Sabri Lamouchi is about to embark on his first season in English football after his appointment at Nottingham Forest, replacing Martin O’Neill who lasted just five months at the City Ground.
Forest have had a huge turnover of coaches in the last few seasons but the appointment of Lamouchi has the chance to be different, with the French coach looking like he could be one to start a revolution in Nottingham.
The ex-Rennes man hasn’t really excelled in the world of management, but if he can handle a plethora of exciting players at Forest, the Reds can truly succeed this season.
With Yuri Ribeiro and Alfa Semedo being tipped for big careers, as well as some astute free transfers in Sammy Ameobi and Albert Adomah, Forest have had a good window so far, with Aro Muric another key addition that will supplement Lamouchi’s style.
Saying that, though, there is still a lot of work to do between now and the opening weekend, where Forest play West Brom.
Here, we list three matters Sabri Lamouchi needs to look at before the big clash with a promotion rival on the first day.
Do you agree, or can you think of another thing he must act on before the opening weekend clash? Let us know in the comments section below.
How does he bleed in new faces?
One question Lamouchi will need to ask is how he bleeds in the new players, with one problem for the previous two managers being the failure to get the best out of new signings, especially the ones from abroad, mainly Portugal.
With two loanees coming in from Benfica with big potential, Lamouchi must have a strategy of how to get the best out of them. He will have to ask whether it is best to throw them in at the proverbial deep end, or whether to bring them in slowly.
Alfa Semedo especially looks like a huge talent, and if Lamouchi gets it right, Forest could have a great player on their hands.
As for Albert Adomah, they have got themselves - for free - a twice promoted player at this level with over 50 Championship goals to his name. He may have not had the best of seasons at Villa, but Adomah still has a lot to offer at this level and he can flourish at the City Ground.
Overall though, it is absolutely vital Lamouchi gets it right with his new signings. It could be reckless for him to throw in five or six debutants, but then if he doesn't it might hurt the confidence of the new players, who may struggle to find their feet.
Make sure the players are sure on the way he wants them to play
Going from Aitor Karanka to Martin O’Neill was probably a culture shock for Forest players, with O’Neill more old-school than his Spanish predecessor.
Forest will have to rebuild a new style again, with Lamouchi reportedly preferring a ‘total football’ style of playing out from the back and playing a quick passing game.
With the signing of Aro Muric, they have a perfect foundation to build from the back, but Lamouchi must use pre-season to get the players on the same wavelength as him.
The team was slightly defensive under O'Neill, but with Lamouchi, it is expected they will play a game that looks to attack the opposition, which will give the City Ground faithful their money's worth for sure.
It might be risky at first to adopt such a style, but after a few weeks, Forest could be playing some of the nicest football in the division.
Will he build the team around Joao Carvalho?
One player that was phased out for the majority of Martin O’Neill’s tenure was Joao Carvalho, who showed glimpses of class under Karanka.
With a positive end to the season and a rest over the summer, Forest fans have faith that Carvalho can be their star man this season.
Sabri Lamouchi may believe this too and may see potential for a big season if he builds the team around Forest’s Portuguese star.
Carvalho only scored four goals in the Championship last season, assisting eight, but with a bit of confidence on his side, he can thrive in this team.