Newcastle United and Eddie Howe had to make one of the toughest decisions so far in the summer by allowing Elliot Anderson to move to Nottingham Forest.
Deemed as an important player for Newcastle's future, the dreaded Profit and Sustainability rules forced Eddie Howe in to green-lighting a £35 million move for Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest, a deal which saw Newcastle pay Forest £20 million for goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos who Eddie Howe clearly didn't want.
The whole thing was an absolute shambles brought about ridiculous rules that so many clubs in the Premier League abhor.
What's done is done, however, and Elliot Anderson has slotted nicely into Nuno Espirito Santo's side and with a visit of his former teammates taking place tomorrow, Anderson has spoken to The Times about his new life at Nottingham Forest.
Anderson shared that he had a soft spot for Forest but sought counsel from former Magpie Chris Wood before the move.
“It was a good time for a fresh start and I’ve really enjoyed it. Nottingham Forest is a huge club. I always quite liked Forest when I was a kid. I spoke to Chris Wood before I came. He’s taken me under his wing. I just wanted to be playing football, that’s what everyone wants to do. I’ve got off to a good start.
“It’s a brilliant set of guys. I don’t think people realise how talented a squad we have here. When I came I thought, ‘This is going to be tough to get in the team'. I can’t really put my finger on why [Forest have started so well] — we have an amazing defence and then we have Chris Wood up front, who’s like Ronaldo at the minute. We’re doing brilliant and I’ve settled really, really well, but you have to stay humble.”
Given that Forest currently occupy third spot in the Premier League (at time of writing), it's safe to say that Anderson's claims of it being a talented squad aren't unfounded, they've bought about three fewer players than Chelsea over the last few years so it makes sense.
Tomorrow is going to be such a huge game for both clubs. If Forest get the win it will bolster their claims that they belong in the top three, while Newcastle need to prove that it's not just at St James' Park where they can put a good shift in.
Two wins of the belt for Newcastle is good progress but both were on home soil. Sunday's 2pm Sky Sports televised game at The City Ground is a whole new test.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -8 | 18 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
19 |
Wolves
|
15 | -15 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |