Nottingham Forest In Focus

One week. That’s all that separates Derby County now from the start of their new Sky Bet Championship season.

To date, dcfc.co.uk has profiled 15 of the clubs that the Rams are set to come up against over the course of the forthcoming campaign.

Up next as part of our countdown to the new season, we take a look at our East Midland rivals!

Nottingham Forest

Nickname: The Reds
Manager: Mark Warburton
Stadium Capacity: 30,445
Finishing Place Last Season: 21st (51 Points)
Top Scorer (2016/17): Britt Assombalonga (14 Goals)
Promotion Odds (According to Coral): 12/1

When Do We Face The Reds?

Home – Saturday 14th October 2017 (kick-off: 1pm)
Away – Saturday 10th March 2017 (kick-off: 1pm)

What Were The Scores Last Season?

Derby County 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Derby County

How Did They Fare Last Season?

It was tight, it was nervy, but Nottingham Forest eventually clambered over the line to ensure they remained in the Sky Bet Championship.

We say tight and nervy, but their crucial end of season meeting with Ipswich Town was anything but, as the Reds cruised to a 3-0 victory – ‘what was all that about?’

That win came at the City Ground and it was their home form in the end that has proved to be the difference.

The victory over the Tractor Boys was their twelfth on home soil and that record itself is stark contrast to their form on the road.

Away from home, Forest won just twice – funnily enough they came back-to-back against Ipswich and Barnsley.

Quite clearly, it is that form which is going to have to improve if they are to make progress this coming campaign.

The Reds lost 16 times away from the City Ground – drawing the other five – whilst they also conceded the fourth most amount of goals in the Championship over last campaign.

Stability will be key too and in Mark Warburton – their eighth manager since 2012 – they may have it.

Philippe Montanier started last term in charge, but he was relieved of his duties in January and Gary Brazil, in temporary charge, oversaw a brief resurgence with three wins in four games.

The club, however, turned to Warburton to take the club forward and with a full season ahead of him, he will be aiming to stamp his mark.

How the club replace their main source of goals, Britt Assombalonga, who has joined Middlesbrough this summer, is going to be vitally important.