[FM 21] Nottingham Forest - Team Guide

[silentwars]

 

Brief History

Founded in 1865 Forest play at the City Ground, their home since 1898. They currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league.

Forest have won one League title, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one FA Charity Shield, two European Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup.

Their most successful period was under the management of the legendary Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which included back-to-back wins in the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.

Forest finished third in the Premier League in 1995, before the club suffered relegation again in 1997 and, after a brief return, once more in 1999. Forest have not been back in the Premier League since.

First Team Summary

With 14 new first team players in over the summer, you start with one of the biggest teams in the Championship. Plenty of talent to choose from with the likes of Knockaert, Arter, McKenna and Freeman joining over the summer. More than enough talent within this team to meet the clubs minimum expectations of a play-off place.

Prospects

Alex Mighten & Loic Mbe Soh are already good enough to play a part in the first team. Brennan Johnson, Finn Back & Baba Fernandes are all good prospects, but need to improve significantly before being considered for first team selection.

Goalkeepers

                                                                                          Brice Samba / Abdoulaye Diallo / Jordan Smith                                                                       

Brice Samba is the established number 1 and a solid choice at Championship level. Diallo, makes for a decent back up option whilst Jordan Smith lacks the quality to play at this level.

Central Defenders      

Michael Dawson / Joe Worrall / Michael Hefele / Tobias Figueredo / Scott McKenna / Loic Mbe Soh / Tyler Blackett / Nikolas Ioannou

I would go for McKenna - Figueredo as the first choice centre backs. Worrall is a good third choice, Dawson is a fantastic leader and mentor, however lacks the physicality required. Soh is a fantastic prospect and should get plenty of game time. I would recommend selling Hefele, due to his injury record and high wage.

Left Backs

Yuri Riberio / Gaetan Bong / Tyler Blackett / Nikolas Ioannou

Yuri Riberio is the best all round left back. Bong is better defensively, but offers little in the final third. Blackett is a good back up option and can also operate at centre back, as can Ioannou.

Right Backs

Cyrus Chrisite / Carl Jenkinson / Tendayi Darikwa

Cyrus Chrisite is a standout option as an attacking right back. Jenkinson is injury prone and on high wages, Dariwka starts on the transfer list and is worth moving on.

Central Midfielders

Jack Colback / Ryan Yates / Samba Sow / Cafu / Fouad Bachirou / Harry Arter / Luke Freeman

Samba Sow and Jack Colback are useful if you opt for a ball winning midfielder. Bachirou offers more creativity from deep. Arter, Cafu and Yates are all good box to box options, whilst Freeman is your best attacking midfielder.

Wide Midfielders

Anthony Knockaert / Joe Lolley / Sammy Ameobi / Alex Mighten

Knockaert and Lolley are the best options for the wing. Ameobi is a decent back up option, Mighten has bags of potenital and should be given game time when possible to help him develop.

Forwards

Lewis Grabban / Lyle Tyler / Zach Clough / Miguel Angel Guerro

Lewis Grabban and Lyle Taylor are both players with a goalscoring history at this level, both are evenly matched and it's upto the managers preference who gets the nod. Taylor can also be used out wide and is useful as a Raumdeuter. Guerro, is a pressing forward and is a good alternative option. Zach Clough, lacks fitness and should be sold.

Facilities:

Stadium: City Ground (Capacity: 30,332)

Corporate Facilities: Average

First Team Training Facilities: Good

Youth Facilities: Good

Youth Level: 2

Junior Coaching: Adequate Coaching

Youth Recruitment: Average

The Challenge

Your initial challenge is to get the club back to the top flight. After that look to build a team that can return the Reds to European dominance and win the ultimate prize – the Champions League.

Other Notes of Interest

You share a board with Olympiacos, as such you have full scouting knowledge of Greece and may wish to include the Greek League within your database.

Transfer budget starts with a maximum of 3.5 million

Starting wage budget: 435,336 / 438,836

The board prefers attacking football whilst also expecting you to develop players from within the academy and signing players under the age of 22 for the future.

Edited November 25, 2020 by silentwars

[silentwars]

Transfers

First thing I wanted to do with my Forest save was reduce the squad size, out have gone:

Ioannou (Loan) / Hefele  / Clough  / Bong  / Darikwa  /  Cafu (Loan Cancelled)                                                                                                                         

With such a big squad, I didn't need to do much recruiting however I decided to replace Cafu with Stipermann from Norwich, as he suits my system better.

Jenkinson & Smith are two, I've been unable to move on despite transfer listing them.

-

The Start

Fantastic start, only down side has been losing Grabban to injury. Watford & Brentford are also looking strong, and will be my competition for the automatic slots. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by silentwars

[pedromanuelpinto]

Hi,

How is going on at te Premier? What transfer do you recommend for the 2nd season?

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by pedromanuelpinto

[TheInvisibleMan]

On 25/11/2020 at 16:41, silentwars said:

Transfers

First thing I wanted to do with my Forest save was reduce the squad size, out have gone:

Ioannou (Loan) / Hefele  / Clough  / Bong  / Darikwa  /  Cafu (Loan Cancelled)                                                                                                                         

With such a big squad, I didn't need to do much recruiting however I decided to replace Cafu with Stipermann from Norwich, as he suits my system better.

Jenkinson & Smith are two, I've been unable to move on despite transfer listing them.

-

The Start

Fantastic start, only down side has been losing Grabban to injury. Watford & Brentford are also looking strong, and will be my competition for the automatic slots. 

What sort of shape have you been playing mate?

