New signing Jack Colback has been impressed with head coach Sabri Lamouchi since his return to Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder is back at the City Ground for his third spell at the club, this time on a permanent basis after leaving Newcastle United.
And while there are still some familiar faces in the dressing room from when his last loan stint came to an end in May 2019, there has been a significant change in the managerial hotseat.
Martin O’Neill was the man in charge when Colback said his goodbyes little more than a year ago, with the Northern Irishman going on to be replaced by Lamouchi shortly after.
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Colback says he is enjoying working with the Frenchman on the training pitch, as he builds up his fitness - the 30-year-old having not played competitively since his last outing for the Reds almost 17 months ago.
“It’s been great. He’s very clear in what he wants,” he told the club website, when asked about Lamouchi.
“He’s been good with me in terms of the fact I’ve not trained properly with a team since December, really.
“That’s a long time to have out.
“I’ve done a lot of work on my own, but you can’t replicate the demands of training.
“He’s managed me well and has been honest.
“He’s given a clear message of how he wants to play and how he wants the lads to play.
“He’s clear on knowing where we want to be - and that’s at the top end of the table again.”
For Colback, it has been some time since he joined in training, but for his teammates there has been a considerably shorter gap.
The coronavirus crisis has made for a quick turnaround from last season to the 2020/21 campaign, leaving a shorter preparation period compared to normal.
“Pre-season is obviously a lot shorter,” Colback added.
“The boys have obviously just finished last season, had a couple of weeks off and are straight back in.
“But in some ways, that’s not a bad thing because the lads will still have a base fitness. It’s just been a case of getting back amongst the ball work.
“Training’s been good. It’s looked sharp and the lads are raring to go.”
