Head coach Steve Cooper says the challenges which came with Nottingham Forest’s busy transfer window have been the toughest of his career.
The Reds brought in 22 players during the summer as they prepared for life in the Premier League. It has taken time for some to adapt, as well as for the group to gel.
However, as they prepare for their final game before the World Cup break, against Crystal Palace, Forest have been showing positive signs of progress - including in Wednesday night’s impressive Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur. And although they remain bottom of the table, Cooper believes there is reason to be hopeful that they can improve their situation.
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“We know a lot has been said about the squad and the amount of players who have come in. It’s a completely unique situation that’s never been done before - with us being the last team to get promoted and trying to prepare as best we could for it, with all the changes we made,” the Welshman said.
“It was a completely unique situation, which has ended up being, for me personally, the toughest challenge I’ve ever faced. And maybe for some of the players as well, going into a completely new dressing room. Even for some of the boys who were here last year, it became a new dressing room.
“We knew the first part of the season was going to be a really tough period. And it’s proved to be that. We really, really want to improve our situation, but I also know how tough it has been to even get this far.
“We’ve had some difficult moments, but we’ve also had moments where we’ve seen good signs of progress and good signs of where we want to go and where we want to be. I can’t speak too positively about the situation because we are bottom of the league. But I also look at the league table and think we’re five points from 12th.
“Matching all of that up with the situation we were in at the start of the season, it does create a little bit of hope. We’ve got to try to build on that.
“We love being in the Premier League and it is an honour to be part of it, with what it means to the club and the supporters. But when you are here, you want to compete and do as well as you can.
“Normally, you bring two, three or four players in and they join what’s already up and running. Some players have come in and are sitting around people who are in exactly the same boat as them. We’ve had to really recognise that and do our best to become something as quick as we can, while playing in the toughest league in the world where the pressure and the scrutiny are high.”
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