Future appears bright as Reds are looking up under Cooper and Murphy
PLENTY TO GET EXCITED ABOUT FOR FOREST FANS, ON AND OFF FIELD
THERE is plenty for Nottingham Forest fans to be excited about over the next 12 months, given the club are in a very different position to where they were this time last year.
With chief executive Dane Murphy at the helm and head coach Steve Cooper in charge, it has the potential to be an exciting time ahead.
Here are seven reasons for optimism for Reds fans:
■Transfer strategy
The new year has already got off to a positive start as the Reds are quickly making inroads in the January transfer window.
One new signing has been made, in Keinan Davis, and another is on the way as Steve Cook is expected to put pen to paper in the next few days.
It is in stark contrast to windows past, when Forest have been scrambling on deadline day to get deals over the line.
There is a clear strategy and vision in place now. Last-minute panic buying doesn’t exactly fit with that.
That’s not to say all of the club’s business will necessarily get done early but they do have a plan - one which Cooper and Murphy are very much aligned to.
It started to bear fruit in the summer, with Murphy keen to lower the average age and size of the squad. And it has continued into this month.
Transfers are never an exact science, so there will still be some misses as well as some hits. But the general consensus is that careful decisions are being taken.
■Play-off push
This time last year, Forest’s January business was centred around getting the players in who could help the club stay up. They were battling towards the bottom end of the table.
They did manage to avoid getting sucked into a relegation scrap towards the end of the season but a 17th-placed finish was still what nobody had in mind.
Fast forward 12 months and the Reds are fighting for a top six spot.
They ended 2021 with back-toback defeats but that was very much out of step with the progress they have made under Cooper. He has transformed their fortunes since replacing Chris Hughton in September.
The Welshman knows what it takes to get into the play-offs, too and he will be eager to go one step further than he managed with Swansea City.
If it doesn’t quite happen this term, expect Forest to really go for it in 2022-23 as owner Evangelos Marinakis’ Premier League ambition burns as strongly as ever.
■Bright future
Cooper’s reputation for developing young players was one of the key factors in his City Ground appointment.
The Reds have a rich history of blooding academy products and they have a head coach who has a strong background of working with youth. Indeed, Cooper has said he still misses being directly involved in academy football, although he does work closely with Forest’s youthteam staff.
A number of Under-23s players regularly train with the senior squad, and the manager won’t be afraid to give them a chance when he feels the time is right.
The likes of Jayden Richardson, Tyrese Fornah, Fin Back, Dale Taylor, Oliver Hammond, Aaron Donnelly and Baba Fernandes, among plenty of others, all look to have bright futures.
The future is in good hands for the next crop of talent coming through.
■Lighting up the Championship
One academy graduate making a big impact right now is Brennan Johnson. The 20-year-old has had a fine start to the season and he will only get better.
Johnson is capable of getting supporters off their seats whenever he gets the ball. He has pace to burn, has developed a great understanding with Djed Spence down the right flank, and he can score goals.
He still has plenty to learn and improve on but it is going to be exciting to watch his development.
Inevitably his form has seen him attract plenty of admirers. For the moment at least, though, the general message seems to be that he’s not for sale.
Whether that changes if a hefty bid comes in remains to be seen. Forest will hope to hang on to him, however.
Plenty of times in the past, youngsters have been moved on before supporters have really had chance to see the best of them. Hopefully that won’t be the case in this instance.
■City Ground progress
Will this be the year the Reds’ stadium redevelopment project takes a significant step forward?
The timeline for the work being undertaken remains uncertain, after it had been due to begin in the summer of 2020.
But the club are hopeful that updated proposals submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council last month will prove to be the final piece in the jigsaw.
Chairman Nicholas Randall QC said at the time: “Like all our supporters, we are keen to conclude the planning process as soon as we can as we are excited about the transformational impact this will have on our supporter matchday experience.
“We hope these updated sustainable plans will pave the way for a full and final planning submission in the new year.”
More than £2m has already been spent directly related to the plans, with Marinakis committed to transforming the stadium.
Once planning approval is granted, there is much to be excited about.
■Academy plans
It is not just the stadium which the club have grand plans for.
In December, they outlined proposals to further redevelop the training facilities at the Nigel Doughty Academy, featuring a new two-storey building with 14 changing rooms, three classrooms, a gym, a physio room, an analysis suite, a guest parents’ lounge and canteen facilities.
That is on top of enhancements previously made to meet Category 1 Academy licence obligations, having been granted conditional status on that front for this season.
Randall said: “This is another important milestone in enhancing the infrastructure of the club by Mr Marinakis, in line with our longterm aspirations.
“In addition to his continued investment in the playing staff, we are very grateful for the owner’s continued generosity and his vision for how he wants the football club to evolve.”
Category 1 is the highest classification for academies in England, with Forest joining the likes of topflight giants Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in that bracket.
It is another reason to see the future as being bright.
■Strong support
Week in, week out, home and away, Forest are backed in huge numbers. And it will be the same again in 2022. They are one of the best supported clubs in the division.
The atmosphere at the City Ground has been electric at times, while the travelling contingent never stop singing at away games. Those scenes in the driving rain at Bristol City will go down in folklore.
Hopefully the next 12 months will bring plenty more days and nights like that.
Cooper’s side have been giving fans plenty to cheer about on the pitch of late, and the aim will be to keep that going.