LivescoreCan Iran star Ansarifard fire Nottingham Forest to the Premier League?
(Image via https://twitter.com/NFFC)
Nottingham Forest, a club with rich history and a dedicated, loyal following, are a stable Championship club these days. But having won the European Cup in the past and experiencing glory days under Brian Clough, Forest are chomping at the bit to get back to those times.
Fawaz Mubarak Al-Hasawi, a Kuwaiti businessman and the owner and chairman of Nottingham Forest, has been tasked with taking them back to the promised land of the Premier League. Alongside new manager Aitor Karanka, a man with excellent pedigree having played for European giants Real Madrid and managed fellow Championship side Middlesborough, both will be aiming to recruit well and push for promotion to England’s top flight.
If their ambitions are to be met, then they require quality players in key areas to turn them into a reality. One signing that ticks all the boxes and has Forest fans excited for what he might bring to the team is Iran international and former Olympiacos striker Karim Ansarifard.
Ansarifard bagged 17 goals in 26 league appearances for Olympiakos last campaign and featured against Premier League side Burnley in the Europa League earlier this term. In short, and certainly on paper, the Iranian front man appears to be an excellent addition to Forest and their quest for Premier League promotion, which is currently priced at 5/1 (bet365). Coral, meanwhile, offer odds of 20/1 that Forest win the Championship outright.
Norwich, who have arguably been the surprise package of the season so far, are priced at 1/1 for promotion, West Brom 11/8, Middlesborough 7/4, Sheffield United at 9/4 and Aston Villa and Frank Lampard’s Derby County rated at 11/4 to win their place in England’s top flight come the end of the season. The Championship is an incredibly tough league to predict though, but you can now get all the available enhanced odds offers from bookies to back Forest or any other team as we approach the business end of the season and teams step up their pursuit of Premier League football.
Competition is strong for Karim Ansarifard in the Forest side though, with strikers Lewis Grabban and Daryl Murphy vying for one of the striker roles in the team and seemingly being favoured by manager Karanka, although the Iranian striker is fully aware of the fact that he’ll have to earn his place in the Forest side. In fact, Grabban is the betting favourite at 11/4 (Betfred) to be top scorer in the Championship this season, proving Ansarifard will have his work cut out to get his place in the team. Incidentally, Daryl Murphy, a streaky player, is a massive 200/1 for the top scorer accolade.
On the strong competition for places, he recently said: “For sure, it would be great for me to do that (start a game) but it is the choice of the manager. We have to respect that and all I can do is make sure that I keep on working hard and when my time comes I have to try my best, whether it is for one minute or 90 minutes.
The former Olympiakos front man added: “Lewis (Grabban) is in great form at the minute. He is a brilliant player, so is Murphy, and all of the players here are very good. We have a lot of quality and it gives us lots of competition, lots of friendly competition and everyone is working for the team, which is really important.”
(Image via https://twitter.com/SMDRFootball)
Much like Nottingham Forest’s competition for places, the Championship promotion race is strong also, with so many teams in the running. Under new manager Karanka, Forest are looking like solid contenders, but alongside a whole host of others.
After joining on 3rd November on a free transfer, Karim Ansarifard is still adapting to life at a new club and in a new climate, but once the Iran star gets up to speed and finds his feet in England, Nottingham Forest’s promotion prospects will certainly increase.