Nottingham Forest have a big week coming up as transfer deadline day looms and they prepare for a couple of testing away games.
The Reds got Premier League points on the board by beating Sheffield United 2-1 last Friday night, courtesy of Chris Wood’s late winner. They will be eager to build on that but face some tough fixtures on the road, with trips to Manchester United and Chelsea next up in the league.
Off the pitch, the focus is on getting remaining transfer business done before the September 1 deadline. Ins and outs are expected at the City Ground before the summer window closes.
With all of that in mind, there was plenty to talk about when Reds reporter Sarah Clapson held a live Q&A on our Forest Facebook page. Here is a look at how it panned out.
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Q: In your opinion do we really need to sell Brennan Johnson?
A: If someone comes in with an offer around the £50 million mark, I can understand why the club would at least give it serious consideration. They would have a huge decision to make at that point.
In an ideal world, Forest would rebuff any and all offers and he stays put. But the real world isn’t that easy or straight forward. The kind of figure mentioned above is a lot of money, particularly when there is FFP to consider.
Whether a move would be right, both for him and for Forest, is a different matter. Personally, I think he would benefit from at least another season of being at the City Ground and from working with Steve Cooper. He’s a young player with so much potential and a very bright future ahead of him, but he’s not yet the finished article. He would also have to weigh up how much game time he’d be likely to get at some of the clubs who are interested.
And from Forest’s perspective, you wouldn’t want to lose what he brings to the team and the quality he has. He played a big role in securing survival last season. He had his ups and downs, as all players - particularly young ones - do, but his goals and his overall contribution were crucial. The prospect of him continuing to link up with Morgan Gibbs-White, Danilo, Taiwo Awoniyi and now Anthony Elanga is a really exciting one.
The interest in Johnson is understandable. He’s shown he can cut it at Premier League level.
Forest don’t *want* to sell; they have already rejected two offers from Brentford, after all. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t - if a club puts a significant amount of money on the table.
I really hope that doesn’t happen late on in the window. You wouldn’t want to be making those kinds of decisions when the pressure is on in such circumstances. Equally, having talk about Brennan’s future drag on for another week isn’t the best situation - albeit he isn’t the kind of player to let it affect him.
Q: Hope we start on the front foot rather than the usual low block away style football.
A: Everyone wants to see positive, attacking football. Steve Cooper himself has spoken about how he wants to evolve the style of play.
But I do think that is going to take time. It’s not going to happen overnight - getting some more players in to strengthen the squad would certainly help on that front. As Cooper has pointed out, it’s difficult to judge how Forest can do this season until we know the squad they will have in place. We are getting to the end of the window, but a few more ins and outs are still likely, and the business Forest do in these final days will have an impact on what might be possible.
Regardless of what signings they make, though, for these first few away games, it wouldn’t surprise me if there is still some element of a cautious approach. Improving the away form is also a key goal, but I suspect it’s going to be a case of going slowly and trying to at least be tough to beat initially.
There’s always a danger when you go away to the really top clubs that if you are too open, you’ll be picked off. Forest have got a really tough run of away fixtures at the start of this season; they will want to try to pick up some points, but to do that they won’t want to leave themselves too exposed by tearing forward.
The second half against Arsenal was positive and gives Forest plenty to build on. They showed they can cause problems on the counterattack. With the pace and attacking threat in the side, there’s no reason why they can’t do that again.
They have got to go to Old Trafford without any fear and believing they can get something. Cooper has made the point that belief will be key this season, particularly away from home.
Q: Anthony Elanga will make a point if he starts.
A: He will be desperate to do well against his old club if/when he gets on the pitch. He has surely got to be pushing for a starting spot.
He’s been very impressive so far. He’s got the potential to be a really good addition.
He’s exciting to watch, is absolutely rapid and always tries to make things happen. He uses the ball well when he runs with it, too. And if he can put in a few more of the kind of crosses that he did at Arsenal, Awoniyi will no doubt be happy.
Elanga has also got a really good attitude. When we spoke to him a couple of weeks ago, he talked about how he believes he’s got an X-factor - and we’ve already seen glimpses of that - but he knows he also has to be disciplined.
That’s a good sign. You want players who can do lots of damage to opposition sides, but who are also prepared to chip in with some of the dirty work and help out the team in other ways. He knows he needs to track back at times or try to win the ball back, as well as showcase his quality.
He seems really determined to do well and is really eager to show what he’s about. I’m sure that would particularly be the case back at Old Trafford.
Deciding who to leave out to accommodate him in the XI isn’t easy, though. As mentioned before, I’m sure Cooper won’t want to leave the defence exposed, so I can see him packing the midfield on Saturday. Ryan Yates has surely got to come back in - he changed the game when he came on against Sheffield United, and his kind of grit and determination will be needed against United. It might not be this weekend, but I can see Elanga getting his starting chance soon, though.
Q: Would you want Scott McKenna to go?
A: Forest do want to strengthen at centre-back, and they do still want to move some fringe players on. But they have still got to make sure they end the window with sufficient strength in depth in all areas.
McKenna didn’t have his best game last week. However, he showed last season, at times, that he is capable of playing in the Premier League. There was a spell fairly early on when McKenna and Steve Cook looked OK together.
When Moussa Niakhate and Felipe are fit, McKenna probably wouldn’t be a regular starter. But you still need to have players you can call upon if and when needed. I think he’s a decent option to have in that sense.
The only consideration which might come into the equation would be regarding his contract. He has got 12 months left, so if the club are weighing up the longer-term it will soon get to the point where a decision has to be made regarding his future.