Each season, I set some targets for the playing squad and whoever is in charge, and then we’ll come back and look at how they’re performing at the mid-way point, and again at the end of the season.
Goalkeepers
Matz Sels:
An indifferent season for Sels last time out, as he lost his place temporarily to John Victor, and then again to Stefan Ortega, before finishing the season in fine domestic form and convincing Forest to let Ortega leave.
Target: Stay fit through the season, play in all 38 Premier League games, get at least 10 clean sheets.
John Victor:
None of his appearances in a Forest shirt last season inspired any form of confidence within the defence, or the fanbase. It was a surprise to see him picked ahead of Sels, but a moment of madness and an unfortunate injury ended his season in January.
Target: Show consistency and calmness in cup appearances, allow his performances to help us forget about last season’s calamity.
Steven Benda:
Signed to be the classic 3rd choice goalkeeper, Forest will be hoping that there isn’t a situation where Benda sees first team action this season.
No target set.
Centre Backs
Nikola Milenkovic:
A poor season by his standards last time out, not helped by the constant changing of personnel and systems in Forest’s own half of the field.
Target: We know what he’s capable of – Milenkovic needs to bring back that calm & composed defending, with controlled aggression, to the heart of Forest’s back 3. Should be aiming for at least 5 goal contributions with his ability at set pieces.
Murillo:
It was a stop-start for Murillo who seemed to be constantly battling with muscle injuries – not helped by being brought back too quickly on a couple of occasions, including a ridiculous appearance off the bench at Villa Park in the Europa League Semi Final that ended his season.
Target: Increase his availability to at least 34 games. Be involved in Forest’s build up under Glasner more often, contributing in an attacking sense more than he has before.
Ousmane Diomande:
Forest’s marquee defensive signing, Diomande is likely the starter at RCB on opening day after joining from Sporting. Glasner will be happy to finally get the man he wanted at Crystal Palace last season.
Target: Adjust to English football quickly – a measure of his success will firstly be that he remains the first choice option at RCB for the season. I’d also hope with his size & frame that he can contribute a few goals too.
Jair Cunha:
A debut season where he struggled to find game time in 2025 due to the managerial changes and some questionable squad selections. Jair almost always impressed when played in a centre back role, and is perhaps unfortunate to be a likely starting on the bench.
Target: Make the most of his early season appearances in cups and push Diomande or Milenkovic out of the team. He’ll at least need to be part of a couple of good cup runs to gain regular football.
Morato:
A very polarising figure at the back for Forest, to be fair to Morato he ended the season as Forest’s best centre back over the closing months, but finds himself now as the 5th choice option.
Target: Like Jair Cunha, impress in the cup competitions. It’s very unlikely that he can oust Murillo from the starting position, but it is likely that Murillo will miss games and Morato will need to be ready to slot in at LCB during those times.
Zach Abbott:
Kept around last season to help with Forest’s hectic fixture schedule, it’s time for Abbott to experience consistent first team football. With Yates reportedly doubtful for the season opener, Abbott will likely stick around a little longer to help keep Forest’s academy record intact, but my hope is he is playing elsewhere in September. I worry that another season without consistent first team action could stunt his growth in the same way Forest did with Omobamidele a couple of seasons ago, and in part with Jair Cunha last season too.
Target: Play a full season of first team football on loan in the EFL, allowing him to come back to the club next season to push for a spot in the squad. If he is to stay in the squad, then he’ll need to work hard to move his way up the pecking order.
Tyler Bindon:
In the end a decent spell at Sheffield Utd, where he found himself out of the team before his own commitment and performances meant Chris Wilder had no choice but to put him back in and keep him there until their play-off hopes diminished.
Target: Like Abbott, it is important for him to continue to experience first team football on loan in the EFL. However, if Forest want to retain 6 centre backs, Bindon is still classed as an U21 player this season, and considering he has had 3 seasons of first team experience with Reading & Sheffield Utd, it’s possible the club keep him around for depth as he won’t take up a senior squad spot.
Wing Backs
Neco Williams:
Forest’s player of the season last time out, Williams is primed for another big season with Forest in a system that should really suit his abilities at both ends of the field.
Target: Let’s be really optimistic and challenging here, and see if Williams can get up to 10 goal contributions from his wing-back role.
Ola Aina:
Probably the player who has been spoken about the most after Glasner’s appointment, Aina has adjusted well to his more attacking wing back role as the pre-season has gone on.
Target: Fitness is more the worry with Aina, rather than ability. I’d like to see Aina get to at least 30 Premier League starts after last season’s injuries – this would prove both his fitness but also his capabilities in Glasner’s system.
Luca Netz:
Another who improved as the pre-season went on, Netz will find himself on the outside looking in to begin the season.
Target: He may get a start in the Carabao Cup, and it will be important for him to impress. If Forest don’t manage to strengthen in either wing-back position, Netz is the next man up and it’s up to him to prove that he can be a Premier League player when given the opportunity.
Eric da Silva Moreira:
Some very bright moments in pre-season in his attacking wing-back role, but I still have some very big concerns about him without the ball.
Target: It’s time for him (and to be fair, the club) to find a suitable loan destination for him where he can play consistently against senior players and start to work on his defensive skills.
