It is impossible to overstate how important Nottingham Forest’s matchup with Bournemouth is this Saturday.
The Reds are in desperate need of a win because they have dropped their last three home games. They have only won once in the past thirteen games, have dropped five of their previous six games, and are currently five points above the relegation zone.
Their City Ground form helped Forest avoid the drop the previous season. It hasn’t been the same stronghold this time around, which is something Steve Cooper’s team has to deal with immediately.
The Welshman is under a lot of strain because of his team’s dismal run of play, and last Friday’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur didn’t help much. He now has to make a crucial choice about the lineup for his team’s matchup against the hot Cherries on the banks of the Trent.
Cooper persisted with the same lineup that had gained a point at Wolverhampton Wanderers against Spurs. But this weekend, he needs to make a very important decision regarding his goalie.
This semester, he has already switched keepers once, but he might be persuaded to do so once more. Matt Turner may have had a better chance at their first goal, but he made a terrible mistake for Tottenham’s second.
The American was benched after a subpar performance against Brentford and a critical error against Liverpool. However, Odysseas Vlachodimos entered the game and gave up 12 goals in five games while not exactly looking impressive in goal. Cooper will have a lot of headaches due to the form of his two goalkeepers, and switching goalkeepers again would not be ideal.
He still needs to find an upfront solution for an issue. Last time out, the Reds were only able to muster one shot on goal.
Once again, they started without a designated striker; instead, Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White were expected to offer the offensive threat. Despite having several favorable locations, Forest’s play was not good enough to justify its potential.
Cooper faces a significant challenge in trying to address his team’s goal-shy attitude while missing injured scorer Taiwo Awoniyi. He could choose to change his lineup, or he could bring Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood, or Divock Origi back into the starting lineup. In order to create a new dynamic in midfield, he might possibly think about switching to Danilo or Nicolas Dominguez.
Forest: Turner; Williams, Boly, Murillo, Niakhate, Toffolo; Yates, Mangala, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Elanga.
