- In-form Nottingham Forest moved up to second place in the Premier League on Sunday
- Evangelos Marinakis insists Forest will prioritize team spirit over new signings
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! New line-up, some new faces, but optimism has faded at Old Trafford
Evangelos Marinakis insists Nottingham Forest will prioritize team spirit over new signings as they aim to secure the Champions League for next season.
Forest have made a sensational start to the campaign and will finish 2024 no less than fourth in the Premier League after concluding the calendar year with a 2-0 win at Everton on December 29.
While Marinakis says Forest can do “whatever is necessary” during the January transfer window, the club's owner is desperate not to upset the team harmony that coach Nuno Espirito Santo has worked so hard to create.
“We will do whatever it takes to get stronger and of course our coach will decide what he really needs,” Marinakis said. “We must maintain the same spirit and the same atmosphere in the locker room and all our players this year have the right spirit. It is a very good atmosphere and we should do everything possible not to disrupt it.
'It is an important achievement because in all positions we have players who perform or even surpass. For us this is our first priority: keep the momentum, keep winning and keep enjoying the ride.”
Marinakis was speaking at the Globe Soccer Dubai Awards after Olympiacos, the Greek giant he also owns, took the 'breakthrough club' award thanks to their historic Europa Conference League triumph last season.
Evangelos Marinakis insists Nottingham Forest prioritizes team spirit over new signings
Forest are off to a great start and will finish 2024 no less than fourth in the Premier League
Chris Wood increased his tally to 11 goals by scoring Forest's first goal against Everton on Sunday.
Now Marinakis wants Forest to emulate them. That seemed unlikely when the club was struggling in the Championship and spent its first two seasons in the top flight struggling for survival.
However, in the first half of this campaign, Forest have been excellent, recording wins at Manchester United and Liverpool, among other notable results. Nuno, meanwhile, has rebuilt the reputation he acquired during four seasons at Wolves, following a brief, unhappy spell at Tottenham in 2021.
“I wanted to bring Nuno to Nottingham, of course I supported him and now we see the results,” Marinakis added. 'He is happy and we are happy. “We understand each other well and respect each other.”