Can Forest do a Wolves?

THERE has been a rare outbreak of optimism at Nottingham Forest as they prepare for a 20th successive season outside the top flight. That loving feeling is creeping back, encouraged by a summer spending spree of 10 new players, a positive pre-season and good vibes coming from within the City Ground. More than 20,000 season tickets have been sold for the first time in the club’s history and they will take more than 2,600 to Bristol City for Saturday’s opening fixture. Might this year be different? Might they do what Wolves did, leaping from the depths of the Championship and into the Premier League to end years of underachievement? The flurry of Forest signings has been dominated by a Portuguese theme and the presence of agent Jorge Mendes around some deals only enhanced comparisons to Wolves. The club’s transfer record was smashed to sign Joao Carvalho (below) from Benfica for £13million and they added oneyear loan deals for Gil Dias, a winger and Mendes client from Monaco, and Diogo Goncalves, another attacking player, on loan from Benfica. Forest’s other angle has been a steady recruitment of English experience. Michael Dawson is back at 34 to take the captaincy, 13 years after leaving for Tottenham. ‘It’s a full circle coming back and a lot has changed in that time,’ said Dawson. ‘There’s an excitement around the city and everywhere we go.’ The pressure is on boss Aitor Karanka, appointed in January and backed in the mid-season market in the hope they might make a dash for the play-offs. Forest finished 17th with only two wins in their last 11 games. Karanka, however, will require early signs of progress to satisfy Evangelos Marinakis, an owner not known for patience with managers at Olympiacos, even when they were winning the Greek Super League every year. Less than three years ago, season ticket sales had dipped under 14,000. It has been five years since a top-10 finish and it’s 20 years since relegation from the Premier League. This could be the season when it all changes. But doesn’t everyone feel that way amid the anticipation of a fresh start?