After a few seasons of struggle, hurt and agonising pain of the play-offs, newly installed manager Stuart Pearce has inherited a team that is as strong as ever at Nottingham Forest.
In the past three Championship seasons, the two teams occupying the automatic promotion spots by the second international break have gone on up to win promotion to the promised land come the end of the campaign. Nottingham Forest currently sit pretty in second.
After the heart break of crashing out of the play-off semi-finals on a number of occasions, former Manchester City and England Under-21 gaffer Pearce is well on course to guiding Nottingham Forest back to the holy grail of Premier League football.
Despite losing young talents Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow to Newcastle United – although they have returned on loan for the remainder of the season, Pearce made some shrewd signings in the summer transfer window. Former Chelsea youth academy product Michael Mancienne joined from German outfit Hamburg, and now the defender is the club’s captain and is leading by example. Britt Assombalonga, the former Watford forward who arrived for a sizeable £5million fee from League One side Peterborough United has already found his feet at the club and is sure to bang in more goals than he has done thus far.
However, the one arrival that has impressed the whole of the Championship is Michail Antonio. The signing from fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday has been in remarkable form since pulling on the famous red and white shirt. The winger has made a combined total of nine goals and assists so far, more than the likes of Middlesbrough midfielder Grant Leadbitter, Charlton Athletic’s Igor Vetokele, Norwich City forward Lewis Grabban and teammate Assombalonga. Scoring five goals so far, Antonio’s passing, long shots, dribbling and aerial duels is the reason why he is the hottest property in the second tier of English football.
Having scored four goals in 26 appearances for the Owls during last term, Antonio is the main man in order to increase his team’s chances of gaining promotion after a 15 year absence from the big time. Financially, Forest is in good hands with the Al-Hasawi family pumping money into the club. This is something strange to most clubs, as Forest actually have foreign owners who care purely for the club. Appointing Stuart Pearce as manager is a great example.
All in all, this fantastic club is already in great shape to compete with the Premier League’s very best. The fan base is fit for England’s top flight as well as the brand of football Pearce insists on implementing in Nottingham. The long overdue promotion struggle will most definitely galvanise the new signings, aside from the experience of the the old guard in the shape of Andy Reid and Danny Collins.
That’s something legendary Brian Clough will be extremely proud of.
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