Nottingham Forest: 2014/15 Season Preview
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Players IN: Veldwijk (Excelsior, undic), Fryatt (Hull, free), Vaughan (Sunderland, undisc), Fox (Southampton, undisc), Hunt (loan), Mancienne (Hamburg, undic), Riera (Barcelona B, undic), Antonio (Sheffield Wednesday, £1.5m), Burke (Birmingham, free), Assombalonga (Peterborough, £5.5m), Laing (Sunderland, free), Darlow (Newcastle, loan), Lascelles (Newcastle, loan)
Players OUT: Jara (released), Greening (released), Gillett (released), Moussi (released), Cox (Reading, undisc), Miller (released), Derbyshire (released), Djebbour (released), Tudgay (released), Majewski (Huddersfield, loan), Abdoun (released), Henderson (Leyton Orient, free), Darlow (Newcastle, undisc), Lascelles (Newcastle, undisc)
The 2014/15 Sky Bet Championship season is nearly upon us, and the feeling surrounding Nottingham Forest is one of excitement.
With former left back and Reds legend Stuart Pearce returning to the club as manager to lead their promotion push, supporters are refreshingly upbeat about their chances.
Clearing out the deadwood, Pearce released no fewer than seven players from Forest’s books before he officially took over on July 1st; freeing up valuable space on the wage bill and enabling him to start afresh.
The busiest transfer window in recent memory on the banks of the River Trent, a total of 11 players have been brought in to boost Forest’s promotion hopes as they look to end a run of 16 years without top flight football.
It’s not been plain sailing – it rarely is for Nottingham Forest – as controversy marred the sale of two of the club’s hottest prospects in Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles as they headed to Newcastle in a double deal.
Manager Pearce appeared on local radio the night of the transfer, only to reveal he was unaware a deal had been struck until Lascelles informed him he was heading to the north east for a medical.
Social media subsequently went into meltdown as owner and chairman Fawaz al-Hasawi was pressured into making a statement; putting the sale of the promising duo down to financial fair play (FFP).
The pair will both return to Forest on a season-long loan, with Newcastle paying their wages in full.
Should Forest gain promotion this season, the 21-year-old’s pace, power and goals are all likely to be required.
Players such as Chris Cohen, Andy Reid, Chris Burke and David Vaughan will add vital experience to a team with such an emphasis on youth; whilst Matty Fryatt and Lars Veldwijk have both been brought in to add much needed fire power to Forest’s front line.
With the injury problems at the City Ground starting to ease up, supporters can hopefully look forward to a thrilling season with a man in charge who served the club so loyally in his playing career; as well as being made captain under Forest’s greatest legend of all: Brian Clough.
DEFENCE
Pearce has done well to secure the services of Michael Mancienne from Hamburg, a man who had a growing reputation in England before his move to Germany. Danny Fox has made his loan move to the City Ground permanent, and Jack Hunt has also been brought in on loan to provide cover for right back Eric Lichaj.
Hot prospect Louis Laing and exciting youngster Roger Riera have both joined the club from Sunderland and Barcelona B respectively, as they look to add strength in depth to a back line that already contains highly-rated youngster Jamaal Lascelles.
With Chris Cohen and Jack Hobbs getting some game time in Forest’s pre-season win over Premier League West Bromwich Albion, it looks as though the Reds will have plenty of options in defence this season.
One final mention for Nottingham-born Kelvin Wilson, who could be a fantastic asset for the club, should he ever return from injury.
MIDFIELD
David Vaughan and fan favourite Andy Reid will add much needed experience to the centre of midfield which could prove vital in the big matches; whilst new signings Michail Antonio and Chris Burke will look to provide options out wide.
One of the bright lights from last season, Jamie Paterson, will surely be a key player in Stuart Pearce’s plans, as the former Walsall man aims to build on an ever increasing reputation.
Should Pearce manage to retain the services of influential midfielder Henri Lansbury, it will be a massive boost to their promotion chances. Lansbury will be a prominent figure for Forest this season should he stay injury free – bringing vision, creativity and goals into a side that looks solid at the back.
Mancienne and Cohen could also be used as midfield players, however, unless another injury crisis strikes, containing the likes of Reid, Lansbury and Paterson; Forest have a midfield that is arguably amongst the strongest in the division.
ATTACK
Forest’s main problem last season was failing to see out matches. A lot of that may have been down to the tactics employed by the manager, but the facts don’t lie: the strikers just didn’t produce.
With Ishmael Miller, Matt Derbyshire and Simon Cox all going through the exit door this summer; Pearce has replaced them with Matty Fryatt from Premier League Hull, highly rated Dutch striker Lars Veldwijk, who notched 30 goals in 38 league games last term for Excelsior, and record signing Britt Assombalonga.
Fryatt has a proven record at this level, whilst Assombalonga has been a free-scoring striker wherever he has been thus far in his short career.
Veldwijk can be employed as a target man, as well as seeming technically sound on the ball too.
Pace, power, strength and goals is all there with the striking options available to Pearce, and with the creativity of Forest’s midfield, you wouldn’t bet against the Reds bagging a few this campaign.
KEY MAN: HENRI LANSBURY
Pretty much the only fears held by Forest supporters ahead of the new campaign is fuelled by a number of clubs looking to lure the former-Arsenal man away from the City Ground.
Lansbury has been promoted from the second tier of English football twice previously (with Norwich and West Ham) so knows what it takes to get out of the division.
Not afraid of getting stuck in, Lansbury is an asset all over the park. With his passing ability and vision, the 23-year-old is also capable of chipping in with his fair share of goals.
Should he be tempted by the allure of Premier League football, Lansbury would certainly be a tough void to fill.
Hopefully, however, he will elect to stay with the Reds and help force a successful promotion push.
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