Nottingham Forest
League Position: 14th (2013/14: 11th)
Average league attendance: 22,629 (2013/14: 23,492)
Top league goalscorer: Britt Assombalonga (15)
Nottingham Forest fans endured a topsy turvy 2014/15 season and their expectation for the next campaign is for a vastly improved performance. They started the season in fine style and by the August international break were top of the Championship with four wins and a draw from five league games.
New manager Stuart Pearce had returned to the City Ground that summer with a groundswell of approval from most Forest fans.
And then it started to go wrong. From mid-September they went on a ten match winless run and Pearce left Forest on 1 February after only one win since November. That victory, away at arch rivals Derby County, was not enough to save him and Dougie Freedman was appointed as his successor.
Seven wins from his first ten games in charge led to Forest’s rise up the table by late March but failed to record a win in their final eight matches. Winger Michail Antonio proved money well spent from Sheffield Wednesday with 14 goals from 46 games. Premier League clubs will continue to monitor his progress.
Forest’s top goalscorer was Britt Assombalonga, who signed a five year contract from Peterborough United. He suffered a serious knee injury in Forest’s 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic and he’s not expected to return to First Team action until the New Year.
Freedman is experienced at Championship level and should be able to put together a side that is capable of challenging for the Play-Offs next season.