TAXI FOR KAR?
Owner’s promotion demand turns up the heat on Forest boss
AITOR KARANKA has just two games to save his job at Nottingham Forest.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis is considering replacements including Martin O’Neill and Slavisa Jokanovic.
The Greek tycoon (right) is not known for his patience having gone through 12 managers at Olympiakos – which he also owns – since 2010.
He expects promotion to the Premier League this campaign having paid £25million for 17 new players at the City Ground over the summer.
But a run of four games without a win has seen Forest slide to tenth with just two points from a possible 12.
The heat is on Karanka ahead of today’s trip to Millwall and Tuesday’s visit by leaders Leeds. He also faces a battle to lift his players after they threw away a 3-0 lead with 14 minutes left to draw at Norwich on Boxing Day. “We need to play our style and our intensity,” said Karanka. “I need to check how the players are from the game on Wednesday. “It wasn’t just how much they ran, it was the emotions of it as in those games, you feel more tired than in a normal game. It was frustrating after the game – they put everything in on the pitch and you lose the three points at the end.
“If we don’t approach Millwall as aggressive as them or as intense as them, we will have problems.” Forest’s hierarchy are frustrated they are only five points better off than at this stage last season under Mark Warburton, despite a far stronger squad.
The board will outline expectations to Karanka before today’s game. They are exploring options, among them former Ireland boss O’Neill (left, middle), who won the European Cup as a player with Forest, and axed Fulham manager Jokanovic (left, bottom).
Forest targeted O’Neill before but opted to stay with Ireland. He was sacked in November and has spoken in the last few days about his desire to return to management.
Jokanovic led Fulham into the Premier League last season.
Forest paid a club record £13.2m to sign Joao Carvalho from Benfica and spent £6m on Lewis Grabban.