Nottingham Forest are heading back to the Premier League three years after Aitor Karanka left, without Steve Cooper using any of the Spaniard’s final five transfers while at the helm.
The City Ground hierarchy appointed Karanka on a two-and-a-half-year contract to replace Mark Warburton in January 2018. But the 48-year-old asked to be released from the role a year later, with Marin O’Neill then brought in for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign.
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Managers continued to come and go in the East Midlands in Sabri Lamouchi and then Chris Hughton before Cooper’s arrival. The former Swansea City boss arrived in Nottingham last September with Forest bottom of the Championship, yet led them to glory in the play-offs.
No second-tier side secured more points than Nottingham Forest amassed (76) after hiring Cooper, during the regular term. Only champions Fulham also scored more goals (88) than the City Ground natives (66), who had the best defence with 28 goals shipped in 38 games.
Karanka, in contrast, departed Nottingham with Forest seventh in the standings after nine wins in 26 games. The East Midlands outfit additionally held the sixth-best offence through his tenure that term on 39 goals to 29 allowed, which was the third-best defensive record.
Play-off glory will now afford Cooper a chance to strengthen his ranks ahead of an opening day trip to Newcastle United on August 6. And he will hope for more success in the market than Karaka enjoyed, with none of his final five transfers still with Nottingham Forest now.
Ansarifard’s proved to be Karanka’s final Nottingham Forest transfer
Karim Ansarifard proved to be Karanka’s final transfer as Nottingham Forest manager after joining for free. The City Ground hierarchy could only complete the Iran striker’s switch in November 2018 due to delays obtaining a work permit after Olympiakos had released him.
Yet the 90-cap forward spent eight months under contract in the East Midlands, and left at the end of the 2018/19 campaign. Ansarifard only scored two goals and two assists over 12 games, before joining Al-Sailiya until returning to Greece at Olympiacos’ rivals AEK Athens.
Nottingham Forest signed free agent Yacob among Karanka’s final transfers
Nottingham Forest hired Claudio Yacob in September 2018 to add to the clutch of signings among Karanka’s final transfers. The Argentine was a free agent after West Brom released the midfielder earlier that summer, and he penned a two-year contract at the City Ground.
Yet he departed six months early in January 2020, as Yacob and Nottingham Forest agreed to terminate his deal. The two-cap technician had not featured since making the last of his 17 Forest outings in April 2019, and he has since played for Nacional, Huracan and Rosario.
Tachtsidis agreed two year Nottingham Forest deal after Olympiacos exit
Panagiotis Tachtsidis signed a two year contract at Nottingham Forest in September 2018 following Olympiacos releasing the midfielder. Yet the Greek only spent four months with the City Ground natives before joining Lecce on an initial loan that they made permanent.
The 25-cap international departed the East Midlands without making a single appearance and also only featured in one matchday side. Tachtsidis then enjoyed the joint-best run at a single club during his career at Lecce with 74 games, before joining Al-Fayha in July 2021.
Janko an outcast at Real Valladolid as Ronaldo’s club clinched promotion
Karanka signed Saidy Janko on a season-long loan from Porto among his final transfers as Nottingham Forest’s manager in August 2018. But the right-back would only play 15 times in the Championship before returning to Porto, and then joining BSC Young Boys on loan.
Porto eventually sold Janko in October 2020 and he signed a four-year contract with Real Valladolid. Yet whilst the club, which is owned by Real Madrid and Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario, clinched promotion out of La Liga 2 in 2021/22, he only started six of 15 outings.
Byram now on Norwich’s fringes after joining Nottingham Forest under Karanka
Sam Byram is now on the fringes with Norwich City, four years on from joining Nottingham Forest among Karanka’s final transfers in charge at the City Ground. The right-back moved to the East Midlands on a season-long loan from West Ham, and played just eight matches.
Needing surgery for a knee injury majorly derailed the defender’s Forest spell after sitting out seven months. He would go on to join the Canaries during the summer of 2019, where Byram has so far played just 38 games after a hamstring injury kept him out for 21 months.
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