Nottingham Forest has been a Sky Bet Championship side since the 2008/09 campaign, ascending to the second tier of English football at League One runners up the previous season. Their 11-season run before this campaign has seen then flirt with the playoffs in 2010 (3rd place) and 2011 (6th place) with the rest of their recent second-tier campaigns fluctuating between 8th and 21st place in the table.
Heavily backed in the transfer market over the last couple of seasons, and under the guidance of Sabri Lamouchi, Forest are currently enjoying 5th place in the Sky Bet Championship and are tied on points (60pts) with Brentford and are 10 points adrift of the last automatic promotion place held by West Bromwich Albion.
With the wait going on as to when the season will fire up again amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, here are the top five Nottingham Forest players so far in the 2019/20 campaign.
1. Lewis Grabban: No competition here. Grabban has shone this season and is a large part of why Forest are so highly placed in terms of being 5th in the Sky Bet Championship. A big-money, £6.1m buy from Premier League side Bournemouth, Grabban has led Forest’s charge up the table this season and is easily the club’s leading scorer.
Played – 36, Goals – 17, Assists – 2 – Starting XI – 92% – Team minutes played – 93%
2. Joe Lolley: right-sided winger Lolley is another Forest player who is impressing this season. He came to the club in a £540,000 move from Huddersfield Town at the end of January 2018 that is looking of remarkable value at the moment. His energy, drive and willingness to run at opponents gets Forest in dangerous positions. Indeed, when he gets there himself he often proves to be just as deadly and the passes he delivers.
Played – 35, Goals – 7, Assists – 7 – Starting XI – 84% – Team minutes played – 83%
3. Sammy Ameobi: Signed from luckless Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer at the start of July last year, Ameobi has gone on to justify Forest’s faith that he can do a job in the Sky Bet Championship. The 27-year-old Newcastle native has gone on to show just how dangerous a player he is with his ability to play others into scoring positions.
Played – 36, Goals – 3, Assists – 8 – Starting XI – 75% – Team minutes played – 83%
4. Matty Cash: 22-year-old Cash came through the youth ranks at Forest and, apart from a short loan from Forest’s Under-18s to Dagenham and Redbridge, all his football education has been at the City Ground. This season has seen him continue to impress on the right-hand side of the Forest midfield. he’s been an almost ever-present and has weighed in with goals and assists at key moments.
Played – 36, Goals – 3, Assists – 4 – Starting XI – 92% – Team minutes played – 92%
5. Joe Worrall: 23-year-old Worrall has featured in every game and played every minute of Nottingham Forest’s season up to press. Last season was spent out on loan to Scottish giants Rangers for the youngster who graduated through the youth system at Forest after joining them from local side Hucknall Sports. He’s impressed many at the heart of defence this season.
Played – 37, Goals – 1, Assists – 3 – Starting XI – 100% – Team minutes played – 100%
