Nottingham Forest were the most active Championship club in this summer’s transfer window- comfortably. But with so much money splashed, the pressure on the manager increases. 

Joao Carvalho, Diogo Goncalves, Lewis Grabban, Michael Dawson and Sam Byram are just some of names that Nottingham Forest brought in on either a loan or permanent deal. Owner Evangelos Marinakis made his intentions clear: that he wants his side in the Premier League very soon.

In came proven Championship manager Aitor Karanka at the helm, ready to guide The Reds to the top flight in English football.

But Forest’s shakey start to the Championship this season will be a cause for concern for Marinakis. And the more an owner invests in a club, the more ruthless they tend to be with their managers. Karanka would have known this going into the job, but has only been able to produce one win from the opening six games of the season, drawing four times. Yes, they have made a good run in the League Cup so far, toppling Premier League outfit Newcastle, but that would not have been on the top of the owner’s priority list.

The question now lingers as to how long Karanka is given to get the season going. They sit in fourteenth, and are in no way out of contention of finishing at the top end of the table, but it is a case of whether Marinakis believes Karanka is the main to do it. It is a very good Championship squad, and if Karanka is not getting the best out of it, his time at The City Ground will not be long.

The Reds are certainly not playing badly, and it just takes a few tweaks by the manager, and a few players to find form, before the club plays to their potential. However, it is whether that happens before Marinakis’ patience runs out.

According to Goal, both Manchester United and Manchester City are interested in moving for Wolves’ exciting young midfielder, Ruben Neves, in the near future.

The 21-year-old has made a bright start to life in the Premier League and has already notched his first goal in the English top flight. Against reigning champions Manchester City last time out, Neves put in a mature performance in the middle of the park to help guide his side to a hard-fought draw at Molineux.

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The Wolves faithful, and boss Nuno Espirito Santo, would certainly be loathe to lose the Portuguese international, but it’s no surprise that the youngster’s form has caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The reported interest of both Manchester clubs has plenty of Wolves fans nervous that they could be set to lose Neves even sooner than expected though. In light of this most recent report, many of the Midlands clubs’ supporters took to Twitter to voice their concerns over Neves’ future…

West Ham have endured a troubled start to the season under Manuel Pellegrini, losing all four of their Premier League matches so far.

The Hammers have struggled to find stability after a major rejuvenation in the summer saw the club spend over £100m on a wealth of new recruits, including Ukraine international Andriy Yarmolenko.

Yet to start a Premier League game for Pellegrini’s side, the international break gave a number of fans the opportunity to see Yarmolenko for an extended period and a variety of supporters were unimpressed with his display – despite scoring the only goal of the match.

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Yarmolenko squeezed a penalty past Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka to secure a 1-0 victory for Ukraine over Slovakia in the UEFA Nations League and a number of Ukraine supporters were critical of his display – which could lead to concerns for West Ham.

We have gathered some of the best reactions below.

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Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban struggled in the 0-0 draw with Swansea on the weekend, and manager Aitor Karanka should drop him and start veteran striker Daryl Murphy for the clash against Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday evening.

At the Liberty Stadium on Saturday both sides missed chances to win the game, but both lacked the cutting edge to break the deadlock. One of Forest’s best openings came towards the end when 30-year-old Grabban looked to be through on goal. However, the bouncing ball wouldn’t sit for the former Bournemouth man and Swansea’s defenders were able to get back and clear.

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For the rest of the game, Grabban looked off the pace and Forest fans on Twitter were not happy with his lacklustre performance. Karanka then should look to bring in 35-year-old Murphy for the home tie against Sheffield Wednesday. The former Ireland international has three goals in just five appearances in all competitions so far this season and could certainly do a job against an Owls defence which has only kept one clean sheet all season.

So, Forest fans, would you like to see Murphy start on Wednesday? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Mario Balotelli’s contract with Ligue 1 side Nice is up at the end of the season meaning that the 28-year-old will likely be available for a cut-price fee in January.

What’s the word?

