Red Revolution

axed by forest: Steve Cotterill

At last, the sleeping giant of the East Midland’s is being roused!  Nottingham Forest’s takeover by the Kuwaiti Al-Hasawi family has caused fans such as myself to begin to contemplate the realisation of the dream that has always seemed out of reach; a return to the Premier League.

The Al-Hasawi’s confirmed their takeover just a matter of days ago and have wasted no time in preparing for revolution, with the sacking of Steve Cotterill  proving they are willing to make drastic changes to take the club “back to the top of the table” as they put it in a statement earlier this week.

The new owners have come as a relief to many fans who have felt in a state of limbo following the tragic passing of Nigel Doughty, who, despite declaring he was going to sell the club at the end of last season, has left a strong legacy at the club and a platform for the Al-Hasawi’s to build upon.

The Kuwaiti based family will have their work cut out however in trying to take The City Ground back to the level of football it once regularly played host to. Nottingham Forest’s stature nowadays is a far-cry from what it used to be. Since relegation from the Premier League in 1999, Forest have plunged to the depths of League 1 and have been caught in the trap of the Championship with little hope of return. This is epitomised by the side’s poor showing last season that culminated in the club finishing 19th.

This contrast from the club’s former glories has been all too prevalent for Forest Faithful. The Reds are a club steeped in history, a factor acknowledged by the Al-Hasawi’s. The club is one of only eight teams to have ever successfully retained the European Cup (now known in its modern format as the Champions League) as well as claiming the Premier league title under the stewardship of legendary manager Brian Clough in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

The hope is the owners can inject some much needed capital and investment into the side and many fans will hope for a similar style of investment that helped QPR escape English football’s second tier. However those hoping for a cash spending spree similar to Manchester City will have to think again as the Al-Hasawi’s, despite a considerable fortune, do not have anywhere near the means of providing  funds such as what has been made available to Roberto Mancini from Sheikh Mansour at the Etihad.

Forest’s next quest is to find a new manager that the Al-Hasawi’s feel is capable of taking the club to the next level, and whilst many will feel Steve Cotterill should have deserved a chance with the extra funding, it is clear the Al-Hasawi’s want real change and a fresh start. Many big names including Mick McCarthy, Alan Shearer, former Forest player Roy Keane and even Harry Redknapp have been linked with the post,  which will encourage many doubters that the dismissal could be beneficial for the future of the club. Whoever is appointed nonetheless will targeted with the challenge of leading the Red Revolution.