Nottingham Forest’s 2024/25 Season: A Battle for Survival with Nuno Espírito Santo

As Nottingham Forest gear up for the 2024/25 Premier League season, the challenges they face are immense. With Nuno Espírito Santo at the helm, the club is navigating turbulent waters, stemming from financial difficulties and a squad that has seen significant turnover. In a recent episode of A Tad Predictable, host Tadiwa Chanakira offered in-depth insights into Forest’s situation, highlighting the key issues and potential strategies for the upcoming season.

Navigating Financial Troubles and Squad Overhaul

The 2023/24 season was a rollercoaster for Nottingham Forest. As Tadiwa noted, “Nottingham Forest were one of those teams that had issues when it came to profit and sustainability rules last season.” The club were docked four points in January 2024 due to breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations. Despite appealing the decision, the points deduction was upheld, leaving Forest with a meagre 32 points—breaking the record for the lowest points tally of any surviving Premier League team.

Tadiwa emphasised the unique challenge this posed: “If the punishment doesn’t result in a team getting relegated, to me it’s worth breaking the rules.” This sentiment underlines the club’s precarious position. The heavy investment in the playing squad, driven by owner Evangelos Marinakis, reflects a desperate bid to retain Premier League status at all costs.

The Nuno Espírito Santo Factor

The appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo in December 2023 brought a glimmer of hope. Tadiwa was quick to commend the swift managerial change: “They fired the manager Steve Cooper, then the new manager comes in the next day.” This decisiveness arguably stabilised the club, as reflected in their performances post-Nuno’s arrival, including notable victories against Newcastle and Manchester United.

However, Tadiwa also highlighted the broader issues Nuno faces: “It’s going to be on the coaching, how much work on the training ground is going to be done to develop some of these talented players.” The squad is brimming with potential, from young talents like Danilo and Morgan Gibbs-White to seasoned players such as Chris Wood. Yet, the key to success lies in turning this potential into consistent performances—a challenge that will test Nuno’s coaching abilities to the fullest.

Squad Depth and Key Signings

The transfer market has seen Nottingham Forest both lose and gain significant players. Departures such as Mangala have raised questions about the squad’s depth. However, the arrival of new talents, including Elliot Anderson and Nikola Milenković, offers some hope. Tadiwa pointed out that Milenković, in particular, is “a highly talented centre-back within European football,” which could bolster a defense that conceded 67 goals last season.

Despite these additions, concerns remain. Tadiwa questioned the depth in key areas, particularly in goal: “Is there a goalkeeper that they can bring in to try and solidify that position?” The club’s goalkeeping situation is indeed precarious, and a reliable figure between the sticks could be the difference between survival and relegation.

The upcoming season will be a test of endurance, strategy, and perhaps a bit of luck. As Tadiwa Chanakira aptly put it, “At the end of the day, they have to stay in the Premier League again for another season.” Whether Forest can achieve this remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—they will need every bit of Nuno’s managerial prowess to navigate the challenges ahead.