Since joining the French outfit, Balotelli has returned to his best form and has even forced his way back into the Italian national side. Last season, the ever-entertaining striker scored a career-best 26 goals in 38 games in all competitions. 

Balotelli at his best is worthy of playing at a higher level than he is currently employed at and many Premier League clubs would be wise to offer the Italian one last chance to show his quality in the English top flight.

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At the front of the queue to roll the dice on the ex-Liverpool flop ought to be Everton, who are in desperate need of a proven goalscorer.

Not another Tosun

Whilst signing Balotelli does represent some risk, it is not as much of a gamble as it once was. In recent years he appears to have matured and focused on his football – which has paid dividends. 

Having spent £27 million on Cenk Tosun in January, the Toffees can’t afford another flop signing up front, and Balotelli has already shown that he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League. If the Toffees could attract the Nice man in January for less than his £21.6 million Transfermarkt valuation then that would be a bargain for the Merseyside club.

What do you think, Everton fans – would you love to see Marco Silva bring Balotelli to Goodison Park or don’t you consider the striker to be worth the risk considering his past behavioural issues?

Rangers were seemingly making positive progress prior to the weekend and their form was provoking plenty of discussion regarding a potential title challenge, but a 1-0 defeat away at Livingston has brought both Gerrard and the club back down to earth with a bang. 

Indeed, the Gers were showing plenty of promise in the SPFL with their ability to not only beat teams, but to beat them with commanding conviction. 4-0 and 5-1 victories preceded their trip to face Livingston so naturally expectations were high amongst the expectant fan base, so it was little surprise to see plenty of finger pointing in the aftermath of their 1-0 defeat.

Rangers’ failure to find the back of the net was certainly a testament to the brilliance of the newly-promoted hosts, but it also reminded Gerrard that his side have plenty of improving to do in the final-third.

Whilst every individual player was in some way responsible for the defeat, TT’s Jonny Gorrie discovered that the Rangers supporters on Twitter were particularly disgruntled with Ovie Ejaria’s performance.

And the fans had every right to express their disappointment as he has struggled to truly find his feet since moving to Ibrox.

He can be forgiven for a lack of consistency at just 20-years-old, but against a side of Livingston’s calibre he needs to be stepping up to the plate and showcasing his potential if he wants to make it at this level.

The supporters are well within their rights to expect plenty more from a player who comes from a prestigious footballing background at Liverpool, but it just goes to show that the step up to senior level is rarely a seamless transition for young players who are desperate to build a career at the highest level.

Rangers fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Mike Ashley is still yet to find a buyer for Newcastle United Football Club.

The Magpies owner has been villainised by the majority of Newcastle fans who are unhappy with the lack of investment into the club. Ashley has been trying to sell the club for a number of years but is yet to find an investor who can meet his asking price.

Whoever is in charge simply must back Rafael Benitez in the transfer market. The Spaniard has not been given the funds to strengthen his squad to his methods, and his current deal runs out at the end of the season. If Newcastle want to keep the ex-Liverpool boss on Tyneside – they need to back him financially.

Scoring goals has been a massive problem for the Magpies this season so Benitez should consider a move for Girona star – Cristhian Stuani. Valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, the Uruguayan enjoyed a sensational debut campaign with his side after leaving Middlesbrough, scoring 21 goals in La Liga. Stuani has already shown he is not a one-season wonder, finding the back of the net on five occasions already this season.

The 31-year-old has benefitted from playing centrally – a much more natural position that the wing where he was used frequently by ‘Boro. His intelligent movement makes him a nightmare for defenders to deal with and his arrival could help Salomon Rondon finally find his rhythm at St. James Park. Stuani is also a huge aerial threat, scoring a host of his goals from headers last year.

Benitez should be doing all he can to convince Stuani to return to England in January.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

Aston Villa relieved Steve Bruce of his managerial duties on Wednesday following a run of just one win in nine Championship games. But were the Midlands outfit right to sack the 57-year-old, or could they come to regret the decision? Football FanCast’s expert writers give their verdicts below…

Ben Goodwin

“While it’s difficult to see where the club go from here, Bruce’s time at Aston Villa simply had to end. They have just one win in their last nine matches, and of their summer signings only John McGinn has hit the ground running. With all due respect to Preston and Sheffield Wednesday, those two home fixtures should be an easy six points for a club of Villa’s stature, and the performances were even worse than the results. His team selection against Preston on Tuesday was absolutely absurd, and bringing Glenn Whelan on in search of a goal was a total disaster.”

