As any die-hard Forest fan will tell you, you can’t expect victories nor feel entitled to them.
Even if you have been a Forest fan for a short period of time, you will have learned to cherish and savour the victories along the way because, until the Steve Cooper promotion year, there have been very few winning formulas of any significance.
Despite the thrill and excitement of last year’s survival, Steve Copper’s winning formula was merely that: survival.
This year, under the watchful eye of a very ambitious owner, many Forest fans expected the club to rise like Jude Bellingham and exceed expectations by challenging for a European spot.
Afterall, the investment has been made, Steve Cooper is respected and highly regarded as a coach; his team beat one of the most in-form teams of the season on Nottinghamshire soil and the mist that rolls in from the Trent is omnipresent in the voice of the City Ground faithful who push their team to perform beyond anticipation.
But something that is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment is whether Steve Cooper believes a winning formula exists within the team that started against Aston Villa.
Therefore, is it correct to assume that despite a few wrinkles in the season, a consistent Nottingham Forest winning formula could be in the making?
Let’s take a look at what Steve Copper’s winning formula could look like.
No.1
Some would argue that dropping Turner to the bench was cruel, untimed and unnecessary whilst some of us would vehemently stand by the manager’s decision and hail the decision as perfectly timed and just.
Turner, bless him, hasn’t done much wrong and Vlachodimos was well-defended against Villa with very little to do. However, a clean sheet rewarded him with another chance to prove his worth at West Ham’s Olympic-sized stadium.
The three conceded goals against West Ham had more to do with the players in front of the goalkeeper, as opposed to the player in front of the goal.
With his experience and status, I don’t believe Vlachodimos was brought in to warm the bench.
We think that Cooper will start with him again against Brighton, and if we are to build from the back, Vlachodimos could well be the base of the winning formula’s spine.
Ola Aina
Looking like the bargain of the year, Aina joined Forest as a free agent from Torino and I’m already thinking that Forest should be looking to extend that one-year contract.
At 27 years of age, the experienced Nigerian full-back will no doubt be one of at least a dozen Forest players who will disappear to the Ivory Coast for the AFCON in January.
Versatile, fast and strong, Aina can play on both sides and – as we witnessed against Villa – he can remain composed in front of goal.
Although Aurier became the 3rd captain and seemed such a stalwart right back, with the attributes he has shown so far, there is no reason why Aina should lose his place any time soon.
Harry Toffolo
Has Harry Toffolo ever had a bad game for Forest?
Described as committed and highly professional by Steve Cooper, we struggle to find criticism for the former Huddersfield player.
He’s got a good engine, appears quite solid when defending, and continues to provide quality service when going forward with his crosses and accurate passing.
Let’s not forget, he’s also got a good shot on him – remember Palace away this season? – and many believe that he should be involved in set pieces.
We like Toffolo at Tree Seasons and we reckon he’s got what it takes to improve and develop into a consistent player within a successful Forest side.
What do you think? Is Harry part of Cooper’s winning formula?
Murillo
Have we seen enough of Murillo to confirm that he will be at Real Madrid within the next 5 years?
He’s still very young but he looks the business.
The harsh reality for Forest fans is that their hearts will be broken – ours too. I don’t want to see him walk into a Spanish sunset on one hot and balmy evening in July but the business of football will probably dictate the terms.
The signs are there that Murillo could potentially demand a £ 50 million price tag before he’s 25 and, if so, Forest will have no choice but to cash in on the profit.
He reminds me of a young Roberto Carlos, strong, intelligent and capable of something quite special. With rumours of a right-footed Murillo arriving in the New Year from Fluminense, it appears as if the Brazilian is already part of Steve Cooper’s winning formula.
Again, kudos to the scouting team for unearthing such a gem.
Moussa Niakhaté
He seems like such a nice guy that, even when he gets sent off or makes a mistake, we can’t be mad at him. He’s just so likeable and plays with such enthusiasm and dedication to his role that only injury and the African Nations Cup will see him lose his place.
When Forest win he’s so happy – you can see it in his face. He deserves every bit of praise for his solid performances and his commitment to the cause, and he just belongs at the club right now.
Whether he is the answer long-term remains to be seen but, despite what we think of him, I feel that the club will look to find adequate competition for his place.
If Niakhaté can handle Ollie Watkins the way he did, he can keep most attackers quiet for 90 minutes and should be part of Cooper’s plans.
Ibrahim Sangaré
I think we are still waiting to see the best of Sangaré. He was scouted by several big clubs in the summer before he eventually signed for Forest. He is getting better with each game and looks more settled against West Ham.
Once he starts getting more assists, Sangare will grow in confidence and I’m sure we can expect the odd goal or two from him before the season is out.
