Grabban is sure he can get back to former highs
STRIKER Lewis Grabban is confident he can get back to regularly being among the goals for Nottingham Forest next season.
In a campaign where the Reds as a team struggled to find the back of the net, Grabban finished as the club’s top League scorer with six.
Injuries limited him to 29 appearances in all competitions, but it was still a disappointing return - on the back of hitting 20 goals in 45 games last season and bagging 17 in 41 outings in his first year at the City Ground, in 2018-19.
Grabban hopes not getting dragged into a relegation fight next term, along with the addition of some creative players in the summer transfer window, will allow Forest to be more attacking when the action resumes in August.
“For sure, I do think I can hit those heights again,” said the 33-year-old. “Mentally, I feel good in terms of understanding the game.
“Even when I did get 20 goals last season, it wasn’t easy. We were playing off a counter-attack style, so there still weren’t as many chances.
“It’s something that I always look to do. Hopefully, next season I can get close to where I’ve got to before.
“I think maybe we will focus a bit more on doing better in the final third.
“Obviously, we’re going to try to start next season differently. We don’t want to be in the same situation as this season, battling with relegation and being towards the bottom, which meant we had to play a bit more pragmatic.
“Hopefully, next season we’ll be able to be a bit more expansive and, with that, comes more chances and dominating games a bit more.
“With those types of elements in the game, you’re able to do better generally in the final third. That enables players, like myself, to have a bit more freedom to score more goals and be more clinical.”
He added: “We had to manage this season in a different way because of the situation we got ourselves into quite early on.
“We’re not planning to make that mistake again. We want to be on the front foot. Hopefully, with that mentality, it will be easier for us to maintain playing good football and getting good results.”
Boss Chris Hughton has made it clear attacking reinforcements are needed in the next few weeks and months.
That will form part of something of an overhaul of the dressing room, with plenty of comings and goings.
It could be a much-changed squad come the start of the 2021-22 campaign, when the Reds will look to get back to challenging for a top six spot.
“We need to be creative in the final third and the more players who come in to help, the more players who want to get assists, the better,” said Grabban.
“I think that’s important, having players who enjoy getting assists, not just goals – players who can create for whoever is playing as a striker. You need wingers chipping in with goals as well.
“I think we’ve got a basis here that the club is always headed for that direction of play-offs, minimum. With the right additions to the squad, I think we’d be able to seal those positions.
“Generally, I think every window is important because you have ins and outs.
“As a club, you always need to try to improve on what you have - and also not disrupt what you have as well. It’s a balance.
“Personally, in the summer I don’t really look every day to see who we’re signing! It normally pops up in our group, a little welcome message to someone we’ve signed.