Nottingham Forest priority set out in next phase of transfer plan amid clear Marinakis verdict
Nottingham Forest’s summer transfer business has been given a resounding seal of approval - but one key question hangs in the air after a busy window at the City Ground.
After a positive start to the season for the Reds, the international break has provided an opportunity to reflect on an important summer and to look at some of the key issues on and off the pitch Trentside. We conducted a big survey in which we asked fans for their thoughts on a variety of topics, ranging from the transfer window, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The lack of a striker signing is clearly on the minds of supporters. But it seemingly hasn’t taken the shine off the deals Forest did do and the crucial decisions they made during the window.
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Eleven new additions came through the doors this summer. Eric da Silva Moreira, Elliot Anderson, Carlos Miguel, Nikola Milenkovic, Jota Silva, Ramon Sosa, Alex Moreno, Morato and James Ward-Prowse have all bolstered Nuno’s options, while Marko Stamenic and David Carmo are spending the campaign on loan at Olympiacos.
Plenty of the new arrivals have already shown signs of being able to make an impact in the Garibaldi. And as a result, 51 percent of fans who filled out our survey said they were happy with how the transfer window panned out, while 39 percent said they were content with the business done. Just 10 percent said they were not happy with the work overseen.
There is no doubt what many fans consider to be the missing piece of the transfer jigsaw. A whopping 91 percent of those who took part specified a striker when asked whether any other signings should have been made. Six percent said the Reds didn’t need to make any further additions, while two percent would like to have seen a goalkeeper brought in and one percent wanted another midfielder added.
Nevertheless, after successive relegation battles since their return to the Premier League there now appears to be a sense of optimism Forest can avoid being dragged into a survival scrap this time around. Asked whether the summer transfer business had changed their hopes for the campaign, 85 percent of fans said it had left them more positive about the season. Meanwhile, 14 percent said they felt about the same and one percent said they were feeling less positive about the months ahead.
It is clear the club’s recruitment wasn’t the only thing to please supporters about the summer. Nuno stated several times that of equal importance as bringing players in was keeping hold of his key men - and it seems fans agree.
The likes of Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams all had their admirers while the window was open. But the Reds came through deadline day with all of their prized assets still in situ. There was a focus on moving fringe players on to ensure Nuno had a small group to work with, but the club’s main men went nowhere.
For 72 percent of supporters who took part in the survey, key players being retained was the main positive of the window. After last term’s points deduction, 12 percent said avoiding Profitability and Sustainability Rules issues was the standout of the summer. Meanwhile, 10 percent identified the signings made as the big positive and six percent pointed to numbers being trimmed.
On the back of a positive summer and a solid start on the pitch, 49 percent of those polled said they believe the Reds will finish between 11th and 13th in the table. Thirty-seven percent tipped Nuno’s side to finish 14th to 17th, 13 percent predicted a top-half finish and just one percent predicted relegation.
Nuno wasn’t necessarily every fan’s choice when he replaced Steve Cooper last December, but it seems the majority of supporters feel he can take the team forward. Sixty-seven percent of fans who answered the survey backed Nuno, 27 percent said they were unsure about him and six percent said Nuno was not the right man for the job.
Most fans who took part in the survey are also right behind owner Marinakis. Seventy-five percent said they were very happy with the Greek’s ownership, 18 percent said they were content, six percent said they had mixed views and only one percent said they were not happy with his running of the club.