Nottingham Forest will look to increase momentum in the Championship after an average start to the 18/19 campaign.

The Reds have made a steady start to the season, winning just one of their first six league games, drawing four times and losing just the once.

Aitor Karanka’s men will now be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Brentford last week, as his side travel to South Wales to face Graham Potter’s Swansea City side.

Expectations are very high at the City Ground following a summer of hectic transfer activity, with 17 new faces arriving at the East Midlands club, including the club’s record signing Joao Carvalho who arrived for a reported £13.2million fee.

In addition, four new holding midfielders joined the Reds to add to what is already a stacked Forest midfield, therefore Karanka is blessed with the ability to change to a different formation at any given time in the season, for whatever reason.

Going against his standard 4-2-3-1 lineup, here we take a look at three different systems Forest could look to use...

 

Forest are blessed with so many talented midfielders, and here, the 3-5-1-1 option is a rather tantalising thought for the City Ground faithful.

Forest are lacking in options up top, therefore the lone striker option gives Forest the chance to switch between Murphy and Grabban to keep their fitness high, whilst also giving the ability to play record signing Carvalho in a free roaming role behind the striker.

Matty Cash has been a standout performer for the Reds this season, and has played wing-back for Forest before, and with Sam Byram also an accomplished full-back, Forest's squad depth is frightening.

Whilst some may the midfield is too stacked, by playing Yacob in holding-midfield, not only offers the back four protection, but also allows the likes of Adlene Guedioura and Jack Colback to move around freely as ball-winning midfielders.

This option allows Forest to go back to a back-four and switch between powerful winger Gil Dias, Diogo Gonçalves and Joe Lolley.

Forest also have the option of playing Ben Osborn at left-back, or even in the middle of the park where he provides energy and tenaciousness.

This system would be beneficial for Forest in perhaps a home game where they are expected to win, or intend on putting the opposition on the back front straight away.

Yacob and Guedioura holding, with Carvalho behind Cash, Grabban and Hillal Soudani has potential to be the best front three in the division.