Nottingham Forest have started the 2023/24 season well, with nine points from eight games. The Reds are currently 13th on the Premier League table, with a solid foundation in place.
The Reds have considerably improved over their journey. They have four points on the road, and the issue now is to maintain that momentum when domestic play starts.
Forest fans can take stock now that the second international break has begun. We’ve looked at five things the Reds have done well so far this season.
Ibrahim Sangare has been signed.
The Ivorian has joined the club for a sum of around £30 million. Naturally, he hasn’t yet reached the pinnacle of his profession, but he’s adjusting well to life in the Premier League.
These kind of agreements often take time to bear fruit. Sangare is definitely a gifted footballer, and he has excelled defensively since his arrival at the City Ground.
Sangare will be back with more. The club, on the other hand, deserves credit for completing a signing that had been at the top of the wishlist throughout the summer.
Stock the squad
Losing Brennan Johnson was a blow. However, his departure has now bizarrely seen the squad look somewhat stronger. His sale allowed Steve Cooper to dip into the market and the squad looks good.
Forest have at least two decent players for every position. They have options all over the park these days and the challenge for Cooper now is to get things moving in the right direction.
Forest’s transfer window was less scattergun and more methodical than last summer this time around. Now, the team will hope to kick on with Cooper boasting the best squad that has been seen on Trentside for years.
Stay in games and be braver
Forest were abysmal on the road last season. They collected just eight points away from the City Ground and that almost cost them their Premier League status.
This season they have collected four points on the road and it’s the level of performance that has caught the eye. Despite losses to Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, the Reds have competed.
It’s perhaps a bit disappointing that Forest haven’t got a couple more points to show for their efforts. Still, there is definitely a sign of progress and that is a good thing at this stage.
Swapping Remo Freuler for Nicolas Dominguez
This might be one of the steals of the century! Although Forest have paid a fee to Bologna to sign Dominguez, the fact that he’s ultimately swapped places with Freuler is remarkable.
Nothing against the Switzerland international but he just didn’t adapt to how Forest played. Cooper knew that and chose to let him leave the club this summer.
Dominguez is younger and looks like the sort of player that will leave everything out on the pitch. He looks like a serious talent and Forest have done exceptionally well to get him.
Unleashing Murillo
Cooper is a master when it comes to nurturing young players. As a result, it was no surprise to see the Reds move to sign Brazilian wonderkid Murillo in the summer.
Cooper’s decision to give him some playing time has proven to be a wise one. He began against Brentford and was retained for Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace following a strong 90-minute performance.
Murillo appears to be a solid addition to the team. Given his two appearances thus far, it appears that he is now the man for the others to remove from the team.
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