Boss Chris Hughton says he has taken plenty of lessons on board after a miserable season for Nottingham Forest.
And he is convinced they can be of great help for next term, when he will be aiming to get the Reds challenging for a top six place.
Forest’s campaign ended with a whimper, going without a win in their final six games and signing off with a 2-1 defeat at home to Preston North End on Saturday.
By that point, they were already assured of Championship safety and they finished in 17th spot.
Hughton believes there are positives to build on and he is looking forward to being in the home dugout in front of a packed-out City Ground for the first time - with 5,000 season cards having already been renewed for 2021/22.
Finding form
Diogo Goncalves wasn’t exactly a contender for any awards during his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
But it seems the Portuguese has made great strides since leaving the City Ground.
Goncalves had a tough time with the Reds, finding it difficult to adapt to the Championship and show what he was capable of.
He joined on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2018, but made just 10 appearances that season - six of which came from off the substitutes’ bench.
Transfer talk
Now the Championship season has been put to bed, attention has firmly turned to Nottingham Forest’s summer transfer window.
And it will be a crucial one for the Reds.
There will be departures and new arrivals in the coming weeks, as boss Chris Hughton looks to put together a squad which can challenge for the top six.
Forest have already been linked with several players, while the futures of some of those whose deals are coming to an end is uncertain.
Matt Davies and Sarah Clapson discussed what business might be on the cards in a live broadcast on our Reds Facebook page.
Future plans
Former Nottingham Forest boss Aitor Karanka says he is “open to new experiences” as he looks to return to football.
The Spaniard was sacked by Birmingham City back in March, with that having been his first management job since leaving the City Ground in January 2019.
He had also previously been in charge of Middlesbrough, but now hasn’t ruled out a return to his homeland, where he was assistant to Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid early on in his career.
Asked about his future plans, Karanka told Spanish newspaper Marca: “To continue learning, training, watching football... and wanting to train.”
