Head coach Steve Cooper of Nottingham Forest is facing a well-known issue as he tries to turn around the team’s terrible form.
The Reds’ objective is to field a settled side. Cooper desires that players have the opportunity to form relationships with one another when they are on the field. However, as was the case with the previous campaign, it appears like the Welshman is taking his time determining his starting lineup.
None of the injuries Forest has had to deal with, particularly the one afflicting Taiwo Awoniyi, have helped. It’s possible that Cooper is still looking for the ideal approach to play without his talisman. He has been attempting to do so.
In addition, there has been a notable decline in performance among players who were performing well early in the campaign. Before their recent drop-offs, Ola Aina and Nicolas Dominguez, for instance, had established outstanding early impressions.
Peaks and troughs are inevitable. Similar to how some players and systems work well with particular games. However, in recent weeks, speculating about the Reds’ lineup has turned into a chaotic guessing game, something the head coach acknowledges is far from ideal.
In reaction to the Fulham fiasco, there were seven wholesale changes made to the starting lineup for last Saturday’s match at Wolverhampton Wanderers, along with a new structure. Five changes have been made to the team at Craven Cottage. It was two against Brighton & Hove Albion and four against Everton. Unaltered XIs have been hard to come by.
This season, Cooper has switched goalkeepers twice. Odysseas Vlachodimos filled in for Matt Turner for five games at the beginning of the season before Turner was given the go-ahead to start again at Molineux.
Although it wasn’t quite as extensive as it was in 2022, the summer transfer window’s makeover was nonetheless noteworthy and presented several difficulties. Thirteen players entered the building, but numerous others left, either on loan or on long-term contracts.
By the end, Forest still has a sizable roster. It’s really too big, to the extent that reducing the number is considered a top priority in January, even if it’s expected that more newcomers will arrive as well.
Cooper’s strategy against the Wolves was a return to basics. It was obvious that he chose a side he thought would put up a fight. In an effort to halt the damage and stop the flow of goals given up, it was a case of needs-must. Given the stakes in the match, he may choose to field a similar, if not identical, squad when Tottenham Hotspur visits the City Ground on Friday.
Gaining points is the most important thing in the short term. Cooper’s future is still uncertain, and Forest needs to distance themselves from the relegation zone.
Although the team has made progress a catchphrase this season, stability and consistency are needed in the long run. That pertains to the
