Nottingham Forest are preparing for one of their sternest tests so far under new boss Steve Cooper.
Unbeaten in six, and on the back of four straight victories, the Reds take on second-placed Fulham at the City Ground on Sunday.
Marco Silva’s team are targeting an immediate return to the top-flight, and have won eight of their 13 league games.
But there is no sense of trepidation among the Forest squad, with Cooper determined to continue with the positive mindset which has served his side incredibly well so far.
“It’s a tough one, but it’s one we’re looking forward to and one we’ll be ready for,” he said.
Ojeda plan
Boss Steve Cooper says he will not rush summer signing Braian Ojeda into making his Nottingham Forest debut.
Both the young midfielder and fellow recent arrival Mohamed Drager have yet to be in contention for the first-team.
The pair are said to have done well in training now that they have linked up with their teammates, following a period of self-isolation after they put pen to paper.
But given they have no experience of English football, Cooper is keen to exercise patience when it comes to pressing them into action - especially over 21-year-old Ojeda, in particular.
'Hardest year'
Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor says the past year has been one of the hardest he has experienced in football.
After joining the Reds in the summer of 2020, the former Charlton Athletic man’s first season at the City Ground did not pan out as he had hoped.
Taylor struggled for form and regular game time, while Forest struggled for results - first under Sabri Lamouchi and then under Chris Hughton.
The latter was axed last month after a dismal start to the current campaign, with his replacement, Steve Cooper, having transformed the team’s fortunes.
Questions answered
Nottingham Forest made it four wins in a row on Tuesday night with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bristol City.
Lyle Taylor came off the bench to clinch three points for the visitors at Ashton Gate, as they came from behind to make it six games unbeaten.
And the challenge now for head coach Steve Cooper is to keep that run going, with his team up to 14th in the Championship table.
Next up is a visit from second-placed Fulham for Sunday’s Championship clash at the City Ground.
Ahead of the match, Reds reporter Sarah Clapson answered questions from fans live on our Forest Facebook page. Here’s how it panned out.
