Career Returning Forest to their former glory

[westyorksnffc]

So, I’m a massive Forest fan, been watching them since 1983, too young for the back-to-back European Cup glories, but old enough to remember many 3rd place finishes, multiple trips to Wembley and a team full of England internationals (Pearce, Walker, Clough, Webb, Hodge and erm Charles!)

 

THE TACTICS

 

I love 4-2-3-1 but have often struggled to get or that’s worked until now.  I love fast attacking football, so we’ll see how this works

 

[westyorksnffc]

THE TRANSFERS

 

In my eyes, the current Forest team have too many older players on big contracts, so ideal to get rid of a few, managed to raise £27m from players that would be nowhere near my starting XI, never mind my cup XI.

 

With the money raised it allows me to bring in some young talent, Ramsdale from Bournemouth, Dasilva from Brentford and Clemente from Zaragoza, plus Tyler Blackett and Lyle Taylor who we have signed in real life!

 

[westyorksnffc]

MY KEY PLAYERS

 

Forest already have some good young players, so I’ve highlighted 4 of these plus one older player as my key players.

 

Matty Cash - yes I know he’s gone in real life but can become a quality wing-back

 

Joe Worrall - make him my captain and play him as a CD alongside a BPD

 

Alex Mighten - 17 year old IF, play him from the start, of he’s good enough he’s old enough!

 

Alex Gibson-Hammond - promoted from the reserves and the perfect youth player to drop in if Mighten or Lolley are injured or need a rest, only 16

 

Joe Lolley - IF that can play left or right, creates and scores, and once he reaches 32 Gibson-Hammond should be ready to fully step in to his shoes

 

[westyorksnffc]

So, end of the 2019/20 season and after an indifferent start which saw Forest consistently hovering around the play-off places they were very unlucky to just miss out on the top 2, plenty of positives mind you, especially up top where Lewis Grabban was a beast, 55 goals in 49 games - he may be 32 but has certainly warranted a season in the Prem.

 

biggest worry was at left-back, Ribeiro was okay but would maybe better as a back-up, may keep hold of Blackett for one season though, as he can cover at CB.

 

Dasilva wasn’t great but is still young and had to cover at left back for quite a few games.

 

Key areas to cover in the transfer window are a new LWB, cover in the centre of defence (ideally a 2 footed player) and cover in CM for Dasilva and Silva

 

[westyorksnffc]

2020/21 SEASON

Well, not going to say I’m disappointed with our first season back in the Prem, especially after a bright start which saw us in the top 4 until a very difficult November, but I have a very young squad that with the exception of my 2 signings were playing in the Championship the season before.

After scouting several young wing-backs I opted for tried and tested Owen Wijndal at £20m though disaster struck when he broke his leg 3 games in.

I’d opted to extend the loan of Jarred Branthwaite for a second season and started looking for a DLP to bring in on loan when Camavinga popped up, so with £27m left I put in a couple of cheeky offers starting at £20m plus 30% sell-on and was very surprised when I got him for £24m, but with only £3m left and needing a striker I got Tammy Abraham in on-loan, though in my stubbornness and wanting to give Grabban the season I’d promised he hardly got a game.

Looking forward, my priority next season is a striker, whilst still looking for a back-up centre half and right footed CM, but I think with another year under their belts this team will improve!

 

[Cockers2505]

Doing well, I remember being at the Forest - Oldham Cup final 1990 at Wembley, single goal by Jemson I believe, but there was a few surprises on the way also:

Andy Ritchie scored in every round - except Final

Frankie Bunn scored 6 against Scarborough (still a record I believe,, double hattrick) in a 7-0 win (Ritchie scored the other)

We beat Arsenal 3-1 at home (yes astro turf days), Southampton (quarter final) 4-2 on aggregate and West Ham (semi final) 9-0  on aggregate (included a 6-0 home win) 

I also went to the Forest - Oldham game in 2013 when we beat you at home 3-2, I think Mcleish was Manager

 

Anyway good luck with your career

[westyorksnffc]

2021/22

The board only allowed me £33m to play with, which when you know you need a quality striker in your second season back in the Prem is tough going, but after much deliberation I opted for a 19 year Swedish (re-gen) called Kristoffer Rhoden, who I managed to get for £24m in the end, he had a couple of month long spells out but still managed 24 goals in 32 games.

On the pitch it started well and then really dropped off after Xmas - the downside of a young team I suppose, but still managed to sneak up to 6th in the end, and have qualified for Europe, plus my goal difference has improved by +21 so the players are definitely growing in stature.

hopefully I’ll get a better budget in the upcoming winter World Cup season, my next job is to bring in a more suitable CM rather than playing an AP in the CM role, and buy a suitable back-up BPD instead of relying on loans, though I may try and bring in a loan striker.

My 5 key players have stagnated a little but European football should boost them a little, and Joe Worrall has won his first full England cap!

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by westyorksnffc

[westyorksnffc]

2022/23

Well, despite the board only allowing me £40m I still managed a 4th place finish and my first bit of silverware, winning the Europa League, with over half of my first team and the vast majority of my second XI being those players that played in the Championship.

With my £40m I signed Baro from Porto, a solid CM to partner Camavinga in midfield, and despite selling Tiago Silva I still had to use the loan market to bring in cover for my BPD and my striker.

The season on the whole wasn’t bad, worth the exception of a horrible January and February, but things picked up and my Star Swedish striker bagged himself 50 goals to boot.

Looking at my squad Ramsdale isn’t really performing so I’m hoping with bigger funds I can go out and get a top keeper!

 

[westyorksnffc]

2023/24

On one hand I’m happy, but on the other I’m not - another 4th place but this time only losing 4 games all season, unhappy with finishing 3rd in the Champions League group but happy that I retained the Europa League.

3rd best goals scored, 3rd least goals conceded, and the signing of Donnarumma for £80m + Ramsdale was an excellent piece of business, my training facilities are now maxed out too.

Lolley is now no longer a key player, he’s now back-up only as I’ve unleaded Gibson-Hammond on the left wing!

Looking ahead I’ve secured the Bowman signing of Pecorino as a back-up striker, I like my Swedish lad but I’m aiming higher now - can I get Silva or Haaland?  Also considering letting Carvalho go, if I can get Phil Foden in and of the finances allow.

 

[westyorksnffc]

2024/25 - RESULT!!!

Nottingham Forest are crowned English champions for only the second time in their 160 year history, the first time since 1978

Nottingham Forest are crowned Champions of Europe for the third time in their history, and the first time since 1980 - 3 finals, 3 wins!

Nottingham Forest have won the European Super Cup for the first time since 1980, the only other time they’ve won the cup.

13 of the 22 man squad were at Forest in the Championship at the start of the 2019/20 season.

This season I got my targets, Phil Foden and Fabio Silva came in to bolster the squad having become stagnated at their previous clubs and had an instant impact, again only 4 losses but a better defensive performance and draws turned to wins.

Only downside really was getting knocked out of both domestic cups at the first attempt.

My next task is to look to bolster the squad with quality back up players, time for some of the second string to move on.