Tony Cottee has blasted Nottingham Forest's transfer strategy and believes Steve Cooper's side will be bang in trouble due to signing "too many players".
The Reds, who have won just one of their opening seven Premier League fixtures, travel to rock bottom Leicester City on Monday night, with Cooper's side just one place above their opponents in the table. Forest's only win came in their opening home game against West Ham and have since been beaten by fellow newly-promoted sides Bournemouth and Fulham at The City Ground.
Cooper has come under severe pressure given the Reds spent almost £150m in the summer, bringing in 23 new players in the process. Subsequently, Cooper is yet to name an unchanged side so far, with Forest making the most changes out of any team in the Premier League this season.
When analysing the relegation battle, ex-Leicester forward Cottee has claimed he doesn't understand Forest's recruitment policy and has tipped them to be in contention to go down this season. Cottee told Mirror Football, alongside CheekyPunter : "I think the teams that get promoted are always susceptible to relegation aren't they?
"Obviously Bournemouth, Forest and Fulham, but there's an argument that all of them have made half decent starts, especially Bournemouth since Scott Parker left. Fulham have got results and they have a goalscorer in Mitrovic that may well keep them in the Premier League.
"My concern for Forest is that they've got too many players. To sign 20+ players is ridiculous in my opinion. I don't understand that philosophy as it is so hard to work out who your best team is, who the best players are, so I think Forest will be bang in trouble."
Meanwhile, Leicester are the only Premier League side that haven't recorded a win yet this season, having lost six and drawn one of their seven matches. The Foxes have, however, dropped a record 11 points from winning positions, having squandered leads against Brentford, Southampton, Brighton and Tottenham so far.
The other teams they have faced are Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United - three sides inside the top six last season, so it could be said Leicester have faced a tricky start. However, Cottee feels that Leicester will be in danger of going down unless there is a change in form.
He added: " Leicester, unless there is a change, I'm not saying just the managerial set-up, but a change in form, let's not forget they have a fantastic set of players. They play Forest next and they could get a result then everything changes.
"It's a massive game anyway with the midlands rivalry, I think they might well hang on until then. If they win they could go on a run and pick things up. I wouldn't say they are relegation candidates at the moment but if this form carries on there's no question they will go down."
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Like Cooper, Brendan Rodgers has come under fire in recent weeks following the Foxes' disastrous start to the campaign, with many pundits tipping the Northern Irishman to be the next manager to be sacked. However, he is expected to remain in charge for the game against Forest and Cottee believes Rodgers needs to turn the Foxes' fortunes around, and quickly.
He said: "With what he's achieved he has credit in the bank, there's no doubt about that. He's been fantastic and I'm a big fan of him as a person and what he's done at the club. There's no doubt in his ability as a coach and a manager but, there's also no doubt in the facts, and he will be the first to tell you, it's a results business.
"I can try and defend Brendan and stick up for him, but you can't ignore the facts. If you've lost 6 games in a row and probably more importantly, the manner of the defeats, 4 at Arsenal, 6 at Spurs, 5 at Brighton, that can't carry on because quite simply, you will get relegated.
"The owners will be worried about that, as most clubs will be at the start of the season except the top 3 or 4. Personally, I would like to see Brendan stay but I also expect that it hasn't been good enough."
