Heading towards the final week of the January transfer window, Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton says his thoughts have not changed on the business he would like to do.
Trying to bolster his attacking resources is at the front of his mind.
So far, Anthony Knockaert’s loan deal has been extended from Fulham, but the Reds have yet to make their first signing.
Hard work has, though, been going on behind the scenes, with the manager keen to ensure any arrivals which do come in are the right ones.
“Your thoughts can change. It is a very emotional game, and us as managers are very much involved in that,” Hughton told NottinghamshireLive.
“One performance where you don’t do so well, then you’re thinking, ‘well, maybe we need that position or that position’, then that changes in the next game or the game after that.
“But we’ve been fairly consistent on our thoughts.
“The area that we need to improve is the ability to score more goals.
“We’ve been fairly consistent in that - but there is always the emotion of good and bad results, and injuries.”
He added: “It will be a busy week. Whether we get anything done business wise, it will be a busy week as regards continually looking at videos and making phone calls.
“But as regards bringing anybody in, that I don’t know.
“We are working as hard as we can.”
Hughton has consistently said he expects the majority of transfer dealings throughout the league to be done in the final week of the window.
Clubs have until 11pm on Monday, February 1, to complete any business.
“The work is continuing,” Hughton said.
“There has been some movement in the market in the lower divisions - and, of course, some in ours - but still not a great amount elsewhere.
“We are still in there and still pushing as hard as we can.
“It’s a very difficult time, January.
“It’s important that for anyone who comes in, there’s got to be value in bringing that individual in, as opposed to just bringing numbers in.
“We’re working as hard as possible.”
With his focus on getting Forest away from a precarious position in the Championship table, however, Hughton admits he will be a little relieved once the window closes - a date which has been pushed back slightly this year due to January 31 being a Sunday.
The Reds manager grinned: “I generally enjoy the 31st of January probably the most!
“I think that’s the same for a lot of managers, because what you want to be doing is spending all of your time concentrating on the team, the training, your pre-match work and your post-match work. That’s what you want to be doing.
“You find you are spending a lot of your time watching a lot of players and a lot videos - and the large majority of that doesn’t come to fruition.
“But I don’t dislike it.
“It is part and parcel of the game, and it’s all for the benefit of the team and the club.”
