Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds gear up for the new Premier League season and ponder integrating their new players.
Nuno Espirito Santo still has a few weeks to decide on his Nottingham Forest starting lineup for the Premier League season opener.
However, it is already evident that the Portuguese will face a major selection headache against Bournemouth on August 17. So far, summer business has increased depth, and pre-season matches have seen players compete for a starting berth.
Of course, by the time the Cherries make the trip to the City Ground, fresh additions may have arrived. Nuno has two more friendlies still to play, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to run the rule over his squad and experiment with alternative combinations.
In the first half of last Friday’s 1-0 loss to Elche, the Portuguese pushed his players hard. Barring a few modifications, the starting XI from that night at the Pinatar Arena might be similar to the one that faces Bournemouth.
However, a few important points remain unanswered. Not to mention who will be No. 1 for the 2024/25 campaign.
Matz Sels started against Elche. The Belgian has stated that he does not yet know who would be Nuno’s first pick between the posts, but he may have an advantage against newcomer Carlos Miguel in that race.
Miguel is not just new to Forest, but also to English football, having made only a few senior games during his career. Sels has more experience and established himself in the side throughout the second half of last season.
Nuno must also decide whether to go with a back three or four. He clearly intends to use the former in some capacity in the coming months, although it is unclear if he will do so right away.
Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo’s defensive combo has the potential to become dangerous. If Nuno plays with three, anticipate Willy Boly to play between the two, like he did against Elche. However, it appears improbable that Boly will play every game for the following nine months.
Last week, Neco Williams and Ola Aina filled the wing-back positions, having established themselves in the team the previous season. Left-back Omar Richards appears to be doing his best to get into Nuno’s head, while youngster Eric da Silva Moreira has shown great promise.
Competition for positions is even fiercer in midfield, where Forest has a number of possibilities. Elliot Anderson has the potential to be an excellent addition, and he may have already done enough to earn a starting berth.
The same could be said for Ibrahim Sangare, who has been a standout in preseason. Perhaps Nuno will contemplate going with a three in the center of the pitch, with Ryan Yates – who lined up with Anderson against Elche – Nicolas Dominguez, and Danilo all pushing to get in the team.
Last Friday’s game began with Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi up front. Nuno has made it obvious that he wants a winger, so he will hope that his resources have been increased by the time the first game arrives.
It would be surprising if he tried the no-striker idea again. It did not work against Elche. Taiwo Awoniyi is yet to feature in pre-season, therefore Chris Wood has the edge in the competition to start up front at the minute.
Possible Forest XI vs Bournemouth: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Sangare, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