Orel Mangala
Absolutely unstoppable. His passing stats speak for themselves. He’s solid in defence and you can always rely on him to chip in with a goal from long range.
He has performed particularly well for his country and playing at the highest level with Belgium is only going to help improve his games for Forest.
Mangala’s passing stats are sublime. He is certainly one of the most consistent players for the club this season and we’re sure there’s more to come.
Nicolás Domínguez
From the off, Domínguez has impressed the fans. An uncharacteristic mistake from him against West Ham saw him substituted early but, apart from that, Domínguez has shown true, Argentinian passion with his strength, turnovers, energy and aggression.
Admittedly, I think his shooting has let him down a little, and he could’ve contributed more than his headed goal against Brentford, but he’s settled in nicely and I’m sure we’ll see him in the starting line-up more often than not.
Danilo
Once he found his form, he was unlucky to lose his place through injury. We think that Danilo is almost too good to be on the bench. What do you think?
Like Murillo, Danilo is Brazilian, young and a very exciting prospect. We’d like to see him get into more attacking positions as he has an eye for goal and is a constant threat in the last third with his assists.
Danilo is an undeniable asset and whether he starts in the next game or not, it won’t be long before he’s a regular in the starting eleven.
Morgan Gibbs-White
It looks more and more likely that MGW is the hub of Steve Cooper’s winning formula; it’s as if the team is built around him.
He’s come under a lot of criticism this season as he is still looking for his first assist and first goal of the season. Playing away from the much-suited CAM position, he deserves some slack as he has been forced out onto the wing where I think he is less effective.
I’m so certain that MGW will come good, I’d even be happy to see him play in a more central attacking role when Taiwo isn’t fit.
He’s one of the most creatively minded players that Forest have, and I don’t want to see his attributes go to waste. We would like to see him share the set pieces though. There are instances when I’m sure he could be more useful at the end of a well-delivered cross.
Such an exciting talent, we expect to see more quality from MGW this season.
The Tree Season’s prediction is for success at home to Brighton, and we’ll go even further by suggesting that MGW will be on fire.
Following the international break, Gibbs-White will be ready and we’re sure he’ll be looking for more assists and to bag that elusive first goal of the season, in the next game back at the City Ground.
Taiwo Awoniyi
Only scoring one goal since August, Forest have missed his power and consistency in front of goal this season due to injury. Hopefully, the marksman will be fully fit after the break and look to add to his tally of goals.
Taiwo scored his latest goal in the 3-2 defeat at West Ham, taking his club total to 14 goals (11 goals from last season), but he has now since become a casualty whilst on international duty with Nigeria.
Unless more competition is added for his place in January, Forest can’t afford to be without the Nigerian striker for too long.
Unfortunately, with the latest news that Taiwo requires an operation, it is unlikely that we’ll be able to rely on his presence for some time.
Awoniyi was likely to be included in Cooper’s winning formula as the lone striker but there will no doubt be a flurry of activity with regards to rumours of new strikers arriving in the New Year.
On 18 August 2023, Awoniyi became the first Forest player to score in six consecutive Premier League matches since Stan Collymore, in March-April 1995, and now it looks as if there will be an opportunity for someone else to come in and take the initiative for making history.
Anthony Elanga
Since Elanga literally burst onto the scene, he has been fundamental to the side with assists and goals.
Explosive and lively, Elanga is set to become the pace-setter on the wing, following the departure of Brennan Johnson to Spurs, and he has settled into the role quite nicely.
He’s been one of Forest’s best players so far this season and it’s a shame that he wont be able to team up with Taiwo for some time.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
From the same under-17 World Cup winning side as MGW – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_U-17_World_Cup – Hudson-Odoi is certainly one of Cooper’s signings.
Scoring arguably Forest’s best goal of the season so far in the 1-1 draw with Burnley, Hudson-Odoi will be looking to do more of the same thing when he is free of injury.
Still only young, I think Cooper would like to see Hudson-Odoi as part of a formation that consists of two attacking wingers but there are too many inform players ahead of him who don’t deserve to be dropped yet.
Serge Aurier
Looked like the staunch starter in the right-back position with the captain’s armband, Serge has put in some solid shifts for Forest since his arrival last season. His crosses have proved useful and he even had a goal in his locker at the back post last season, against Chelsea.
A couple of silly errors and injuries have left his position open for improvement.
Neco Williams
Another player able to play at right-back and on the left is Neco Williams. Neco has played well for his country and looked really sharp when he came on for Forest this season.
There are rumours that he isn’t part of Cooper’s winning formula and will be sold in the January window.
