“A remarkable turnaround” – 23-year-old to be the difference in AFC Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest?

Nottingham Forest have been on a remarkable run to force their way into the automatic promotion conversation in the Championship.

The Reds are looking even more dangerous than during their lengthy ascension up the table after Steve Cooper replaced Chris Hughton in the dugout.

Sam Surridge arrived at the club from Stoke City at the back end of the January transfer window, having previously worked under Cooper, and due to injuries to Keinan Davis and Lewis Grabban, the 23-year-old is set to lead the line for the remainder of the campaign.

FLW writer Toby Wilding had his say on Surridge’s breakthrough at Forest when he appeared on the Under The Microscope show on FLW TV this afternoon.

Wilding said: “He’s been brilliant, that hat-trick at the weekend, he’s just stepped in seamlessly.

“There’s been a lot of pressure on him, stepping into that role, given how good Keinan Davis had been before that and, of course, Lewis Grabban has been such a reliable player for so long for Forest.

“The start to this season didn’t go particularly great for him at Stoke, the opportunities and the goals didn’t come as much as he would have wanted.

“It’s been a remarkable turnaround in that sense, he’s had to wait for his opportunity, but he’s taken it with both hands.

“He’s really going to want to make a point against his former club.”

The returning Steve Cook and Surridge add an extra wrinkle of context ahead of one of the biggest games in the Championship this season.

Brennan Johnson and Philip Zinckernagel carry a huge threat playing off of Surridge, and that could leave some spaces open for exploitation as Nat Phillips and Lloyd Kelly face their toughest test as a partnership.

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