Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has told his battling players to expect changes as he bids to stop the rot at the City Ground.
Cooper made a record 22 signings this summer after Forest were promoted via the play-offs. The Reds won their opening game at home to West Ham but are now 19th in the Premier League after failing to win since. Forest lost their fourth successive game to Fulham last Friday after blowing another lead.
Now boss Cooper has told his squad to expect changes as he considers ditching his three-man central defence. Cooper dropped captain Joe Worrall and new boy Jesse Lingard to the bench against the Cottagers but the Forest boss retains the support of the dressing room as he beds in their new players.
But the club's owner Evangelos Marinakis has already sacked Carlos Corberan from his Greek Super League champions Olympiacos after just 11 games in charge and Cooper is still yet to agree a new deal despite his contract being up next summer.
It all means Forest's next game on Monday October 3 at bottom club Leicester is shaping up to be a huge clash.
New striker Taiwo Awoniyi was the match-winner on the opening day as Cooper fielded eight new signings , including Lingard. Awoniyi, signed for £17million from Union Berlin, has since doubled his tally by scoring against Fulham.
But Forest staff are trying to get the powerfully-built frontman to hold the ball up better and use his strength more against defenders.
Lingard, signed on a free from Manchester United, has impressed in training with his skills but Cooper is struggling to fit him and fellow £42million new boy Morgan Gibbs-White into the same team.
Both are extremely talented creative attacking players but neither of them or Brennan Johnson are very good when the opposition have the ball and they are needed to track-back, close down and tackle.
Fellow new £12million Belgium international midfielder Orel Mangala is another star who has impressed with his technical skills and range of passing but only won four tackles in three games prior to getting injured.
It has left Cooper considering switching to a back four to make Forest more solid and compact out of possession after conceding 12 goals in their last three games
Cooper's spending spree has raised eyebrows and made Forest the butt of several jokes on social media where their team bus was mocked up as a double-decker.
But Cooper insists the huge rebuild was essential after losing five players who were on loan last term as well as veteran striker Lewis Grabban.
He said: “There has been a real rationale and necessity.We have had no choice. I don’t mind saying we would have loved to carry on last year with our team and added a few players but it was never going to happen."
Forest U21s will be in action on Friday at Manchester City in a friendly against Serie B outfit Palermo.
