Former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown has called on the Nottingham Forest hierarchy to lower their expectations despite the club’s strong start to the season.
The Tricky Trees defied expectations to retain their Premier League status last season in their debut top-flight campaign following a 24-year hiatus.
Steve Cooper guided the Reds to a 16th-place finish last term, avoiding a swift return to the Championship by a meagre four points, but it was considered a successful year considering their run to the top flight.
Since achieving promotion to the Premier League, Forest have been one of the most active sides in the transfer market, signing an astonishing 30 players – enough to field nearly three first-team squads.
Despite the influx of new faces at City Ground, Cooper has managed to steady the ship, with Forest currently sitting in mid-table after picking up eight points from their opening seven Premier League games.
With the club on the ascendancy, Brown has urged the owners not to pile the pressure on Cooper, who has done a remarkable job since joining Forest in September 2021.
“No, not yet,” Brown told BBC when asked if Forest are now a mid-table side. “And I think even they would tell you the same. They have still got work to do.”
“When you get an influx of players on deadline day again, that will take time to sieve through and to try and find a formula that works. I think they are still trying to find that.
“You can see though that away from home they are well organised not to get beat, to sit and wait and then to counter.
“The danger is if the owners expect too much too soon and start asking why they are not in the top seven.
“I think that is the only thing that would break Forest at this moment in time. They need to understand how long it takes to build a process and climb the table.”
Forest are winless in their last three Premier League games (D2, L1) but will hope for better fortunes when they travel to Crystal Palace at the weekend.
