Steve Cooper is barely a week into the Nottingham Forest job; still getting to grips with the role and getting to know his players.
But already he will be well aware of just how important the next transfer window will be.
If January wasn’t quite at the forefront of his mind when he was appointed, it won’t have taken long for the new boss to start thinking ahead.
The potential selection dilemma he faces on Wednesday night will have seen to that.
The Reds need to score more goals. Predecessor Chris Hughton knew that. Cooper knows it, too. It’s been a key issue for some time - one that doesn’t look to have been solved in the summer.
Forest did bring in attack-minded players. And they did try to sign another striker. But not getting a deal over the line for an out-and-out forward is the one big question mark over their summer business.
There is already the potential for it to make life difficult for Cooper.
He may well be without Lewis Grabban for the trip to Barnsley, after the front man was substituted early in Saturday’s draw at home to Millwall with a thigh injury.
Even if it proves not to be a serious problem, Cooper must weigh up whether to risk Grabban at Oakwell - particularly with a visit to Birmingham City to come on Saturday, followed by the international break.
If Grabban is ruled out, the options to replace him are limited.
Lyle Taylor has struggled this season. He has yet to get going; performances have been well under par. When he came off the bench at the City Ground to replace his teammate, he did not make the kind of impact he would have hoped for.
He may yet come good, if he gets a sustained run in the team under a new manager. Cooper may yet be able to get the best out of him.
Indeed, Taylor will be hoping he gets the nod to be in the starting XI in midweek, if Grabban does sit that one out.
But the fact he is the only other main forward option underlines how crucial it is the Reds add another striker in January.
Cooper could tweak his formation against Barnsley. He could try Alex Mighten, Brennan Johnson or Xande Silva up front. The latter, in particular, was seen as a versatile player who could play across the forward line when he was brought in.
It doesn’t change the fact Cooper really doesn’t have much choice, though.
He still needs to find a way to get his team firing in the meantime, but the top priority for the winter window is already abundantly clear.
By the time January comes around, Forest will hope to have put some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone. However, deals done at that point can have a significant impact on how the second half of the season pans out.
Addressing their goalscoring woes is a long-standing problem the club cannot afford to leave unsolved this time.
