Nottingham Forest

Nicolas Dominguez fate at nottingham forest

Published

9 months ago

January 1, 2024

The past 12 months have been a rollercoaster at the City Ground but Nottingham Forest approach the new year with a sense of optimism.

They ended 2023 in style by seeing off Manchester United to make it back-to-back wins under Nuno Espirito Santo. And with the new head coach having made a fine start to his tenure, Reds fans are excited about what 2024 might hold.

Whatever happens, no doubt there will be plenty of twists and turns Trentside. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at how the coming months might unfold.

Transfer ins and outs

After a second successive summer overhaul, it actually would not be too much of a surprise if Forest have a relatively quiet January window. Nuno will have his own ideas of what is required, of course, but the squad does not require major work.

The focus will be on outgoings, so chances are there will be more departures than arrivals this month. Gustavo Scarpa has already set that particular ball rolling by heading for Atletico Mineiro after his Olympiacos loan was cancelled, but further exits will follow.

Who will be among them is a little harder to predict given Nuno has made clear his appointment presented a clean slate for everyone. The likes of Gonzalo Montiel and Joe Worrall have found themselves back in the picture under the Portuguese head coach.

Andrey Santos is yet to feature under the new regime, though, so expect Chelsea to still recall the midfielder. Scott McKenna is also yet to be involved under Nuno amid a reported contract dispute ahead of his deal ending in the summer – if he does go, it would be another link to the promotion-winning side severed.

Meanwhile, don’t rule out deadline day drama. It just wouldn’t be Forest without it! Prepare for the unexpected.

Nuno-ball shines

Two out of three ain’t bad for the Reds’ start to life under Nuno. Even more so given the wins came against Newcastle United and Erik ten Hag’s side.

The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur boss teased that Saturday’s victory was “just the start”. He knows there remains plenty to improve upon, so the exciting part is there is still much more to come.

Two big scalps have already been claimed. If Forest continue to put in the kind of performances they did at St James’ Park and at the weekend, others could follow.

There is a tasty-looking game at home to Arsenal on the horizon at the end of the month. Newcastle and Liverpool visit at the start of February and March respectively, while Manchester City make the trip in April. A few more special City Ground afternoons and evenings could be on the cards.

Where will the Reds finish in the table? Our crystal ball is not that good!

Nuno will not be getting ahead of himself. Forest still need to increase the gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

There will no doubt be ups and downs, and it is unlikely to be all plain sailing. But (mindful of the risk of jinxing things) there should be no reason why the Reds cannot climb into a more comfortable position – provided they keep up the standards they have now set.