I started out with a 4-3-3 but struggled for creativity in midfield (admittedly didn't try Freeman in centre mid!), so I've gone for a 4-2-2-2 with Knockaert/Lolley & Freeman/Ameobi on the wings. Mighten has played a bit on both sides too as his form has been brilliant at times! Seems to suit the players more though.

Edited December 7, 2020 by TheInvisibleMan

[mikehobo]

Whatever you do, keep hold of Worrall. In my save he's just played in the World Cup final for England. 

[tkm35]

I am on season 7 right now and only have Loic Mbe Soh and Yuri Ribero left on the squad. Yuri's contract is out at the end of the year and he is no longer Prem quality but has been sensational at LB every year. Mbe Soh has been a starter for at least 5 seasons now and is Prem quality.

McKenna just left as he no longer was good enough but was a great servant and mentor for the club. Worral left three seasons into the Prem as well because he wasn't good enough. It is a good challenge because the team is solid enough for a good run in the Championship but once you get promoted there really isn't anyone in the squad that can sustain Prem level quality beyond Loic.

[mikehobo]

I'm at the beginning of January 2023, lying 2nd behind Liverpool.

The following are my best performing players.

Already at the club:

Carvalho - 11 assists played as either an inside forward/winger or no.10 behind the striker(s)

Joe Worrall - club captain. 2 England caps (including the World Cup final) 7.38 average 

Ryan Yates - Mainly used as a sub box to box to put pressure on tired midfields. 

New Signings: 

Stephy Mavidi - 21 goals in all competitions 

Eddie Nketiak - 14 goals, 10 assists. 

Anel Ahmedhodzic - The first of two players returning home. 7.26 over the season so far. 

Matty Cash - Villa relegated so I brought him back less than he was sold for. Result! 

Moussa Wague - on loan. Shares right back duties with Cash. 

[mikehobo]

Other Notable signings:

Leon King - Rangers -15m. At 18 already good enough to cover CB and DM.

Fausto Vera - Argentinos Jrs - 5.5m. Bought first season in the Prem, sits at the base of a diamond midfield or alongside Yates in a 4-2-3-1 against trickier opposition. 

Evander - FC Midtjylland - 8.5m. Versatile midfielder usually competes with Carvalho in the 'hole' but can cover anywhere. 

Yusuf Demir - SK Rapid Vienna - 29.5m. Another young wonderkid. First season shown glimpses of his potential, but steady rather than spectacular.

Patrick Roberts   - Free transfer. More than just making up numbers, just scored a free kick against previous paymasters Man City to knock them out of the League Cup 1/4 final. 

Sold (to fund above):

Jenkinson - 5m to Wednesday (he was superb in the Championship)

Mbe Soh - 9m to Everton - had handed in a transfer request.

Kaylon Hinds (signed on a free whilst in championship) 12m to Ulsan (who?)

Toby Figs - 11.75m to Basel

Nuno Da Costa - 3.6m to Qarabag

First Season sales were about reducing wages and creating squad space:

Hefele - 125k QPR

Darikwa - 185k Birmingham

Ameobi - 325k Swansea (sad, but he wasn't performing)

Jordan Smith - 91k Norwich

Ioannou - 300k Limassol 

Bong - 425k Sporting KC

Bachirou - 700k Malmo

Arter - 3m Qarabag

Blackett - 950k Bristol City

  

[silentwars]

On 07/12/2020 at 22:45, TheInvisibleMan said:

What sort of shape have you been playing mate?

I started out with a 4-3-3 but struggled for creativity in midfield (admittedly didn't try Freeman in centre mid!), so I've gone for a 4-2-2-2 with Knockaert/Lolley & Freeman/Ameobi on the wings. Mighten has played a bit on both sides too as his form has been brilliant at times! Seems to suit the players more though.

I played 4-2-3-1 and was walking the league, ended up giving up on the save as it was too easy. I had around 100 points with 8 games left. 

I haven't got the save anymore but I think my line up was:

Samba 

Christie (WB Support) - McKenna/Worrall (CD) - Figueiredeo (CD) - Riberio (FB Attack)

Bachirou (DLP D) - Yates/Arter (B2B S)

Knockaert (IF A ) - Freeman (AMC S) - Lolley (AML - Winger S)

Grabban/Taylor (FC - Poacher/Pressing Forward)

*Because I was doing so well, I ended up putting M'Soh and Migthen in the team and was still winning comfortably from January onwards. Grabban got a long term injury at the start of my season and Taylor came in and was on fire. I ended up selling Grabban in January, as he has a wage increase upon promotion, and he isn't good enough for the PL in my opinion. 

Also - Blackett was superb for me at LB, even though his attibutes look somewhat weak. 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by silentwars

[silentwars]

On 21/12/2020 at 19:42, mikehobo said:

Whatever you do, keep hold of Worrall. In my save he's just played in the World Cup final for England. 

As a biased Forest fan, I thought his attributes looked low initally, but he was still a beast in for me in the Championship!

Btw, how did Mighten do for you long term?

Edited December 31, 2020 by silentwars

[mikehobo]

On 31/12/2020 at 11:41, silentwars said:

Btw, how did Mighten do for you long term?

It's 2023 and he's 21. His stats haven't improved greatly but he performs well enough. 7 goals in 24 appearances last season with an average rating 6.97. 

[mikehobo]

I'm more excited about a newgen I've been hiding from all the 'bigger' clubs (hands off PSG!) He's already scored in the Premier League to become the clubs youngest ever scorer. 

 

[mikehobo]

[Ewan0404]

Can anyone tell me how Mckenna has done for them in their saves? 

I have the chance to sign him as a back up in season 3 on the cheap and wondering how he would do on the prem.