Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club Commercial Director and Nottingham Forest fan Michael Temple has made a bold prediction ahead of the club’s first season back in the Premier League for 23 years.
A first-half own goal from Huddersfield Town’s Lewi Colwill was the difference in Sunday’s Championship play-off final as Forest broke their top-flight duck, and attention will quickly be turning to ensure that the club stays amongst England’s elite.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis says the club “belong” there and is expected to back manager Steve Cooper in order to give the 42-year-old coach the best chance of maintaining the east Midlanders’ Premier League status.
At Monday’s victory parade, Marinakis vowed to give Cooper the “ammunition” he needs, and Temple is convinced that the side can not only survive next year, but thrive.
Speaking on the Garibaldi Red podcast, he said: “We’ll have resources, we know we will. We’ll have a wage budget to spend, we’ll have every chance of negotiating with Brennan and extending Joe Worrall.
“I think at this stage, I’m as optimistic as anyone that we’re going to make a good account of ourselves next year.”
Will Forest stay up next season?
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TIF Thoughts on Forest in the Premier League…
Back in late April, The Daily Mail revealed that Leeds United had joined Brentford and Newcastle United as potential suitors for Brennan Johnson, who is said to be valued at £20m, while Fulham, Leicester City and West Ham United are said to have been interested in a move for Joe Worrall – although those aspirations may have been dealt a blow with Forest securing promotion.
Even so, Cooper will need to build on what he has and make sure he keeps his most prominent attacker in Johnson, who was involved in 29 goals this season, as well as captain Worrall.
Would you like to see Olympiacos players at Forest?
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Djed Spence spent the season on loan from Middlesbrough and made four assists as he played a pivotal role from right wing-back, and reports from The Telegraph have emerged confirming that Tottenham are set to rival the newly promoted club for the marauding defender, but having been such a key member of the side, Cooper must maintain the spine of his team to have any chance of reaching the levels that Temple has predicted.