FOREST FIRED UP FOR PREM
Karanka under pressure to deliver after big investment
NOTTINGHAM FOREST have invested £25million this summer to get promotion – and manager Aitor Karanka can expect the sack if he fails.
Forest are looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999 after making 10 signings.
Controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis, a Greek shipping magnate who took charge last year, has given Karanka cash to push for the top flight.
Fans are starting to believe again with a sell-out 2,696 away allocation at Bristol City on Saturday for their opening-day clash. The club have also sold 20,000 season tickets after bringing in Costel Pantilimon, Michael Dawson, Jack Robinson, Jack Colback, Tobias Figueiredo, Diogo Goncalves, Joao Carvalho, Gil Dias, Hillal Soudani and Lewis Grabban.
Anticipation for the new season peaked as Karanka’s men beat Premier League Bournemouth 2-0 at home in their final friendly match.
Karanka led Middlesbrough to promotion in 2016, and said of Forest: “Everything the club is doing is amazing and it is reflecting on the squad, on the pitch and I hope everybody, especially those 20,000, can enjoy it with the team.” But Mirror Sport understands the club’s power brokers now expect promotion and will make changes if it is not on the cards. That means the pressure is firmly on Karanka (above) to get Forest in the mix to return to the Premier League. Results were underwhelming last season after he succeeded Mark Warburton in January, Karanka winning just five times in 21 games. Marinakis, who also owns Greek club Olympiakos, has added firepower with Grabban. He scored 20 times on loan in the Championship last season with Sunderland and Aston Villa. The signings of Portuguese 21-yearolds Carvalho – a club record signing at £13.2m – from Benfica, Goncalves and Dias have brought flair and excitement too. Centre-back Dawson has returned to the City Ground after leaving for Spurs in 2005. The 34-year-old said: “It is full circle for me coming back and we have signed players of quality and calibre. I can’t wait to get started. Some of the lads have been bought for big money and we know the expectation of what we want to achieve.” Now Karanka and Co must deliver results – starting at Bristol City.