On the latest episode of Shut Up and Show More Football from BBC Radio Nottingham, Colin Fray is in Greece, where Forest completed their pre-season preparations with a friendly against Olympiakos.
He catches up with ex-Red Julian Bennett and talks about the good things that may come from Nuno Espirito Santo having a full summer with his squad.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham about how his squad have developed during pre-season.
The former Wolves and Tottenham boss said: "I'm very happy because all of the players have worked very hard. The commitment of them on a daily basis is something that makes me really proud.
"In terms of the group, we are achieving what the main purpose of pre-season is; prepare the team and build a bond, the togetherness. We're going to face a lot of obstacles ahead of us. Being together will make things easier.
"The plan is now to rest, recover well and start preparing for Bournemouth. Nothing else matters now, we'll go all in for it. I'm looking forward to it."
We asked for your thoughts after Thursday's 4-3 pre-season friendly win against Olympiakos in Greece.
Here are some of your comments:
Sean: Some really good appearances from our players, Anderson looks a really good signing and Sangare looked miles better than he ever did last season. Still defensively looking a bit unsure but scoring from set pieces and keeping moves alive suggests we've made some good progress this summer. On to Bournemouth then.
Smudger: I am pleased with what I have seen, midfield looks much stronger and the wingers Hudson-Odoi and Elanga have hit form and now have a back up. The areas of concern are still defence and set-piece defending. Would also like another striker through the door as Awoniyi has not proved his fitness and we need back up to Wood.
Terry: Some wonderful passing on show again. The team is building and starting to know where they are on the pitch. The first pre-season in years when a likely starting XI played together before the first game. Exciting times.
Kev: While the Premier League may be what matters most, it's also good at this point in the build-up to see the Reds playing positive football once more and putting the ball in the opponents' net. When compared to previous pre-seasons, Forest now look like a well-drilled team and prepared for the task ahead.
Jack: It was nice to see us scoring from some set pieces rather than conceding from them. Anderson looks a remarkable step up from Gibbs-White on set-piece duties. Think we all saw why we signed Miguel last night. Sels, whilst helping us stay up last season, showed that he isn't the keeper for us to use as a launchpad to climb up the table this season.
Image source, Getty ImagesAcademy coach and former Nottingham Forest defender Julian Bennett believes a full pre-season under head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been "imperative" in preparing for the new Premier League season.
Nuno was appointed to replace the sacked Steve Cooper in December and guided Forest to safety despite a four-point deduction for a breach of the Premier League's PSR regulations.
Now, with a full pre-season with his squad almost completed, Bennett believes Forest are well prepared for the new campaign.
"They're looking sharp, the chemistry is building and for the gaffer to have a full pre-season with the team I think is imperative," he told BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up and Show More Football podcast.
"They're cooking and they're looking ready for the start of the season. That's the important thing - the build up. Can we be 100% for the Bournemouth game and it looks like we're going in the right direction.
"The gaffer is present, he has time for everybody. To have a full pre-season with a manager under your belt is so important from a player's perspective. The team bonding, the management, the coaches, everybody - that brotherhood is important and you take it into the season.
"You're starting to see more of an identity on the pitch in the performances of what the gaffer wants. I really like the pressing from the front and utilising our speed and our width, getting it out wide and I think there will be more positivity in the team.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing Callum Hudson-Odoi again this season. I think people like him will benefit more alongside the team.
"The end of last season was brilliant and as a team as well we really started to get some consistency.
"Now we speak about pre-season and how it is so integral. I saw the guys when they came back for the fitness tests and they're looking sharp.
"For the guys to come back in tip top shape, go into a pre-season camp with all the details and what the gaffer wants to build on and work on in the team - it is going to be an exciting season."
What did you make of that performance, Forest fans?
After finishing pre-season with a win, do you feel confident in Nuno Espirito Santo's team?
Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter
Right now, brinkmanship is the name of the game. There have been times when some clubs sorted their transfer business early in the window and everyone wondered why so few others followed their lead. Put simply, it isn't in the selling clubs' financial interest, and it usually isn't in the moving player's financial interest either, to go early.
A selling club wants a bidding war to up the price and they don't mind a bit of panic buying when the window is creaking ever nearer the sill. If you still haven't signed that star player who you think, hope or maybe even actually believe, will make all the difference, clubs can get twitchy and make rash costly decisions.
I have watched it happen from within. Good intentions and a willingness to stick to a pre-arranged budget, suddenly evaporates when clubs are bounced into making these calls. There is also a bit of pride in there too. "We aren't losing out on our first choice to that lot!" is a common refrain, especially when it's to one of your close rivals.
As for the moving player, or more specifically his agent, last-minute brinkmanship is the dream scenario. Playing two or three suitors off against each other (and you don't even have to tell the truth of what you are being offered elsewhere) means you can exaggerate as much as you like to up the ante.
So that is why the deals go to the wire, and why they are so lucrative. It is also why I never have too much sympathy for a player, when a huge deal falls through at the last moment. Greed can push it too far in the end and it can all come crashing down, which is why they call it brinkmanship! If you dance on the edge of a volcano you might just fall in.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest finished their pre-season with a 4-3 victory against Olympiakos on Thursday night.
