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Nottingham Forest need to respond strongly after what amounted to a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

Nottingham Forest began the 2025-26 season full of optimism after finishing seventh the previous year and reaching Europe for the first time in 29 years. But the momentum disappeared very quickly.

Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed only three matches into the season, and from there the campaign descended into a sequence of missteps.

Two more permanent managers then arrived and departed as Forest fought to stay up, with Ange Postecoglou lasting eight matches and Sean Dyche 25. Survival was eventually secured by a fourth boss, Vitor Pereira, thanks to an excellent revival during the spring.

The formula for success under the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, returning for a second spell of influence in this story, centred on freeing up Morgan Gibbs-White. Forest's talisman scored nine goals in 10 league matches under Pereira and deserved as much credit as anyone for the club's strong end to the season. Even more commendable was Forest's form in Europe, as Brian Clough's old club turned back the clock.

Victories over teams such as Porto, twice, and Fenerbahce took them to the Europa League semi-finals, where they were eventually beaten by Aston Villa. The outstanding displays of Igor Jesus were vital to that run. Still, life following Evangelos Marinakis' Forest is never quiet: Pereira was sacked this summer and replaced by Oliver Glasner. Most supporters would happily take managerial stability and a mid-table finish in 2026-27, but neither feels guaranteed.

Oliver Glasner spoke to Milan this summer after choosing to end his two-and-a-half-year stay at Crystal Palace, so his move to Forest, who finished one place below the Eagles, came as a surprise. Much may depend on how he gets on with the owner.

Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, is so important to Forest — inventive, tireless out of possession and becoming increasingly clinical after scoring 15 league goals — that leaving him out of the World Cup squad came close to being a major shock.

The Englishman finished with 18 goals in all competitions, more than any other player at the club. Forest fans will simply hope he is spared any more serious facial injuries this season.

PREMIER LEAGUE: 16th

FA CUP: Third Round

LEAGUE CUP: Third Round

EUROPA LEAGUE: Semi-final

Consistency remains crucial. For the second successive year, and despite the churn in the dugout, Forest generally kept faith with the same back five in the Premier League whenever all were fit: goalkeeper Matz Sels behind Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic and Neco Williams.

That five-man unit, protected by Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare, played a huge role in the Tricky Trees conceding fewer goals than Liverpool and Bournemouth, and only one more than third-placed Manchester United.

Although it was a frustrating season in attack, Forest ended up with the joint eighth-best defence, and that was ultimately the main reason they stayed in the division.

Changes should come elsewhere. Only relegated West Ham, with 32, used more players than Forest's 31 last season.

Enjoy any mid-table calm while it lasts. In the club's four seasons since returning to the top flight, they have finished 16th, 17th, 7th and 16th. So the expectation is that Forest will either challenge again for Europe or spend the campaign caught in another survival fight.

Last season was certainly unforgettable. The first club to go through four managers in a Premier League season also reached the Europa League semi-finals while ending up 16th. Turbulent.

The big talking point is whether we can actually keep one manager for the whole season.

Our key player will be Morgan Gibbs-White. We have to keep him. He got 18 goals and seven assists in the league and Europe last year. We can't replace him and Elliot Anderson in the same summer.

The active player I'd love to have back is Anthony Elanga.

The opposition player I'd love here is Jarrod Bowen. It's unrealistic, because his quality is elite, but he'd be a brilliant fit for our system.

The opposition player who grinds my gears is Bruno Fernandes. The bloke is like a petulant kid who's been told he can't have the last Rolo!

Fans think our owner is determined, passionate and a little crazy — but his heart is in the right place.

The pantomime villain will be Sean Dyche, if any top-flight club is mad enough to appoint him. If not, it will be Frank Lampard because of his Derby links.

The best thing about matchdays at our ground is The Nav. It's a brilliant pub with top-quality beer, a football quiz and a barbecue on site.

We'll finish in the top 10.

AUGUST

22 Leeds (H)

29 Liverpool (A)

SEPTEMBER

5 Tottenham (H)

12 Aston Villa (A)

19 Coventry (H)

OCTOBER

10 Crystal Palace (A)

17 Arsenal (H)

24 Ipswich (A)

31 Brentford (A)

NOVEMBER

7 Man City (H)

21 Bournemouth (A)

28 Chelsea (H)

DECEMBER

2 Hull City (A)

5 Brighton (H)

12 Sunderland (A)

19 Everton (H)

26 Man United (A)

30 Newcastle (A)

JANUARY

2 Fulham (H)

6 Hull City (H)

16 Man City (A)

23 Bournemouth (H)

30 Chelsea (A)

FEBRUARY

6 Brentford (H)

10 Fulham (A)

20 Man United (H)

27 Everton (A)

MARCH

3 Newcastle (H)

13 Tottenham (A)

20 Aston Villa (H)

APRIL

10 Leeds (A)

17 Liverpool (H)

24 Sunderland (H)

MAY

1 Brighton (A)

8 Crystal Palace (H)

15 Arsenal (A)

23 Ipswich (H)

30 Coventry (A)

Nottingham Forest to win the Premier League title odds: 500/1

FourFourTwo verdict: Nottingham Forest to finish 18th.

That outcome looks possible, especially after Anderson's departure. Glasner's appointment does offer more encouragement, though — had Pereira remained in charge at the start of the season, there would have been fears of a repeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers' decline.

This feature was written in June as part of FourFourTwo magazine's legendary Season Preview issue.