“The biggest thing I’m judging tonight, is attitude," Steve Cooper told his Nottingham Forest players prior to kick-off against Grimsby Town.
The head coach could have few complaints on that front come the full-time whistle. Indeed, as he reflected afterwards, the evening ended with plenty of positives.
Not just the fairly comfortable scoreline and a place in the third round of the Carabao Cup. But also a good, professional performance, a clutch of debuts given out and some valuable minutes on the pitch for a number of players.
READ MORE: How the Reds rated against Grimsby
READ MORE: Re-live the action from Blundell Park
Goals from Ryan Yates and Sam Surridge clinched a 3-0 victory over Grimsby Town on Tuesday night. Reds reporter Sarah Clapson looks at some of the talking points from the match.
Strength in depth
Cooper changed his entire XI for the clash at Blundell Park. Yates was the only one of the starting line-up to have even featured against Everton at the weekend.
Nevertheless, it was still a strong team fielded by the visitors. And that is testament to the extensive work the club have done in the transfer market this summer.
Despite a whole host of first-team stars not even making the trip, Forest still had experienced pros like Wayne Hennessey, Cheikhou Kouyate, Emmanuel Dennis and Remo Freuler out there - the latter playing and scoring in the Champions League this time almost 12 months ago. Not to mention Yates, Surridge, Cafu and Alex Mighten from last term’s promotion-winning group.
Several of them put in some brilliant individual performances. Those on the pitch were clearly determined to make the most of their chance to catch the manager’s eye, with a view to pressing their case for Premier League action.
Midfield maestro
Cooper has decisions to make all over the field now, when it comes to selecting his side. With tough games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City next on the horizon, there is fierce competition for places.
Not least in the centre of the pitch. Picking who should be first-choice in midfield is tough. Really tough.
Freuler will be nigh-on impossible to leave out, though. It might not have been against the kind of opposition he’s been used to, but he looked a class act on his debut for the Reds.
Neat and tidy in possession, he ran the show in the middle of the park. The ball was rarely out of his sight, and when Forest did lose it, he almost took it as a personal affront, showing terrier-like determination to win it back.
When the visitors came under the cosh in the second half, the former Atalanta man was there trying to steady the ship and helping out his defence. It was a very impressive first glimpse of what he has to offer.
But Ryan Yates was excellent, too, scoring an absolute scorcher to get his team up and running, as well as showing his leadership while wearing the armband. And Orel Mangala and Lewis O’Brien have both done well in the league. Then there’s Cafu, who weighed in with two assists against the Mariners when playing in the no.10 role, and Jack Colback still to come back from illness. It’s a head-scratcher for Cooper.
Super Sam
Bolstering their attacking options was always going to be a priority for Forest this summer. But amid all the new arrivals, Surridge showed why he shouldn’t be forgotten with a trademark brace.
Just in case anyone needed a reminder of what a composed, clinical finisher he is, the front man chipped in with a couple of exquisitely-taken goals. Through one-on-one for his first, there was no way he was going to miss. And the second was hit with aplomb.
He is just a natural in those kinds of situations. He’s shown that time and again since making the switch to the City Ground.
It’s going to be a fight to earn a spot in the starting XI - Emmanuel Dennis did his best to catch the eye, too, setting up Yates for the opener and constantly looking to make things happen. However, there can be little doubt a fit-again Surridge will have some part to play this season.
Bright prospects
It wasn’t just first-team contenders with noteworthy contributions against the Mariners. The next generation of talent stood out, too.
It was a special night for Aaron Donnelly, who played the full 90 minutes on his senior debut, and did himself proud with a terrific performance. Dale Taylor, Oli Hammond and Zach Abbott - the latter just 16 years old - could also hold their heads high with their minutes from off the bench.
Tuesday will have been particularly memorable for the highly-regarded quartet. A fantastic experience for all of them, and an incredibly valuable one as well.
Playing alongside Nigel Doughty Academy graduates Yates and Alex Mighten, they will have been able to see the pathway is there. And Cooper made clear afterwards, he will continue to believe in the club’s youngsters - as long as they earn their opportunities.
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