Nottingham Forest finished the 2018/19 Championship season in 9th place after another turbulent year at the City Ground.
Overview
Much like recent seasons, Forest began the campaign as one of the favourites for promotion to the Premier League however persistent unrest both on and off the pitch means the two-time European Cup winners are now preparing for a 12th consecutive season in the second tier of English football.
The East Midlands club invested heavily during the summer transfer window. Portuguese under-21 international Joao Carvalho was brought in for a club record fee of £13.2 million from Benfica and Lewis Grabban was recruited from Bournemouth for a further £6 million. Such signings only enhanced expectations as they struggled all season to find the correct blend of players to pick up consistent results.
Highs
One notable positive Forest can take from last season is the regular sell out crowds at the City Ground. While performances on the pitch weren’t always thrilling, the passion and commitment in the stands could never be questioned. The fans backed the team week in week out and the club boasted the third highest average home attendance (28,143) in the division, behind play-off hopefuls Aston Villa and Leeds United.
It was at home that Forest managed to pick up wins against some of the leagues toughest opponents. A 1-0 victory against bitter rivals Derby County will no doubt be the most memorable result however Sheffield United, Leeds and Middlesborough were all defeated at the City Ground. This proves that The Reds are capable of beating any team in the division on their day.
3 straight wins in their final 3 games will give fans optimism going into next season and everyone associated with the club will hope this is a sign of things to come.
Stand out performer
Joe Lolley notched up 12 goals and 11 assists as he terrorised defences all season with his direct approach. It’s no surprise that the tricky winger was voted by the fans as their player of the season and they will be hoping Forest can resist interest from elsewhere and keep him at the City Ground.
What went wrong?
Consistency was by far the club’s greatest downfall last season. After consecutive victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United in late September, Forest remarkably failed to register back-to-back league wins again for nearly seven months. This inconsistency meant it was very difficult for the team to gather any sort of momentum as they struggled to string a decent run of results together.
Goals came in fits and starts too. Lewis Grabban finished the season as the club’s top scorer with a modest 17 goals. When you consider however that 14 of those goals came in a 13 game hot streak between September and January, it’s obvious to see that Forest’s reliance on a single player’s goals inevitably worked against them.
Yet another mid-season managerial change saw Aitor Karanka controversially leave in January, with the team just 4 points off a play-off position. Club legend Martin O’Neill was his replacement and in turn became Forest’s 11th manager since June 2011. With constant uncertainty behind the scenes, O’Neill must steady the ship next season to avoid another below par year.
One to watch
The rise of 21-year-old academy graduate Ryan Yates in the second half of last season was immense. His involvement with the first team coincided with the appointment of Martin O’Neil and he has since become a mainstay in the Forest midfield. His tenacity and passion instantly endeared him to the fans and big things are expected next year.
Next season
Due to the size and the history of the club, Forest will again start the new season as many people’s pick for promotion. They need to make loan signings such as Jack Colback and Sam Byram permanent deals and hope that Martin O’Neill can be the man to finally get Nottingham Forest back in the the big time.