What Nottingham Forest win says about Nuno’s Premier League plan as transfer hints dropped

Nuno Espirito Santo could contemplate numerous advantages from Nottingham Forest’s third preseason match, but there is also one potential drawback that could be quite significant.

It appears that Millwall overlooked the fact that the match at the Pinatar Arena on Tuesday night was intended to be a friendly. Elliot Anderson was left in a crumpled heap on the ground after one of the Championship outfit’s numerous atrocious challenges, which caused Reds fans to wince.

It is probable that Forest will experience anxiety as they await Anderson’s condition. He appeared to be experiencing some discomfort as he was assisted off the pitch shortly prior to the break.

The primary drawback of Nuno’s team’s otherwise encouraging performance was the midfielder’s forced departure. In the initial half, they appeared impressive; however, they encountered greater difficulty in the second half, which was largely attributable to the opposition’s impulsiveness. In the following section, we examine several of the discussion points that emerged from the Reds’ 2-1 victory in Spain.

Injury concern

Anderson has already demonstrated the potential to be an exceptional addition to the Forest team in just three matches. Tuesday evening had started off as another solid outing for the former Newcastle United man.

He had looked comfortable on the ball, had played some nice passes and had tried his luck with an effort from a Morgan Gibbs-White pass. In each of his pre-season outings, he had been positive and showed a willingness to get his team moving forward.

Transfer hint

Nuno has made no secret of the fact he wants more wide options before the window closes. Forest still have plenty of time to get their business done, but their lack of resources in that department showed against Millwall.

“Everyone can see we need wingers. The only natural wingers we have are Callum (Hudson-Odoi) and Anthony (Elanga),” Nuno said earlier this month.

Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez did well in the first half on Tuesday. Indeed, the latter was excellent; not least with his perfectly cushioned header for the opening goal and an excellent first-time pass later on.

Anderson’s versatility is a great asset. After the Chesterfield friendly, he suggested he would be happy to play anywhere but did hope to “pin down a midfield position”. Bringing in back-up and competition for Hudson-Odoi and Elanga is therefore key.

The club’s business so far this summer has been very good; considered and well thought through. If they can continue along the same path, Nuno should have a very strong squad at his disposal.

The midweek match saw defender Nikola Milenkovic make his debut after last week’s £12 million move from Fiorentina. Judging the centre-back on the 45 minutes he played is tough, though, as he didn’t really get an opportunity to demonstrate what he is about.

Opportunities missed?

Inevitably, there is plenty of talk about how many more new arrivals Forest might sanction in the coming weeks. But the club will also be focusing on overseeing some outgoings.

A good start has already been made to trimming numbers, with a fair few departures in the first half of the window. However, several fringe players remain on the books and will likely be in line to move on before the end of August.

Regardless of whether players are likely to feature in his plans or not, Nuno has shared the minutes around in pre-season. It would be a surprise if Hwang Ui-jo makes the 25-man cut, for example, but he got his first outing of the summer on Tuesday night.

Likewise, Matt Turner will almost certainly find game time hard to come by if he remains at the City Ground. But the American started between the posts against Millwall.

Perhaps there is an element of wanting to ensure players are at the required fitness level for any potential move. It makes them a more attractive proposition if any potential suitors are assured they are ready to go straight into the action.

Nuno has said decisions will be made on those players who have returned from loan spells. Ui-jo and Lewis O’Brien both fall into that category and didn’t exactly do much to force their way into the head coach’s thinking.

Ui-jo picked up a booking for a clumsy tackle. O’Brien was caught out, along with Andrew Omobamidele, for a Millwall chance which eventually saw Duncan Watmore hit the bar.

Pre-season positives
Reading too much into friendlies and getting carried away with performances would be foolish. Nevertheless, there is clear evidence of how Nuno wants his team to play.

Overall, the Reds have looked sharp this pre-season. They have put together nice spells of possession, looked to get on the front foot and pressed well.

A lot of work has undoubtedly gone into putting the manager’s philosophy across on the training ground – and it has bore fruit. The goals on Tuesday night were testament to that.

The opener was a delightful passage of play. Gibbs-White spotted a terrific run made by Dominguez and picked him out with a superb ball. The header into the path of Chris Wood was exquisite, and the finish wasn’t bad either.

The second came from Ryan Yates applying pressure and forcing a turnover high up the pitch. Hudson-Odoi was the beneficiary, and he raced clean through before coolly slotting the ball home.

Once again, Nuno tinkered with his formation. He deployed a back four for the first half, then switched to a three-man defence for the second. It seems he is keen to use the latter at some point once the serious action begins – and he will no doubt be crossing his fingers to have Anderson available when it does.