You certainly cannot accuse Nottingham Forest of failing to learn from past mistakes.
During his first transfer window at the helm of the City Ground outfit, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo made it a priority to strengthen an area of the squad where Nottingham Forest had inadvertently left themselves a little short.
It is a problem a Forest team with only one defeat in their first six outings of 2024/25 appear to have solved.
And for less than £16 million, too.
According to The Telegraph, Nuno left the Nottingham Forest chiefs know in no uncertain terms that his squad was crying out for some depth in the wide positions.
The highly underwhelming loan spell Divock Origi endured in the East Midlands – playing more often than not in a wide role – made up Nuno’s mind that wingers were required.
Origi, after all, provided just one goal and one assist in 22 Nottingham Forest appearances, his lack of impact a cause of ‘frustration’ for Nuno and his coaching staff.
It came as a surprise to precisely no one when Forest decided they would not be signing Origi permanently from AC Milan.
And, while it’s still early days, the decision to dispense with Origi – and bring in Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa – looks to be a very good one. Sosa, a £10 million signing from Tallares in Argentina, rescued a point with his first goal in Garibaldi red during the recent 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Jota, a Portugal international who could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer at less than £6 million, opened his own Forest account with a superb volley against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.
Both were signed, The Telegraph adds, because Forest felt they needed a midfielder capable of inverting from the wide positions and influencing the play in midfield. Two highly technically footballers in Jota and Sosa certainly tick that box.
And, this week, Jota highlighted Nuno’s impact in helping him settle at Nottingham Forest.
“It’s been really good,” said the former Vitoria Guimaraes ace. “It really helps in my first project outside of Portugal to have a Portuguese coach helping me.”
Anthony Elanga frustrated with Forest’s winger-less system
Ironically, Nottingham Forest have operated without wingers in recent outings. A tactic which has had decidedly mixed results thus far.
An organised, four-man midfield worked wonders as Forest stunned Liverpool at Anfield. It was less effective in the 1-0 defeat to Fulham last weekend, however, Morgan Gibbs-White sorely missed by a Forest side lacking any sort of creativity in his absence.
In addition to Jota and Sosa, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga have been restricted to a supersub role of late.
“Of course, it’s not fun when you’re on the bench. I think all footballers can relate to that. But you have got to be able to control the controllables,” Elanga told BBC Radio Nottingham’s Shut Up And Show More Football podcast a dew days ago.
“It’s what you do on the pitch, whether you get 30 minutes or 45. But I think all footballers would say they want to start from the get-go. It’s the manager’s choice at the end of the day and we can only go off what we does and the game plan he has.
“As players on the bench, [the important thing is to] focus on making an impact,” the Sweden international adds, assisting Hudson-Odoi’s winner as a substitute at Liverpool. “When you’re on the bench, you have to come on and make an impact.
“For us attackers and wingers, we need that momentum. The more games we play, the more you improve and score more goals and make more assists.
“But it’s the manager’s choice at the end of the day.”
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