Having narrowly avoided relegation last term, Nottingham Forest will aim to cement their place in the Premier League in their second successive campaign in the top flight.
Can Steve Cooper’s side learn from last season’s experiences?
• Manager: Steve Cooper
• Stadium: City Ground
• Last Season: 16th
Nottingham Forest are preparing for a second consecutive season in the Premier League after beating the drop last term.
The two-time European champions struggled to adapt to the demands of top-flight football in 2022-23, but they eventually did enough to stay in the division.
It would not be unfair to say that Forest endured a difficult start to their first Premier League campaign in 23 years, winning just one of their first 11 matches, although a run of one defeat in eight outings between November and February steadied the ship.
However, the Tricky Trees experienced an 11-game winless run between February and April, dragging the club back into the relegation zone while piling pressure on Cooper and his players.
Forest managed to turn things around, though, losing just one of their final six matches, with positives results against Arsenal, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Southampton helping the Reds finish four points clear of the drop zone.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson were Nottingham Forest’s most consistent performers last time.
Gibbs-White chalked up five goals and eight assists across all competitions, while Johnson bagged 10 goals and three assists.
Towards the end of the previous campaign, Taiwo Awoniyi and Danilo established themselves as key players.
While Awoniyi netted six goals across the final four games, Danilo contributed three goals and one assist in his last five appearances.
With players like Ryan Yates, Neco Williams, Orel Mangala and Serge Aurier also proving their worth last season, Cooper now knows that he can trust his top performers to deliver when it matters.
Once again, Nottingham Forest’s main goal is to avoid relegation.
Although Cooper and his players found their feet towards the end of the previous campaign, they will need to remain consistent throughout 2023-24 in order to avoid another relegation scrap.
At the end of the day, a mid-table finish would be seen as a big success for the Tricky Trees.
Given that Forest only gained promotion to the Premier League in 2022, it would be difficult for Cooper’s side to break into the top half.
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