Midfielder Ryan Yates believes Nottingham Forest have got the perfect preparation in place ready for a fresh assault on the Championship come August.
The Reds’ summer programme sees them face a variety of different opposition, with training camps in both Spain and Greece, in what is boss Martin O’Neill’s first pre-season at the helm.
Forest have nine friendlies scheduled, against Alfreton Town, Dundee, Peterborough United, Atromitos, Olympiacos, Crystal Palace, Mansfield Town, Real Sociedad and Lincoln City.
And Yates in particular is looking forward to facing fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned club Olympiacos in Greece – a clash he expects to be “fiercely contested” as both teams battle to impress the shipping magnate.
“That’s amazing for me, as a young lad, just to go out and experience that – playing against the likes of Olympiacos,” said the 21-year-old.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere.
“They will be different opposition and will prepare differently. Then you’ve got the heat and different things like that to contend with; it’s really good preparation.
“You don’t know what it’s going to be like on the first game of the season, it could be boiling hot, then we would be ready for that.
“It will be quite a fiercely contested game, I think. We’ll both really want to win because he’s involved with both clubs.
“It will be a really good occasion, I think.”
Yates hopes making the extended trips abroad as a squad will also help with team bonding as the Reds look to improve on their ninth place finish and mount a promotion push this time around.
“It helps, having a bit of time with the lads 24/7,” he said.
“When we train here, we go home and we’re away from each other. But you bond so much more with the lads and you get to know each other on these trips.
“That’s only going to help on a match-day, which is really important.”
Forest have utilised various different formations since O’Neill replaced Aitor Karanka at the helm in January.
And Yates expects to see further experimenting when the squad reconvene this month.
“I’d like to think he’d try different things. Obviously this is the time to do it – in pre-season, when results aren’t the be-all and end-all,” added the Nigel Doughty Academy product.
“In pre-season they don’t matter so much, it’s all about how we are come the first game of the season.
“If him (O’Neill) tinkering with a few things in pre-season is going to help, then, definitely, it’s a good thing.”
