Safety at last, now come big calls for Reds
CRUCIAL SUMMER AT CITY GROUND
SAFETY secured, another season in the Championship guaranteed – now comes the real challenge for Chris Hughton at Nottingham Forest.
Having arrived in October, the first part of Hughton’s managerial mission at the City Ground is complete. He has steadied the ship and kept the Reds up.
Part two, though, is much harder. He now has to transform a team which has spent most of this term treading water above the relegation zone, into one capable of making a splash at the opposite end of the table.
Breaking into the top six is the aim for 2021-22. There will no doubt be choppy seas to navigate.
First up, a crucial summer, with a chance for Hughton to put his stamp on the dressing room.
Here’s a look at the big decisions facing the Forest manager as the current campaign comes to an end and planning for the next one begins.
■■LOAN RANGERS AND SENIOR PLAYERS FACING THE EXIT
The contracts situation in the Reds’ dressing room means, inevitably, there will be significant changes beyond the beginning of May.
Last week, Hughton said he is “well on the way” to deciding the futures of his players, and it involves making some big calls.
There are five loanees on the books, with Forest holding options to turn two of them into permanent moves, in Cyrus Christie and Luke Freeman.
If the right deal can be struck, the former has put himself firmly into contention to earn a contract. Injuries have hampered Freeman, though, and he has been unable to show what he is truly capable of.
There’s no doubt the Reds will try to get James Garner back but have a fight on their hands there. Whether they also look to pursue Anthony Knockaert and Filip Krovinovic is likely to depend on how much cash their parent clubs are after.
Assembling a tight-knit squad, smaller in numbers than currently, will be a priority for Hughton - and there will automatically be some trimming when contracts among some of the senior pros expire and are not renewed.
If Michael Dawson is to remain Trentside, it will have to be in some form of coaching role, while there is no way back for fellow defender Michael Hefele.
What will happen to others whose deals are coming to an end is a bit more uncertain, with Hughton facing some tough decisions.
Currently, Yuri Ribeiro, Sammy Ameobi, Samba Sow and Glenn Murray will become free agents in a few weeks’ time, while Forest must decide whether to trigger a one-year extension on goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo, who has featured on the bench just once.
■■THE BIGGER PICTURE
It’s unlikely to only be among the out of contract players where numbers will be trimmed.
There are several in the squad whose deals run out in 2022. This summer is a chance to move some of them on and get a bit of money for them.
Of course, there’s always the possibility some could be offered new contracts now but the Reds have a habit of leaving those situations until the last minute.
Jordan Smith, Tobias Figueiredo, Gaetan Bong, Carl Jenkinson, Fouad Bachirou and Lewis Grabban all have deals which expire in 12 months’ time, as does Tyler Blackett, although there is an option to extend his.
Some among that group of players may well move on. Bachirou and Jenkinson, for example, have seen very little game time. The former wasn’t even included in the 25-man EFL squad.
Hughton has to cut some of the dead wood to make way for new signings. There will be others too, who the club could look to move on, if there are takers.
■■WHO TO BRING IN...
Who stays and who goes will also have an impact on the number of additions Hughton will look to make.
In his own words, it will be a “busy summer” regardless.
The squad desperately needs fresh blood. If the Reds are going to have any chance of challenging for promotion, there has to be a sizeable overhaul - and the recruitment has to be spot on.
Too many times in recent transfer windows that hasn’t been the case, and it’s proved costly.
The pressure really is on to get it right this time.
It’s painfully obvious by now where the bulk of the work needs to be done. Forest don’t just need at least one other striker, they need creative attacking players who can make chances and weigh in with goals themselves.
They are very short of options in the wide areas and the number 10 position continues to pose a few problems.
The tightrope Hughton must walk
is to strengthen sufficiently without going on a full-blown shopping spree. Too many new arrivals came through the door last year and it just didn’t work.
Quality over quantity must be the key phrase, while ensuring the right characters are targeted is just as important. Team spirit carried the club a long way under Sabri Lamouchi; the Reds need to get back to that same sense of unity.
■■WHAT TO DO IF A BIG CLUB COMES KNOCKING...
They will. It’s inevitable. Players who have shone for a team which hasn’t done so well always attract suitors. Financial Fair Play rules also mean Championship sides are constantly having to balance the books.
Almost every summer, Forest have made the decision to let one of their talented youngsters go. They have, though, made sure to get a very good deal when they do - most recently, when Matty Cash was snapped up by Aston Villa.
There will be big clubs sniffing around again. Joe Worrall has his admirers, as does Brennan Johnson, to name two.
In an ideal world, the Reds would hang on to their prized talent. They’d tell potential buyers where to go and instead build a promotion-challenging team around their young stars. They are exactly the type of players Forest need.
Reality doesn’t always work like that, though. The club’s resolve is sure to be tested.
■■THE STRIKER SITUATION
Finding the back of the net is the biggest issue Hughton needs to address in the summer. He knows it, fans know it and the players know it.
He will look to make signings to help with that.
But he must also decide what happens with the forwards currently on the books - not just in terms of their futures, but also how to use them.
Who is going to be first-choice front man next year?
The manager has said he expects Grabban to still be here, despite previous interest from Qatar, and has spoken about how Lyle Taylor can be one of those players who has a much better second year at a club than his first.
Whether both are still in situ come August remains to be seen, however, as does whether Murray is retained.
Nevertheless, there is uncertainty over what Forest’s attack will look like. Neither Grabban or Taylor have got anywhere near the amount of goals expected this term, and the manager has hinted at trying the former in a different role.
Grabban, he said, could play as a second striker - a link-man in the number 10 spot.
If Hughton does go down that route, who will be the leading man? It seems unlikely to be Taylor, given he’s sometimes been third in the pecking order and has mainly been used as a substitute.
Moreover, would happy doing that job?
Grabban
■■WHAT NEXT FOR TALENTED YOUNGSTERS?
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■■THE CARVALHO CONUNDRUM
It wouldn’t be a piece about big decisions without mentioning Joao Carvalho.
The club record signing continues to spark much debate.
He’s suffered a real dip in form on loan at Almeria and the suggestion is the Spanish outfit are unlikely to take up the option to buy him.
If that does prove to be the case, he’ll be back Trentside, giving Hughton the opportunity to cast an eye over him in pre-season.
If the Portuguese can convince the boss he’s capable of supplying the attacking threat which has been missing - while at the same time, working hard to help out defensively - then, problem solved.
If not, if the manager isn’t convinced, then it’s back to square one. It’s almost last-chance saloon for Carvalho at Forest.
The Reds continue their tradition of a production line of talent, with the next crop all fighting for their opportunity.
Several have been out on loan this season – the likes of Will Swan, Tyrese Fornah, Johnson, Jordan Gabriel and Marcus Mcguane.
Oxford United seem confident of signing the latter, but what of the others?
The call Hughton must make is whether they are ready for the step up to the first team or do they need another campaign of building experience elsewhere.
They have all done well for their respective loan clubs and will hope to get a chance to catch Hughton’s eye in the summer, an opportunity to push for a place.
It’s a difficult judgement to make, however. The gap to regular Championship football can sometimes be a big one.