Head coach Steve Cooper anticipates a “more normal” transfer window for Nottingham Forest this year.
Twelve months ago, a record-breaking summer saw the Reds make 22 signings in preparation for the step up to the Premier League. A further seven came through the doors in January.
Such an overhaul came with its own challenges as it took time for the squad to gel and for Cooper to find his best team. But the sense of unity which developed was a key factor in Forest avoiding the drop.
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Incomings and outgoings are expected again this time around, albeit not on the same scale. And as the Reds aim to keep improving, one of the lessons from this term is on finding the right blend of youth and experience in the changing room.
"I think there will be more normal numbers,” Cooper said of the transfer window. “There will be a natural process of assessment at the end of the season of where you think you're at and how you improve.
“This season has been completely unique; we've done something that's never been done before. We’ve done it and have allowed ourselves to stay in the Premier League and the opportunity to grow, and now it's a little bit different to last year and a bit more normal.
“But some of the key players for us this year were loans (in Keylor Navas, Dean Henderson and Renan Lodi) and in key positions, so there’s some obvious areas that will be part of the progression. But then there’s other little projects throughout the team, with players like Morgan (Gibbs-White), Brennan (Johnson), Neco (Williams) and Danilo, young players who have had regular Premier League games for the first time. We have to think about how we grow them next year and how they can keep improving.
“It is good going into the summer knowing you can plan. Of course you need to make some changes and you want to grow, but I also know I can think about a lot of the boys we've worked with this year who we are going to work with next year and how we see their progression and their programmes looking.
“We’ve also needed the experience in the squad. There have been times where I’ve thought, ‘I’m glad that guy’s here’, with what they’ve done before and the view they can have. I’m sure there’s a lot of that stuff gone on in the dressing room which we don’t see but which has proved to be really important.
“I love the fact we’ve got some young players who have really thrived in their first season playing regularly in the Prem. But I also know we’ve needed to call on some real experienced heads at times, not just in games, but in training, in preparation for games and in the aftermath of games. Particularly after poor results, some guys have really stepped up, and that’s really helped the togetherness grow.”
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