Buzzin Championship Football

Nottingham Forest seem to be preparing for the Championship by getting rid of as many players as they can before the season starts. The latest player who looks set to leave the City Ground is striker Grant Holt. The former Carlisle man is in talks with Shrewsbury after the two clubs agreed terms for the player.

Considering Grant Holt was on loan at Blackpool at the end of last season, the fact that he is leaving makes sense – his first team opportunities have been limited. However, he is by no means the first player to leave the club this summer and I would have thought some Nottingham Forest fans are concerned by some of the players that have left or are set to leave.

Kris Commons, who stuck with the club throughout their three years in League One, strangely decided to move to local rivals Derby County after Forest had finally won promotion to the Championship. Kris Commons was one of Colin Calderwood’s main men in the promotion push and to lose him to rivals Derby County would have hurt – especially considering it was on a free transfer.

Another player to leave is someone who was considered a ‘driving force’ in Nottingham Forest’s midfield last season. Sammy Clingan has moved to Norwich City on a free transfer. The Northern Ireland international rejected a new deal at the City Ground and will be lining up against Forest for Glenn Roeder’s side next season.

So that’s two players who have been regular starters for the club, leaving without a penny being gained. Very strange in my view. Perhaps the most worrying departure is that of Junior Agogo. The man who scored 13 goals for Forest last season has joined Egyptian side Al Zamalek. Robert Earnshaw seems a natural replacement for him, but it remains to be seen whether the Welshman will settle in Nottigham after his dismal spell last season with Derby County.

So how will these departures affect Forest’s chances next season? Well, looking at certain football odds would lead you to believe that many people fancy Colin Calderwood’s men to do more than survive in the Championship next season. If this is to be the case and they end up pushing for the play-offs, then they will have to have a busy few weeks in the transfer market – focusing on incoming rather than outgoing.