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31 signings + 38 points = Premier League safety for Forest
Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League this season, ending their 23-year exile from the top-flight, and they have managed to avoid relegation.
Rather than anything that actually happened on the pitch, this season will mainly be remembered for Forest’s signings, making 31 of them to be exact.
At the start of last summer, they made quite sensible editions, shopping in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, with Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhaté, Giulian Biancone and Orel Mangala all arriving.
Neco Williams from Liverpool also seemed like a good acquisition, replacing Djed Spence, but then the madness began, with Forest buying just random footballers you’ve probably heard of.
Jesse Lingard is the most obvious example of this, but Wayne Hennessey, Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis, Serge Aurier, Willy Boly and Cheikhou Kouyaté also fall into this camp.
Fast forward to January and seven more signings were made, including Jonjo Shelvey, Chris Wood, Keylor Navas (how do that happen?) Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa.
Despite all this nonsense, Steve Cooper managed to cobble together a cohesive, unified, well-drilled team that earned enough points to survive.
In both October and April, following elongated winless runs, Cooper appeared to be on the brink of the sack, but the unwavering support he received from Forest supporters was enough to keep him in situ.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis took his urge to sack managers out on Olympiacos, who’ve been through four Head Coaches this season.
Home form proved to be vital for the Reds, with 79% of their points earnt at the City Ground, winning each of their last three, thereby mathematically securing survival by beating Arsenal with a game to spare.
In the home table, the Tricky Trees sit tenth while, in the away table, they’re dead-last.
With Cooper in charge, they need to ensure the City Ground remains a fortress, while a slight improvement on the road will turn Forest from strugglers into a comfortable mid-table outfit.
Are Forest capable of a calmer transfer window?
If Forest are going to be sensible this summer, which seems unlikely, they really need to trim the squad.
For starters, the loan periods of Dean Henderson, Keylor Navas and Renan Lodi will all end, while Jesse Lingard, Serge Aurier, André Ayew, Jack Colback, Cafú, Lyle Taylor and Harry Arter are all out of contract.
Yes those last four really were at Forest this season, with Taylor and Arter making zero appearances each.
One summer signing from last season who was brilliant is Morgan Gibbs-White; many laughed when Forest paid £35 million for him, but his five goals and eight assists proved value for money.
Nevertheless, trying to figure out what Forest’s XI will look like come August is a daunting task; who’s going to take Jonjo Shlevey and Chris Wood off their hands? Why are they even there in the first place?
Whatever happens, and we can all agree it’ll almost certainly be mad, supporters will back Steve Cooper 100% and, while he’s in charge, they stand a great chance of staying up.