Ryan Yates netted twice while Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga also scored as Forest edged a seven-goal thriller at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.
Yates headed in from close range to grab a 15th-minute lead and Wood acrobatically converted from close range after a Gelson Martins equaliser to see Nuno Espirito Santo's side lead 2-1 at the break.
Yates nodded in his second as Wood kept a chance alive after an Elliot Anderson free-kick struck the post. Elanga then converted following a superb solo run to make it 4-1.
Martins and Kristoffer Velde pulled goals back for the hosts, but Forest held on to see out victory.
Forest's Premier League season kicks off on 17 August when they host Bournemouth.
Marcus Alves
Portuguese football writer
Image source, Getty ImagesHaving been dubbed the 'Portuguese Jack Grealish' because of his likeness to the Manchester City star, Jota Silva will be keen to prove that there are more similarities between them than their haircut.
He adopted the slicked-back style - with a hairband - during the Covid-19 lockdown when he was unable to have his locks cut and has kept it since.
"I like him [Grealish] a lot so it's fantastic for me to be compared to him. People say we look alike, especially because of the haircut, but, as a player, I believe I'm slightly better than him," Jota said with a chuckle during an interview with Dezanove22, Vitoria's official podcast, last year.
It was in the domestic second division with Casa Pia that the comparisons with Grealish started and never stopped, with Bernardo Silva even taking a selfie with Jota during a recent national team camp to send to his City team-mate.
"Despite all that, I would say they are different players," Joao Ferreira, who coached Jota at SC Espinho, told BBC Sport.
"Grealish is a bit more of a constructor while Jota is a finisher, covers more the last 20 metres of the pitch and enjoys playing closer to the goal.
"He has improved a lot over the past season and can be involved in the game in different areas. He's much more complete now.
"Although he's more used as a winger, I still believe his best position is as a striker - either operating as a target man or as a second forward.
"He has that killer instinct in the box and also a great aerial ability. However, because he's not very tall [he is 1.79m], other coaches prefer to have him wide."
Read the full piece on Nottingham Forest's latest signing here
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest have announced that former players Wes Morgan and Lewis Grabban have rejoined the club in academy roles.
Ex-striker Grabban, who scored 56 goals for Forest between 2018 and 2022, will initially work as a coach with the Under-18 squad.
Former centre-back Morgan played more than 400 games for Forest and has returned to the City Ground in a scouting role.
Marcus Alves
Portugese football writer
Image source, Getty ImagesOriginally a right-back who could also play on the left, Jota Silva spent much of his formative time with Portuguese minnows Sousense flying down the flanks.
Such was his attacking threat, he ended up being converted into a striker and then into a winger.
Coming from outside one of the country's biggest academies to make it as an elite professional was an obviously difficult challenge.
Liverpool's Diogo Jota and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes are among the few exceptions to have done it.
The new Forest signing has had to take the long road, overcoming a series of setbacks growing up, including having his foot broken and being released by Pacos de Ferreira after a brief spell.
But all these experiences have moulded the character of a player who gets to the pitch with so much hunger that he has made biting his tongue while running with the ball his trademark back home.
"We usually played every Sunday, so our Monday training sessions were more relaxed for those who had been involved in the game and the same applied to the Saturday ones, but Jota, no, he worked every single day as if it were Wednesday," Joao Ferreira, who coached him at SC Espinho, told BBC Sport.
"It didn't matter to him that we had a match the following day. He would throw his head where others would place their feet.
"When we brought him from Sousense to Espinho, that was his first time competing in a professional league, so we planned to use him as a rotation player at first.
"But he made such an impact that it quickly became clear that he wouldn't be around long."
Read the full piece on Nottingham Forest's latest signing here
We asked for your thoughts after Friday's friendly between Nottingham Forest and Villarreal.
Here are some of your comments:
Peter: I thoroughly enjoyed watching a game without stressing about the result. We looked very sharp, a lot more so than in previous pre-seasons. At times, our link-up play was excellent. We clearly still lack a cutting edge though and this will cost us in the unforgiving Premier League. All our signings have been astute; Nikola Milenkovic looked class.
Bondy: There were some great defensive moments against Villarreal but all too many old habits still apparent. Some absolute magnificent tackles and possession gains, only to be lost immediately by wayward passing. The team are looking fitter than last year and that was evident when compared to Villarreal players who were out of steam after 60 minutes. We need to create more chances still!
Ian: The start was much like last season. Slow in possession, fragile defence, and lack of creativity, with not enough goal scoring chances. The five subs lifted the pace and we looked a lot better and created some better chances, albeit still not enough. Overall, progress is so small that we will still be in relegation battle. Not good enough!
Stanley: It's like watching carefully crafted jigsaw pieces slowly fitting together, then rolling like the cogs of a well-oiled hand-operated machine in smooth motion. Well done, Marinakis, Nuno and the boys, we Nottingham Forest fans are delighted! What a fabulous Premier League season ahead of us!
