Flying start to window welcomed as Reds strike on day one
■■Q: Are you enjoying this window so far for Nottingham Forest?
A: It’s been going really well. Already Forest have done some really good business.
I can’t remember the last time they made a signing on the first day of a transfer window. They were really keen to get business done early and they have managed to do that.
Some people will look at Keinan Davis’ goalscoring record and think he’s perhaps not what Forest need. But it would be wrong to write him off before he’s been given a chance.
I’m not sure he’s going to be a Lewis Grabban, in the sense of getting lots of goals, but he can offer something different.
He is more of a traditional number nine. We’re told his hold-up play is one of his strengths, which is something Forest can benefit from.
Grabban is still going to be firstchoice, so Davis might not get in the starting eleven regularly but he can make an impact from off the bench. And Forest have a lot of games coming up, so they are going to need their squad.
A lack of strength in depth was something we highlighted before the window opened and up front is an area where they were really light on options. Davis can add to that.
He can help take some of the pressure off Lewis Grabban, and allow him to take a bit of a break if he needs to.
Steve Cook will be a really good signing as well.
People will point to his age and how it doesn’t really fit in with the strategy of signing younger players. But he is only 30 and he is a really good player. A lot of Bournemouth fans are sorry to see him go.
He’s got a lot of experience, so he can be a wise head in a key position.
It suggests Steve Cooper is set on sticking with a back three. You can see Cook fitting in there alongside
Joe Worrall and Scott Mckenna because he will have been brought in to play.
He’s been there and done that when it comes to promotions, so to have that kind of experience in the squad will be really valuable.
The club are very keen on having a youthful squad - that is part of their transfer vision - but they do recognise you need some experience as well.
■■Q: Is it a done deal for Djed Spence to stay for the rest of the season?
A: Barring anything suddenly changing, yes. Which is huge. It would have been a huge blow to see him go.
On Friday, it was up and down what was going to happen.
Chris Wilder came out and said Middlesbrough were going to have to recall their loan players, because that’s what they’d been told by the EFL to do to get their game against Sheffield United on.
It looked like Spence was going to leave then.
That game was then postponed, which changed the picture, and Forest
were able to renegotiate with Boro.
He can have a big impact in the second half of the season now. He would have been a real loss, if he’d gone back to Boro.
Getting Max Lowe back from injury will be massive as well, because Forest really benefit from the balance they both bring at wingback - and it allows Jack Colback to move back into midfield, which is where he’s best.
■■Q: Does it look like Joe Worrall could be off, with Cook coming in?
BUT FANS ARE WONDERING IF WORRALL WILL LEAVE AFTER COOK ARRIVES
A: At the minute, there’s nothing to suggest Cook coming in necessarily means Worrall is leaving.
Worrall does still have Premier League admirers, in Newcastle and Burnley particularly – Burnley have never really gone away, they’ve always retained an interest.
But for the moment, there’s nothing to suggest a January move is in the offing.
The summer might be a different prospect, because clubs are more likely to spend big and do more business then.
As much as Worrall is on the radar of Burnley and Newcastle, he doesn’t seem to be quite at the top of their lists at the moment - although that could change.
I wouldn’t be surprised if both Worrall and Brennan Johnson are still at Forest at the end of January.
If someone comes in with a big bid, that does change things. But it doesn’t sound like that’s close to happening.
It’s looking more optimistic that both Johnson and Worrall could still be here at the end of the window, which would be massive.
What the Cook signing does suggest, though, is that there is uncertainty about Tobias Figueiredo’s future. He is out of contract in the summer, and Cook will have been brought in to play.
■■Q: Seems like this could be one of the best windows we’ve had so far?
A: Definitely the best for a while. It’s still early days but the business Forest have done and are looking to do is really positive.
It’s really encouraging that they’re doing careful, considered business.
There is the basis of a good squad already there, it’s about adding to that, making sure they have good options. But they don’t want to disrupt what is a really strong team spirit.
There’s still more business to come, but not too much.
And then it’s about translating that into results on the pitch.
■■Q: Xande Silva has looked good since he was given a chance. He was supposed to be a dead cert to leave, do you think he will stay now?
A: I do think his situation has changed. It’s not quite so cut and dried as it looked like being.
A few weeks ago, some reports in Greece suggested a permanent deal had been agreed with Aris Thessaloniki. From what I’ve heard from sources in Greece, that was wide of the mark.
The suggestion was there was some disagreement between what Silva wanted, what Aris wanted and what Forest were prepared to allow.
And the fact he’s been given a chance in the last two games might well have changed Silva’s thinking. He can perhaps see there might be a possibility for him at Forest, whereas before he wasn’t even getting on the bench.
It would have been understandable if he was feeling frustrated before and had begun to look at his options but getting out on the pitch will have given him some encouragement.
He’s had a chance to show what he can do and he looked really bright in the last two games. He looks like he could provide a decent option.
His future doesn’t look quite so clear as it did a few weeks ago.
It looked like a move to Aris was going to be on the cards but now I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays at Forest.