ll be full of confidence at the minute.
He’s on 10 goals in all competitions now. Just think how many he would be on if he hadn’t missed a chunk of the season. That’s exciting for next year, though, because he can certainly improve on that tally. There’s more to come from him.
There’s loads of potential in this Forest squad, and staying in the Premier League provides a much better chance of being able to keep the group together. Awoniyi is one of a number of players who will really benefit from the experience of this season, along with the likes of Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Danilo and Neco Williams, as well as players like Joe Worrall, Ryan Yates and Scott McKenna - players who are slightly older but haven’t played in the Premier League before. All of those players have the potential to be even better next season, while there is still lots of room for growth among the younger ones, in particular. There’s a lot to build on, which is great.
Q: What positions would you strengthen for next year?
A: This summer is going to be a really important one. It was always going to be the case that how it pans out would be down to which division Forest were planning for, and now they can look ahead to another season in the Premier League. That certainly makes some things easier - trying to hang on to the likes of Johnson, for instance, and being able to go after certain targets.
The transfer window won’t be anywhere near as busy as last year’s, but we will still see some changes. Ins and outs are inevitable.
Forest have got a good core group of players already in place. The priority has to be to build around them and add a few key additions. It’s got to be more about quality than quantity.
I don’t think there’s any need for a mass clearout and then another influx of signings. Some players will move on, and there’s quite a few - those who are out on loan, for example - whose futures will need to be decided on.
There’s a lot to consider and a lot to weigh up when it comes to deciding who can have a part to play, all while ensuring there is sufficient strength in depth. And then when it comes to bringing players in, it’s going to be crucial to ensure they are the right ones.
Success in the past two transfer windows has been mixed, but that was always likely to happen when so many players were coming in. No club gets every decision right anyway.
Goalkeeper is definitely a position which needs looking at. Getting Dean Henderson permanently would be a great signing. Likewise, as mentioned before, doing a deal for Lodi would be a wise move.
Elsewhere, I think attacking options need strengthening. As we spoke about, Awoniyi was a big miss while he was out injured, so ensuring there is someone else who can step in is important. Chris Wood should be fit again for next term, but I’m still not sure how he fits in, while Sam Surridge and Emmanuel Dennis haven’t seen much game time. It seems likely Andre Ayew and Jesse Lingard will move on, so Forest are going to have to bolster their attacking arsenal.
In midfield as well, players like Jonjo Shelvey and Remo Freuler haven’t been involved lately. Are they going to stay on? Will Lewis O’Brien have a part to play? Those kinds of decisions will affect what Forest do. And if even just one or two of them head elsewhere, with Jack Colback also leaving, midfield might need strengthening, too.
Forest also have players with 12 months left to run on their contracts, including most of their centre-backs. This is about the time when clubs either offer fresh terms or think about cashing in before players leave as free agents, so it will be interesting to see what happens there. Things have been on hold while the focus has been on securing survival, but now the work can really begin. It will also be the first transfer window with Ross Wilson in place, so he'll no doubt want to make his mark.
What transfer business should Forest do in the summer? Have your say in the comments below
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