Ken: Defensively it was very good. Milenkovic was an absolute bargain as he really is world class. Matz Sels surely has the number one spot? It was an excellent penalty save and he looked assured. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga were awful. If we get Ramon Sosa to go with Jota Silva, then they could lose their places because of their end product.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo on the draw to Villarreal: "It was a good test for us to play against a good opponent. They are organised and play good football.
"They tested us, but our answers were very good and it is very positive. We were trying to play our game and after conceding the penalty we settled down. We then created a lot of chances.
"Yes, they need improvement but we are starting to get ready [for the new season]. Now is the moment to increase minutes and approach the reality of the matches we are going to face."
On the fans support at the City Ground: "It is such a special place. Even in a pre-season the fans were here supporting us in large numbers, and this is what we expect against Bournemouth. The fans never let you down, even in the worst situations they come out in their dozens.
"We cannot thank them enough, but we will try through hard work to give them something back."
What did you make of that performance, Forest fans?
Which player impressed you the most?
Image source, Getty ImagesAnthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White proved to be a productive attacking trio for Nottingham Forest last season, and Elanga has been speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham about their off-field friendship.
The Sweden international said: "I feel like we've got a great connection off the pitch as well. We're always talking with each other, we just understand each other really well. It's a great feeling to be able to play with those players."
Elanga continued: "Callum's loud, he won't even mind me saying that and he'd probably say I'm loud. Morgan's loud and chilled, he has probably got that balance.
"But they're amazing lads, I couldn't speak more highly of them. I love playing with them, I love being with them outside the pitch and they're just amazing."
Listen to the full episode of Shut Up And Show More Football on BBC Sounds
Image source, Nottingham Forest Football ClubNottingham Forest have unveiled their new away kit for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The bold shirt features a "striking grey" colour-block design with "hot pink accents" highlighting the club badge and shirt sponsors.
Forest are set to debut their new away strip in their pre-season friendly against sister club Olympiakos in Greece on Thursday, 8th August.
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray has been discussing the signing of Jota Silva on Shut Up And Show More Football: "He is a guy who comes in with something to prove.
"He had a very good year last year in the Primeira Liga, he has also played European football in the Conference League the last couple of years. Last year he scored 15 goals from 42 appearances, which, from a guy who can play across the line behind the striker, is a very good return.
"He will be keen to make his mark on the Premier League and that is the question with everyone who comes into the Premier League – can they adapt? We have seen a lot of signings come in and a few of them have taken a little bit of time to adapt to the pace and power of the Premier League.
"That will be key to how quickly he can apply pressure to [Anthony] Elanga and [Callum] Hudson-Odoi for one of those wide places. It certainly adds cover if one of them gets injured or suspended and that is what Nuno was looking for.
"He will continue looking for another one, so I don’t think it will stop the search for extra forward power. Certainly Jota Silva looks to be another astute signing this summer.
"Forest have made a few of those and they are building what looks to be a strong, solid squad and making strides towards getting more strength in depth."
The latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football from BBC Radio Nottingham is available now on BBC Sounds.
You can hear interviews with goalkeeper Matz Sels and winger Anthony Elanga, while there is also reaction to the signing of Portugal international Jota Silva.
We asked for your views on Jota Silva, who signed for Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Here are some of your comments:
Tim: Jota looks a strong and pacy winger with an eye for goal and surprisingly good in the air. I'd compare to him to Adama Traore when he was at Wolves but with more end product. He's the right age and I think this could be (although you never know) a bargain. Definitely challenging for a place with Elanga and Hudson-Odoi and fits Nuno's counter-attack game.
Carl: Great bit of business, will be good cover and competition for Elanga. We are looking really good in pre-season and I am very positive for the new season.
Dan: Let's hope he can create some healthy competition for places and pop up with some important goal contributions. A positive addition.
Tommo: Think the Silva signing is an astute one - a relatively low transfer fee for an international forward. Would like to see us sign an out-and-out striker now. Awoniyi can't stay fit so someone to support Chris Wood would be ideal.
Pete: More than happy with this signing and our summer transfers in general so far. There seems at last to be a more structured, focused approach, rather than the exact opposite in the past two summers.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest have announced the signing of Portugal international Jota Silva from Vitoria de Guimaraes on a four-year deal.
The 25-year-old scored 11 goals and registered six assists in the Portuguese top flight last season as Vitoria secured a sixth-place finish.
His form earned him a call up to Roberto Martinez's senior squad in March and he made his debut in a 5-2 win over Sweden.
Forest chief football officer Ross Wilson said: "We can see how excited Jota is to continue his career journey beyond Portugal where he has enjoyed such a strong period in the Primeira Liga with Vitoria Guimaraes."
Forest fans, are you excited by this signing? Where will he fit in?
Nottingham Forest are set to sign 24-year-old Portuguese winger Jota Silva from Vitoria Guimaraes for 7m euros (£5.9m), in a deal that also includes up to 5m euros (£4.2m) in add-ons. (Sky Sports), external
Everton are interested in Paraguay forward Ramon Sosa, 24, but face competition from Nottingham Forest in their bid to sign him from CA Talleres. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
