The start of the Premier League season is fast drawing into view for Nottingham Forest, and preparations are continuing apace.
The club have been busy in the transfer market with six new faces in so far - and they are not done yet. And on the pitch, Steve Cooper’s side played their second summer friendly on Tuesday night, winning 1-0 at Burton Albion.
There was plenty to talk about when Reds reporter Sarah Clapson held a live Q&A, answering fans’ questions and responding to comments. Here’s how it panned out.
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Q: I am impressed with the signings so far but it would show the Premiership that we mean business by signing Davis and Gibbs-white and bringing back Garner, he’s not going to get regular football at Utd.
A: I think Forest have already shown they mean business. Six signings in a relatively short space of time - and promising ones, too - is pretty good going by anyone's standards. They've been busy so far, and more still to come - hopefully not too far away.
Agree Davis, Gibbs-White and Garner would be excellent additions too. Gibbs-White and Garner would be a little more difficult to get done, though. Some tough competition for G-W and United want to take a good look at Garner.
The recruitment has been very good so far, though. So even if it's not those three who come in, plenty of reasons to have faith the club will get it right. Not every signing comes off how you'd hope, but more often than not in the last couple of windows they've been a success.
Q: I appreciate Yates is injured, but does anyone else feel it's more important than ever to try to get something approaching a first XI in these friendlies? It's imperative we bed in the new defenders/WB with their outlets, same for Taiwo and his service. Surely Brennan in particular has had a good freshen up by now?
A: I would expect Richards, Williams and the international boys to play on Saturday against Barnsley. Thought they might have done so on Tuesday night, but they had an extra few days off.
The starting XI for both friendlies has been strong - not quite the one you'd expect to line up at Newcastle, but that's partly been dictated by who was/wasn't available. As we get closer to the start of the season, expect to see something more like the first-choice team. There's still a few friendlies to go yet, though.
Against Coventry, it was almost a completely different side for the first and second halves. Cooper wanted to give some younger players an opportunity and some of the fringe players a run out - he hasn't seen the likes of Da Costa and Ioannou in person until this summer.
At Burton, the starting XI played 65 mins to continue their build up of fitness, then the changes came. It's all about getting minutes in the bank.
There's a lot of hard work going on in training, integrating the new signings into the style of play and what the manager wants. The training camp in Spain was apparently particularly intense. What we see in the friendlies is only a small part of the work which has been done.
It's clear that Cooper isn't about to change his approach to games just because Forest are now in the Prem - not surprised by that in the slightest. And a lot of background research has been done into the new players, to ensure they will slot into that, as well as fit into the dressing room - Cooper places a lot of emphasis on bringing in the right characters.
Q: We need to concentrate on getting 2 quality CM in… a proper complete No 8 being one. Also some traditional wingers, for when he needs a formation change. Lolley and Mighten are going to struggle if called upon.
A: Midfield is definitely a priority area - even before Ryan Yates picked up an injury. Just coincidence that it's mostly defensive players who have come in first, it's just how things have worked out. Cooper made an interesting point on that when we spoke to him on Tuesday night, about how being a PL team and chasing PL players alters transfer window shopping.
It's a good problem to have, mind! Know you can't read a great deal into friendlies, but think Colback has done well in the two so far. Seems like he appreciates being back in his more natural position.
More signings are definitely needed. Cooper was coy on exactly how many, but you'd have to say another 4/5 at least - another goalkeeper, left wing-back, centre mid and attacking mid, probably a striker too.
There's still a fair bit of work to do, and there will be more outgoings as well. But there's definitely no sense of panic. There's a long way to go in the transfer window yet, and a few weeks until the start of the season.
A good chunk of business has already been done and you can see the squad coming together. Think Forest are in a good place at the moment - but that's not to downplay the need for further additions.
On Mighten… for me, he's been really bright in the two friendlies. A few weeks ago I'd have said a loan move would do him good, but he's really caught the eye. Could still be a decent option to have in the squad, someone to come off the bench with fresh legs.
Who would you like to see Forest sign? Have your say in the comments below
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