Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest handed transfer verdict
Nottingham Forest are being tipped to “survive by the skin of their teeth” as their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League intensifies following a 3-2 defeat by Newcastle United.
The Reds twice hit back against the Magpies to draw at the City Ground on Saturday night, but were ultimately sunk by Bruno Guimaraes’ second goal of the game.
Defeat leaves Forest teetering just two points above the relegation zone, and with the threat of a Premier League points deduction also hanging over them. But all is not doom and gloom Trentside, with supporters convinced their team can survive to fight another campaign in the top-flight – even if it promises to be a close run thing.
Supporters made their prediction while taking part in a poll on Forest’s January transfer window business. The club’s player dealing since returning to the top flight is what has potentially left them in hot water with Premier League bosses, but fans were overwhelmingly “satisfied” with their January business.
In came attackers Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) and Rodrigo Ribeiro (Sporting Lisbon) on loan, while goalkeeper Matz Sels penned a three-and-a-half-year deal to move from Strasbourg.
In fact, January was more about trimming head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s bloated squad – and proving to the independent commission ruling on their PL charge that Forest are a fiscally responsible club.
With that in mind, Orel Mangala was the most notable departure , making a loan move to Lyon with an option to buy that could net Forest £30m.
Serge Aurier signed for Galatasaray, Gustavo Scarpa’s loan at Olympiacos was cancelled so he could join Atletico Mineiro for £4m, while a host of other players also left on loan, including promotion hero Joe Worrall .
Just 14 percent of respondents were unhappy with the Reds’ January, while 69 per cent were ‘satisfied’ and another 17 per cent “delighted”.
Asked whether Nuno now had a squad at his disposal good enough to achieve Forest’s goals in the second half – namely staying up – 76 per cent answered in the affirmative.
Main concerns focused on the scoring of goals and also conceding them – with 43 percent of fans who answered the poll worried about Nuno’s forward options. As it is, Chris Wood is injured again after showing his best form at Forest under Nuno, including that hat-trick in the reverse fixture against Newcastle. Luckily, Taiwo Awoniyi is fit again, but Forest are just an injury away from being seriously short of goals. Despite Sels arrival, 28 percent of fans are still underwhelmed by Forest’s current options between the sticks.
Unsurprisingly, both forwards and the goalkeeping department are the areas of the squad identified as being most in need of attention come the summer, when most respondents (54%) expect to see just three or four players recruited. Another 31 percent reckon one or two will be sufficient.
Asked where Forest will finish the season, 70 percent ticked the box “Survival by the skin of their teeth”. Another 16 per cent opted for mid-table while 14 per cent believed the Reds are heading back to the Championship. Obviously, the Premier League charges hanging over the club could yet be decisive in deciding Forest’s fate.
