Football writer Alex Keble assesses each Premier League club and their prospects for the 2024/25 season.
Nottingham Forest
Decades stuck in the Football League and two tough seasons back in the top flight have turned Nottingham Forest supporters into hardened realists.
They know a tough season lies ahead.
Forest’s 32 points in 2023/24 were the lowest ever accrued by a team that stayed up, although that is caveated after they were deducted four points following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Still, one third of their points won (12) were against the three relegated clubs - Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United.
The division is more challenging this season. Nuno Espirito Santo will understand as well as anybody that Forest have to improve.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |
Brentford
BRE
|
38 | -9 | 39 |
| 17 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | -18 | 32 |
| 18 |
Luton
LUT
|
38 | -33 | 26 |
| 19 |
Burnley
BUR
|
38 | -37 | 24 |
| 20 |
Sheffield Utd
SHU
|
38 | -69 | 16 |
FA Cup: Fifth round
EFL Cup: Second round
Last five seasons
| Season | League position |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 7th (Championship) |
| 2020/21 | 17th (Championship) |
| 2021/22 | 4th (Championship) |
| 2022/23 | 16th |
| 2023/24 | 17th |
Best Premier League finish
Third place: 1994/95
See: More about Nott'm Forest's history
Season aims
It remains the case that Forest simply need to stay up again, although supporters aren’t likely to be satisfied with Nuno if it once again goes to the wire.
Hitting the "magic" 40-point mark for the first time since promotion (and the first time since 1995/96) is something to target.
Key transfers
Thankfully it hasn’t been quite such a manic summer this time round, which should help Forest settle down more quickly than is traditional for them.
Jota Silva, a winger with a hint of Jack Grealish about him, arrives from Portugal and Serbia international Nikola Milenkovic comes into central defence. Newcastle United’s Elliot Anderson is the pick of the bunch.
Forest's key transfers so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Elliot Anderson |  Transfer In |
Newcastle |
| Orel Mangala |  Transfer Out |
Lyon |
| Moussa Niakhate | Transfer Out |
Lyon |
| Carlos Miguel | Transfer In |
Corinthians |
| Nikola Milenkovic | Transfer In |
Fiorentina |
| Jota Silva | Transfer In |
Vitoria de Guimaraes |
See: Clubs' summer 2024 transfers
Tactics
Nuno was a smart appointment because his focus on cautious and defensive football mimics the tactics that Steve Cooper landed upon as Forest just managed Premier League safety the previous season.
Forest sit in a low block, soak up pressure, and then counter-attack quickly via quick wingers Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
With Anderson joining Morgan Gibbs-White, there is enough quality towards the top of this team to avoid the drop.
Pre-season results and fixtures
13 July Chesterfield 0-3 Nott'm Forest Report
19 July Sunderland 1-1 Nott'm Forest Details
23 July Nott'm Forest 2-1 Millwall Report
26 July Nott'm Forest 0-1 Elche Details
2 Aug Nott'm Forest 0-0 Villarreal Report
8 Aug v Olympiacos (A) Details
What the manager says
Nuno Espirito Santo: “I think we are doing okay. We are not quite ready, but that is normal. We are in a good place but we are trying to build; trying to know each other better and to play the way we want to play.”
Best XI (4-2-3-1)
Matz Sels; Montiel, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Ola Aina; Ryan Yates, Danilo; Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson; Chris Wood
Opening PL fixtures
Kits
See: More details at Nott'm Forest's online store