Nottingham Forest’s season has been anything but straightforward. There were early cup shocks against lower-league opponents, an unexpected run to the Europa League semi-finals via the knockout play-offs, and a Premier League campaign that flirted with relegation before an eight-game unbeaten run — including back-to-back wins at Sunderland and Chelsea — steadied the ship.
“We’ve finished the season really well,” midfielder Elliot Anderson says ahead of Forest’s trip to Manchester United. “There are two more games to go, but we’re really happy with how we are doing at the minute. We’ve stuck together as a team and really tried to make the most of the situation we’ve been in.”
The club has been through four managerial regimes this season — Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and now Vitor Pereira — so training, tactics and expectations have changed repeatedly. Anderson admits it’s tough to adapt.
“It can be tough, different managers want different things. Making sure you’re in the starting line-up under four different managers is pretty tough, really. But it’s football and you’ve got to expect that. You’ve just got to do everything you can to make whoever is the manager at the time happy.”
Yet Anderson rejects the idea that constant managerial turnover is solely to blame for Forest’s inconsistent form. “I think we were under-performing as a team,” he says. “You can’t really blame anyone other than the 11 on the pitch at any time. We take responsibility for our performances and thankfully we’ve all picked up towards the back end of the season.”
Pereira, who arrived after a difficult spell at Wolves, appears to have rekindled the squad. Anderson praises the structure and the balance between guidance and freedom that Pereira provides.
“He just gives us a bit of a framework to build from and tells us to go and use our quality to show what we can do,” Anderson explains. “There’s a bit of freedom involved and we can only do so much before we go on the pitch. It’s the togetherness he brings with the group. Everyone is fully on board with what he wants to do. We’ll take on any team to win and we’re not afraid of anyone with the way he wants us to play. We’re fully behind that and we’ve really enjoyed it.”
Key wins at home to Burnley and away at Sunderland and Chelsea all but secured Forest’s top-flight status. Pereira’s decision to make eight changes at Stamford Bridge, shortly after fielding a strong XI in the Europa League semi-final first leg, surprised many — but the 3-1 victory justified the call.
“The Chelsea win felt bigger than the other games because of the way we won,” Anderson says. “It gave huge confidence to everyone because the gaffer changed up the team and the lads went out and put a really good display on and it lifted the energy of the whole group. That turned out to be a really good decision.”
With his club season ending on a high, Anderson now turns his attention to the international stage. He has become part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup after his first call-up last August, and a strong finish to the campaign could cement his place for the tournament.
“I’ve got two more games to go to show why I should be going so that’s my focus,” he says. “I think it will be an amazing tournament and I just really want to do the country proud. Playing for England is special every time you put the shirt on and I just want to keep doing it. Going into that first squad there were some nerves, to gain the respect of your team-mates and show that you deserve to be there, but I think I did that well.”
Anderson’s rise over the past four years has been dramatic. Four years ago he was on loan at League Two’s Bristol Rovers, scoring in a remarkable 7-0 win that sealed promotion. He describes the loan as a crucial part of his development: getting minutes, learning from senior pros and building the foundation for his next steps.
“Glenn Whelan was a big influence at Bristol Rovers. I was new to professional football and he’d lived it and done it, so you’re just listening to him,” Anderson recalls. “At Newcastle a lot of senior lads looked after me. Paul Dummett, in particular, took me under his wing and helped me a lot.”
Now 23, Anderson is viewed as a senior presence in Forest’s midfield and a likely contributor for England. He outlines what he brings to a team: energy, coverage of ground, involvement in both moving the ball and breaking up play — and he insists there’s more to come.
“I bring a lot of energy and cover a lot of ground so that suits me,” he says. “I just want to be quite involved with the game, get the ball moving or break up play and things like that. I don’t think I’m at the top of my game yet, I’ve got plenty more to come.”
For now, the focus remains on finishing the club season strongly and carrying that momentum into the summer, where Anderson hopes to make an impact with England at the World Cup.