However, his versatility is an undeniable asset for a team with constant injuries and African players who will be absent at the beginning of 2024 due to AFCON commitments.
For us, we think Neco should remain as part of Cooper’s plans. What do you think?
Montiel
Have we seen enough of the Seville loanee to determine his worth? He’s another gritty Argentinian and it’s hard to believe that Forest have a World Cup winner in their ranks who isn’t a first choice for his position.
It’s so difficult to call this one and, if he hadn’t been injured, perhaps he would’ve claimed centre stage in the right wingback position.
Nuno Tavares
A signing that didn’t make much sense at the time, this is definitely one player who is unlikely to be part of Steve Cooper’s winning formula.
With limited appearances dos far this season, Tavares came to the club as a player with a reputation for making mistakes at the City Ground.
Our verdict is that it is going to be very difficult for the Portuguese full-back to break into a team with so much cover for the left-back position, and we are suspicious that he could even be moved away from the City Ground sooner rather than later.
Ryan Yates
Sentimentality aside, Yatesy still has a role to play at the club. Albeit limited, I’m sure there are gonna be games when his commitment and dedication are called upon to dig in and get results.
Joe Worrall
Another local lad, Joe has come under heavy criticism at times despite some legendary performances in the Garibaldi.
With another Brazilian centre-half imminently arriving to join a record number of Brazilian signings at the club, I think Joe’s time is all but over.
Felipe
Talking of Brazilians. What is Felipe doing now?
There are rumours that he is about to move on to Olympiacos in January as his role at Forest appears to be nothing more than a translator or mentor to the younger players.
I was hoping to see more of Felipe when Niakhaté is away on International duty or injured, but has he got a full 90 minutes left in those knees?
We shall miss him.
Kouyaté
Definitely not in Cooper’s plans. He’s not found form in his limited appearances this season and, now Danilo is fit, he’ll struggle to find a position amongst the strong midfield contenders.
He’s 34 next month and, if he stays, it will surely be for his experience.
Santos
We don’t want to get too excited about this guy because there is a rumour that he is on his way back to Chelsea next year. It’s a shame as he is such a good prospect with huge potential.
The world hasn’t seen the best of the Brazilian youngster yet and, we when do, I don’t think it will be in a Forest shirt.
I was hoping that the AFCON absences would leave a gap for him to fit in and show the Forest fans what he is capable of. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that he’s not part of the plans.
Omobamidele
When he was at Norwich, he was described as the best centre-half not playing in the Premier League. Now he’s at a Premier League club, he may well get his chance to showcase his skills when the African boys leave in January and when the FA Cup games arrive.
He seems to be of the Steve Cooper mould and we wait in anticipation to see what he can do at the club.
Chris Wood
Apparently, according to Sean Dyche, we aren’t playing Chris Wood in the right position; not providing the kind of service he thrives off.
He certainly knows where the back of the net is and he’s provided some valuable goals for Forest, scoring the winner against Sheffield United, two against Luton Town, and that memorable equaliser against Manchester City, last season.
Forest will inevitably search the market for another striker, for sure, and bringing in another striker will push Wood even further down the pecking order.
Origi
Again, limited appearances mean that we haven’t been able to gauge whether Origi is going to be able to deliver for Forest or not. When fit, he could potentially get a chance when Awoniyi is away as, even if Forest sign another striker, they are still light in that position.
Boly
The man-mountain at the back, he has been a reliable, solid addition to the club since arriving. We suspect his games are limited now though with Forest allegedly looking to recruit Nino from Fluminense in the January window.
Scott McKenna
If we suspect Boly’s games to be limited limited, Scott McKenna has no chance of playing for Forest ever again. Scott Mckenna is definitely not part of Steve Cooper’s winning formula and we expect Forest to cash in on him next year.
Aguilera
Aguilera is the only real – albeit very slight – threat to MGW’s role as a central attacking midfielder.
With limited appearances, the young Costa Rican looks like a great prospect for the future but, right now, he just doesn’t look quite ready for the Premiership.
There may be a role for him to play in the forthcoming FA Cup but it doesn’t look like he will be part of Cooper’s immediate plans.
Formations
It looks as if Steve Cooper’s winning formula will consist of four defenders as opposed to five at the back.
The formations that were solidified with a back five appear to have been used as a mid to low-block tactic to counter against stronger sides, particularly away from home.
Whereas Villa had a very high line, Cooper’s ploy was to use speed and accuracy to manipulate a potential weakness with great effect, and we suspect that Cooper favours this style of play and he will want to adopt it more frequently, wherever possible.
What formation do you think Cooper will use in the next game and who will be part of Steve Cooper’s winning formula?
