In the Championship's 21/22 season, Forest's goals per game climbed to 1.6, a significant improvement on the 0.8 goals scored in 20/21 the year before. The team's top scorer, Welsh rising star Brennan Johnson, contributed 15 goals, closely followed by veteran Grabben with 12. The new season has seen relatively limited strengthening in the striker positions as the main striker line-up has remained stable, apart from some player transfers and loan spells. However, for relegation, such reinforcements are crucial. Norwich, Watford and Binford, who managed to get promoted last season, have all seen their goals per game drop since promotion, reflecting the challenge of adapting to the higher leagues, so Forest are expected to face a similar situation this season. To that end, Forest have adopted a small but expensive reinforcement strategy, bringing in two young players to strengthen their squad.
Awoniyi, one of Forest's main targets this season, led the team's top scorers with 15 goals last season at Berlin United. His goal tally is a testament to his attacking prowess. Despite being under 180cm tall, he has a disadvantage when it comes to shielding and fighting for the ball, but his strong physique and broad shoulders help him to keep possession of the ball. So far this season, he has won only 2 out of 7 contests for the ball, matching his overall success rate from last season, but he has a catch success rate of over 50% and a pass success rate of nearly 70%, showing his potential to develop his backside offense. However, his size advantage has not been fully utilized due to the team's tactical limitations and his personal habit of attacking from the face-off box.
Awoniyi's other big strength on the offensive end is his ability to dish out crosses, with his crossing success rate consistently above 50% over the past few seasons. However, the 1 crossing he attempted this season was unsuccessful, which was related to his low number of touches. With the main tackling role up front being played by wingers such as Johnson and LIngard, Awoniyi's role is more of a holding and tearing up the opposing defense. He can also make an impact on the defensive side of the ball, with his wide frame and range of running allowing him to contribute to tackles and interceptions, with two midfield tackles and one interception in three games so far, as well as a 30% success rate on ball pressure, both better than partner Johnson and substitute Surridge's performances.
Awoniyi's pace and dribbling skills have yet to be fully showcased in the Premier League. With Forest having undergone a massive restructuring, they are in a strong position to make tactical adjustments that may then allow Awoniyi to achieve his goal target of 15 goals in a single season in the Premier League this season.
Dennis was a central player for Watford last season, leading the team with 10 goals and 6 assists and producing 3.17 shots per 90 minutes. His style of play is typical of a winger, averaging more than 2 crosses per game with a 45% success rate, 37% success rate in contesting for the ball, and more than 4 successful pressures per game.Dennis' most active area is on the wing, and after adapting to the new system, he is likely to transition from a winger to a winger like Johnson. Fortunately, he also has the experience of playing as a single-arrow forward at Watford, so the transition should not be a big problem.
The midfield is the most intensive area of Forest's reinforcements and where the most money is spent. In order to fit into Steve Cooper's 3-4-1-2 formation, a minimum of five players were needed in the midfield. Forest's original squad was weak in midfield and last season's starting line-up was unavailable for the new season, so the team decided to make a big push for reinforcements, including the original wing-backs, and brought in a total of nine central midfielders during the transfer window, almost completely replacing the midfield line-up.
Lin Huang is a familiar player who has never been able to capitalize on his talent during his time at Manchester United. He reached an efficient 9 goals and 4 assists in a half season on loan at West Ham United the year before last, but the following season was not as good. Having become a free agent this season, he needs a stage like Forest to prove himself.
Lin Huang's style of play was the catalyst for the offense, and his passing ability was his main threat, with a consistent passing success rate of over 80%, whether it was a long direct pass or a short match. Although Linh Huang doesn't touch the ball as much or as often as he should on the field, he is very efficient. In the first three games of the season, Steve Cooper positioned Lin Huang as the centerpiece of the offense, even reducing his task of returning to the defense and pressing forward at best. But Lin Huang did pay off, ranking eighth in the team in touches, and topping the team in both chances to create shots and scoring chances, helping Nottingham to a win over West Ham United. For Nottingham, who are now adopting a defensive counter-attacking approach, Lin Huang's presence is vital, and despite having no stats for shots or assists as yet, he does serve as a bridge between the center backs and the strikers.