Nicolo Savona:
No first team appearances (publicly anyway) during pre-season, Savona is continually linked with a move away from the club back to Italy. Glasner has stated that he has had a slight set back with his recovery.
Target: If he remains at the club into September, he needs to prove his fitness and make his way back into the match day squads – even then, appearances may be hard to come by. If he can make 5 appearances off the bench by Christmas then that is probably a success for him.
Central Midfielders
Ibrahim Sangare:
Coming off his best season in a Forest shirt, he is probably the first choice midfielder as things stand, and the talk is more about who will partner him.
Target: Last season was affected more by international duty than injury, but it’s important for Sangare to stay available for the whole season and begin to build a strong partnership with whoever Glasner chooses to put along side him.
Xaver Schlager:
The first signing Forest made under Glasner – and one it seems he was heavily involved in – Schlager has had a good pre-season, but is showing some signs that he might struggle to adapt to the pace of the Premier League (as he did at times during the World Cup with Austria).
Target: If he’s fit, I would imagine Schlager will appear in every game either from the start or from the bench. His main target for me would be to have more starts than substitute appearances – this would show that he’s played his way into the side and has adjusted to new surroundings well.
James McAtee:
One of the big winners in pre-season after a tough first campaign with the club, it seems Glasner is really giving a lot of thought into starting McAtee in a deeper midfield role. There’s no concerns on his ability, nor his intelligence – it’s only his physicality that may let him down here.
Target: Prove that he can hang with Premier League midfields by getting consistent minutes in this deeper midfield role – alternatively, force his way in to the starting spot next to Morgan Gibbs-White.
Nicolas Dominguez:
Probably Forest’s most reliable player since he joined the club 3 summers ago, Dominguez has another battle on his hands as Forest have strengthened in his position and McAtee is now a real option.
Target: We really need to start seeing some more attacking contributions from Dominguez – I’d like to see him hit 5 goal contributions through the season.
Ryan Yates:
Forest’s club captain saw the fewest amount of league minutes last season since he broke into the first team squad in 2018. It seems like an injury will keep him out of the opening week of the season.
Target: It’s going to be tough for Yates to get into this side – his target for this upcoming season should be to get more than the 784 minutes of Premier League game time that he managed last season.
Attacking Midfielders
Morgan Gibbs-White:
Forest’s talisman and chief goalscorer last season, Gibbs-White is another player who is primed for a great season in a system that should suit his game perfectly.
Target: I don’t expect him to get as many goals as last season, but his target should be to surpass 20 goal contributions in the Premier League.
Dan Ndoye:
A disappointing debut season for the Swiss international, who found his form with his country at the World Cup. Ndoye looks set to be Gibbs-White’s partner behind the striker to start the season.
Target: Make the most of this great opportunity and become a consistent starter for Forest – beat his personal record of 12 goal contributions in a top flight season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi:
Coming off a season ended early by injury, it may well be tough for Hudson-Odoi who’s preferred position as a touchline hogging left winger is not really part of Glasner’s system.
Target: Premier League starts may be hard to come by early on, so it’s up to him to make the most of his appearances in cups and off the bench to force himself into the starting lineup by the turn of the year.
Omari Hutchinson:
It looks like his pre-season campaign has been hampered by injury, which has probably moved him down the pecking order slightly.
Target: Like Hudson-Odoi, Hutchinson needs to make the most of cameos off the bench and in cup competitions to try and force his way into this side before the turn of the year.
Arnaud Kalimuendo:
At the time of writing, Kalimuendo is still part of his squad and for me is probably the 2nd choice to partner Gibbs-White behind Dan Ndoye.
Target: Should he remain at the club, Kalimuendo needs to show that he deserves to be starting ahead of Ndoye, or an alternative target would be to hit 5 goals off the bench.
Dilane Bakwa:
Probably the most likely senior player to leave before the end of the window – Bakwa started pre-season brightly but has fallen down the pecking order to the point where he doesn’t really look interested when he does make it on to the pitch.
Target: No real target set for him at Forest – his main aim should be to find a new home – be that permanent or temporary – to start to rebuild his career.
The Strikers
Chris Wood:
A knee injury that will have to be monitored for the rest of his career, severely affected Wood & Forest last season. He’s had a couple of niggles this pre-season too, coming back late after a good World Cup with New Zealand.
Target: At this point, I think Igor Jesus is the current starter, and Forest will likely sign another striker. Wood’s target should be to be the starting striker for the club by Christmas on merit – or alternatively have provided good impact off the bench during that time period.
Igor Jesus:
Finally a proper break from football for Igor Jesus this summer, and it seems to have done him the world of good as he’s looked very sharp during pre-season.
Target: For me, he’s the starter on opening day. His target should be to hold on to that shirt, and to fire 10+ league goals this season.
The Head Coach
Oliver Glasner:
There’s no doubt about it, Oliver Glasner has been brought to The City Ground to help the club take the next step and win a trophy. It might not come this year, but a push for a European spot is definitely the club’s aim alongside some cup runs.
Target: There’s only one real target for Glasner – and for any other Forest manager to be fair – still be in charge at the end of the season. If he is, then the club will likely have had a very good campaign.
Sounds like Abbott is sticking around. Hope it’s not mainly to maintain Forest’s record of homegrown players in the squad. Personally think he needs to play every week