Christy Malyan

“The style of football has never been great under Bruce and results this season have been far from perfect, but it feels like Villa have jumped the gun a little here. After all, Villa didn’t exactly start last season all guns blazing either but ended the regular campaign in fourth place and they’re still just three points away from a playoff spot. There are only three teams who have lost less games than the Midlands outfit so far this season, so Bruce must have been doing something right. And this is a manager with vast experience in not only the second tier but also in the Premier League. With that in mind, it seems unlikely Villa can draft in an obviously better, more proven replacement.” 

James Beavis

“It’s obvious that the owners have got it 100% right. Despite coming so close to promotion last season, Bruce has had long enough to turn Villa into real contenders in this division, and they arguably should have been comfortably in the top two last term anyway. While he was dealt a real blow early on during the summer with the financial issues, he ended up keeping the majority of his squad – including Jack Grealish – together when the ownership was sorted to leave him with few excuses. Despite that, he still didn’t get his team selection or tactics right given the array of talent – particularly in attacking areas – that he had available to him. For me, it is clear that Villa need a fresh start and a more expansive manager willing to take risks.”

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Will Jones

“I don’t think Steve Bruce actually did a huge amount wrong in his time at Villa Park but sometimes a situation simply becomes untenable. A cabbage being lobbed at your head is a sign, you know? Had they stuck with Bruce then Villa would likely have improved as the campaign went on and wound up with a play-off spot at least. However, the club have determined that a change was in order and before long you’d have to imagine Bruce himself will be inclined to agree that this decision was for the best all round. Note to the Villa board: Carlos Carvalhal is still out of a job.”

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor achieved his 40th cap for Scotland on Thursday night, but the moment was not praised by everyone.

At the moment, plenty of Rangers supporters have an issue with the Scottish Football Association regarding a new story involving Paul Gascoigne.

According to the Daily Mail on Wednesday, members of the SFA board planned to boycott a dinner inducting Gascoigne into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame for his three-year spell at Rangers.

The publication claims that due to the England legend’s troubles off the pitch, which have included incidents of domestic violence, some SFA members turned down their invitations.

However, it has since been claimed by the Daily Mail that the nomination has been withdrawn.

On Twitter, Rangers praised McGregor for earning his 40th cap for Scotland in a United Nations clash against Israel, but the response was mixed.

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Some supporters praised the shot-stopper, others spoke of their frustration at the 2-1 defeat, while a handful expressed their distaste for the SFA.

After a lacklustre start to the season, Southampton currently find themselves 16th in the Premier League table and just two points above the relegation zone.

Prior to their recent 3-0 defeat at home to Chelsea, Southampton had dropped points against the likes of Wolves, Leicester City and Brighton.

And manager Mark Hughes has since sent his side a clear message: we need to be more clinical.

The Breakdown

“Clearly the end game is getting the ball in the back of the net and that’s what wins you games, it goes without saying,” Hughes told Sky Sports.

“It’s not as though we not getting shots off. I think if you look at the amount of shots we’ve had in the season to date it’s up there with everybody.

“It’s just our conversion rate we need to increase. If we do that and we convert more of the chances we create and the shots we take we will score more goals and win more games.”

Looking back at Southampton’s latest loss at the hands of Chelsea, Hughes certainly has a point.

Danny Ings, who in all fairness has looked promising since arriving at St. Mary’s during the summer, missed a very big chance versus Maurizio Sarri’s men and could have changed the whole complexion of the game had it found the back of the net.

But as well as up front, defensively, Southampton have not looked entirely convincing either.

The Saints blew a 2-0 lead against Brighton last month and, in general, never look confident after going in front.

For Southampton, there is much work to be done in both halves of the pitch.