Guardian writers’ predicted position: 11th (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Oliver Glasner’s arrival has resulted, as one would expect, in a change in formation. The Austrian has introduced the 3-4-2-1 set-up that brought him success at Crystal Palace. It will take time for Nottingham Forest’s players to adapt to the new system but there have been positive signs in pre-season.
Importantly, the club has three high-quality centre-backs to form the foundation of Glasner’s masterplan. Going through four head coaches in a season is never a good sign and the hope among Forest fans will be that Glasner provides the long-term stability they all crave. The team became engulfed in a relegation battle in the previous campaign as players jumped from one style to another at a moment’s notice.
With Glasner at the helm things should be more straightforward, not that Forest make life easy for themselves. A lack of European football will no doubt help the squad. The talent available is also better than has been the case previously, and a more settled environment should be beneficial for Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa who faced difficult first years in the Premier League.
Forest are seeking to sign a new striker, with Chris Wood’s injury record and ageing body raising questions about the 34-year-old’s ability to lead the line for a full season. Liam Delap is of interest and feels like the ideal candidate if Forest can prise him away from Chelsea, albeit the 23-year-old will not come cheap. Evangelos Marinakis has launched legal action against Crystal Palace after some of their fans produced a derogatory banner about the Forest owner.
That grabbed plenty of headlines, something the Greek shipping magnate is more than used to. Meanwhile, plans to expand the City Ground from 30,500 to 52,500 are awaiting planning approval from the local council, with next summer the most likely time for the project to start should it be given the green light. The process has taken a long time but when construction on this scale is involved, requiring the demolition of properties, the road is rarely smooth.
Ticket prices were a sticking point for fans last season, especially in the Europa League. Forest had to drop prices after poor sales. Season tickets were frozen to soften the tension.
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