Nottingham Forest are gearing up for a Premier League campaign in 2022, according to Football Manager 2017.
Nottingham Forest may have only secured Championship survival on the final day of the season this time around, but it appears that brighter days may be ahead, according to Football Manager 2017 anyway.
It’s 2022, and the City Ground is preparing to host Premier League football once again. With that in mind, here is a look at the Forest XI that took to the pitch on the opening day of the campaign…
GK: Karl Darlow
Karl Darlow spent nearly a decade on Forest’s books earlier on in his career before moving to Newcastle. He had moved back to the City Ground by the time 2022 rolled around.
Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow makes a return to Forest
RB: Bryan Dabo
Bryan Dabo’s only taste of English football before his move to Forest came when he joined Blackburn on loan in 2014. He did not play a single game for Rovers, but seems to be a more important player for Forest. He currently plays for Saint-Etienne.
CB: Jack Grimmer
The Fulham man has struggled to break into the Cottagers’ first-team in recent yearrs, but goes into the 2022/23 season as a starter for a Premier League club.
CB: Joe Gomez
One of the most notable names in this Forest side is Joe Gomez. On FM 2017, he joined on a free when his Liverpool deal expired. Given his current potential, Forest fans can only dream of pulling off such a deal at the moment.
Liverpool’s Joe Gomez joined Forest on a free
LB: Maxime Poundje
The Bordeaux man has barely featured this term, but he is another player who FM 2017 seems to be tipping for a significant amount of development in future.
RM: Alex Pritchard
Alex Pritchard has been brilliant for Norwich this past season, scoring six and contributing seven assists. And judging by the rest of the Forest team, he is the creator in this side.
CM: Louis Thompson (C)
Louis Thompson has barely featured for the Norwich’s first-team, but he goes into 2022 as the captain of a Premier League side. It seems unlikely that an actual move to Nottingham Forest would capture the imagination of the City Ground faithful.
CM: Omar El Kaddouri
Omar El Kaddouri goes into the final day of this season still in danger of being relegated from Serie A with Empoli, but he joins Thompson in the middle of the park for Forest heading into 2022/23.
LM: Jordan Obita
Jordan Obita could be a Premier League footballer next term with Reading reaching the Championship play-off final this year. FM 2017 suggests that he is destined to play at the top flight at some stage.
Liverpool’s Danny Ings was crucial during Forest’s promotion-winning campaign
ST: Danny Ings
Along with Joe Gomez, Danny Ings is perhaps the most impressive name in the team despite his struggles with injuries. He has shone in the top flight with Burnley, and was hugely influential during Forest’s promotion-winning campaign on the game.
ST: Veton Berisha
A look at Veton Berisha’s stats this term suggest that he has some way to go before he is ready for the Premier League, having scored three times in Germany’s second tier. But 2022 is still some way off…
Manager: Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes is the man tasked with trying to keep Forest in the Premier League. He has brought some exciting players to Stoke, so perhaps he would prove to be an excellent appointment at the City Ground.
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