Recent verdict on Nottingham Forest as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds fall 1-0 to Elche in pre-season friendly
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will return to the UK with plenty to reflect on from Nottingham Forest’s time in Spain.
The Portuguese coach saw the past week’s training camp as crucial for the Reds’ preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign. He can be quite pleased with the work put in and the progress his team has made, despite ending their trip with a first defeat of the summer.
Forest played three games at the Pinatar Arena during their stay in Murcia, having already defeated Chesterfield at the SMH Group Stadium in their first pre-season fixture. A draw with Sunderland was followed by a win over Millwall, then a 1-0 loss to Elche on Friday night.
The Spanish outfit provided a different kind of test for Nuno’s men. Reds reporter Sarah Clapson looks at the big talking points from the game…
Striker Needed
Nuno has made it clear a winger is required before the transfer window closes. He is not wrong, but bringing in a striker should also be a priority.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s lack of minutes so far in pre-season is perhaps a little concerning. The Nigerian was unavailable for the first two friendlies due to a personal matter, delaying his link-up with teammates in Spain.
He had joined the group by the time of the games against Millwall and Elche but did not get on the pitch. Nuno said after the victory over the Spireites that pre-season was particularly “important” for Awoniyi, given his injury issues.
Chris Wood did not make an appearance against Elche, either. There was a suggestion he missed a training session due to load management, which might explain his absence.
With Awoniyi and Wood not involved, Forest played without a recognized striker in the first half. As experiments go, it is unlikely to be one Nuno revisits any time soon. It didn’t work.
Hwang Ui-jo was on for the second half but will most likely head elsewhere in the coming weeks. He isn’t the answer anyway; the Reds could do with bringing in some more firepower.
Midfield Dilemma
The top end of the pitch might still require some work in the transfer market, but in midfield, Forest appear well set. If anything, Nuno already has an unenviable selection headache.
Friday night wasn’t the Reds’ best performance of pre-season – not that it matters particularly. However, a couple of players did stand out.
Elliot Anderson caught the eye in the first half. And in the second, Ibrahim Sangare was a class above.
If Sangare continues in the same vein from his summer displays so far, he could be a revelation when the serious action begins. The transformation from the player he was last term is immense. On this evidence, there is no reason why he cannot stamp his authority on Premier League games in the manner Forest hoped he would do when they signed him 12 months ago.
Anderson has the makings of being an excellent addition, too. It was a huge boost that he was able to get on the pitch after his injury scare against Millwall. Always positive and eager to get on the ball, he showed some nice touches against Elche. He has taken on a few different roles but has adapted to the duties required in each.
But what does Nuno’s first-choice midfield look like? It is not an easy question to answer. The Reds boss isn’t short of options. Nicolas Dominguez did well alongside Sangare on Friday night, while Danilo and Ryan Yates will want to have their say on the matter.
Bournemouth Hint?
Three weeks from today, Bournemouth visit the City Ground for Forest’s opening Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 campaign. The countdown is well and truly on.
Places in the team remain up for grabs. The friendlies against Villarreal and Olympiacos will probably offer more of a clue into Nuno’s thinking for the game against the Cherries.
Nevertheless, the team he fielded for the first half against Elche might not be too far off the line-up for August 17. It was a strong side. The lack of a striker aside, it was arguably close to the Reds’ best XI.
There is still a question mark over who will be No 1. Making a call based on the friendlies is tough. Matz Sels made one decent stop but couldn’t do a great deal about Elche’s goal. Meanwhile, Carlos Miguel still hasn’t been properly tested, although he did at least have a (fairly routine) save to make this time around.
Further up the pitch, though, the first-half back line of Nikola Milenkovic, Willy Boly and Murillo could be a formidable one in the Premier League, if Nuno goes with a three-man defense. If it is to be a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system, you would imagine Boly is likely to be the man to miss out. Neco Williams and Ola Aina will surely start the season as the resident full-backs/wing-backs – although Omar Richards is pushing for the spot on the left and Eric da Silva Moreira will provide competition on the right.
Anderson might well have done enough already to earn a starting place. Yates was alongside the summer signing for the first 45 minutes on Friday but could have his work cut out to get in ahead of Sangare as it stands.
Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi completed the first half lineup. Depending on any new wide arrivals, those three have already shown how effective they can be and will be looking to push on this season.
Game Plan
Nuno has shown a willingness to try different things in pre-season. Not everything has worked out, but that is what friendlies are for.
However, there is no question about the way he wants his team to play. He wants Forest to be on the front foot in games.
The Reds didn’t have the same kind of attacking flow on Friday night as in their other matches, particularly in the first half. The lack of a striker played its part, along with a somewhat fussy referee. Still, they created plenty of chances and did put together some promising passages of play. Nuno seems to have encouraged his defenders to get forward and push out from the back. Murillo doesn’t need a second invitation to do that anyway, and he nearly got the goal he has been waiting almost a year for when he went on one of his trademark runs.
Various formations have been utilized. The Reds head coach seemingly wants some flexibility in how the team might line up from game to game, but it seems clear a back three will be utilized fairly regularly. It was, after all, a system he turned to during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It has been an interesting pre-season already. And a pretty positive one so far, too.