Striker Chris Wood is confident Nottingham Forest will rediscover their goal threat when the new season kicks off in a fortnight’s time.
The Reds have found the net just once in their five pre-season outings to date. They have drawn three of their friendlies 0-0 and lost the other two, including Saturday’s 1-0 reverse away to Birmingham City.
Their Premier League opener at home to Brentford on August 17 is drawing ever closer. But Wood insists recent performances are no cause for concern for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
“I wouldn’t be too worried about it,” the New Zealander said when quizzed on Forest’s lack of goals after the full-time whistle of Saturday’s defeat. “We have tried some different things.
“We’re trying to work on other things we can add to our armoury throughout the season. We don’t want to be one-dimensional and play the same way every single time. We want to add different things.
“We’ve got some more games coming up. We’re going to try different things and try to exploit teams in different ways.
“That’s what pre-season is about, especially the first part of it. Now we’ve got two good games coming up to hopefully put our best foot forward in order to be ready for Brentford.”
Head coach Nuno generally stuck with a tried and tested 4-2-3-1 system last season. It proved effective on the way to the Reds’ seventh-placed finish in the Premier League, but this time around they want to be more flexible.
Forest have tried various formations during pre-season, including playing Wood alongside newcomer Igor Jesus. As the club prepares to compete in Europe for the first time in three decades, finding different ways to play could prove decisive. They have City Ground friendlies against Fiorentina and Al Qadsiah still to come.
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It promises to be an exciting season ahead for Nottingham Forest.
The 2024/25 campaign proved to be a special one for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. But it could get even better for the Reds this time around.
European football will be coming to the City Ground for the first time in three decades. It will be a whole new continental adventure for Forest, and they will be eager to give it a good go.
It all means there is a lot to look forward to this coming season. With that in mind, we have produced our Nottingham Forest 2025/26 Kick-Off special, our brilliant guide to the new season.
Our reporter Sarah Clapson will waltz you through what to expect from the Reds this coming season, turn the spotlight on Nuno, run the rule over one of Forest’s key men and take a look at the club’s transfer business. Our club-by-club guide will give you the lowdown on Forest’s Premier League rivals, while you will also be able to test your knowledge with our Premier League quiz.
We will also take a look at the summer’s biggest signings in the division, check out each ground and study the managers - new and old. With a full fixture list, Nottingham Forest 2025/26 Kick-Off will get you in perfect match shape in time for the Reds’ opening day curtain-raiser at home to Brentford on August 17.
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“We want to be versatile in that avenue,” Wood added. “That’s why we spoke about playing two up top or one up top, or five at the back.
“We want it to be able to go through everything and for it to be seamless and for us to do well. We want to be able to compete and win games in any formation.
“That’s what work on the training pitch is about. It doesn’t always come off, but we’re learning something new.
“We know how to play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3; we know that is our bread and butter. But we are working on other things to add to our armoury.
“The aim is hopefully to improve and to keep going forward; keep bringing this club forward. We want to take another step in the right direction.
“We are making top-quality signings to be able to do that. We are giving ourselves a chance, which is fantastic, and we’ll see where the season takes us. We want to aim high, like we did last season.”
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