Lewis Grabban makes confident Nottingham Forest claim ahead of 2021/22 season | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban insists that he can regain his goalscoring form for the Reds next season.

It was a frustrating 2020/21 campaign for Forest, who finished 17th in the Championship and scored 37 goals in 46 matches.

Grabban, for the third season running, ended the campaign as Forest’s top goalscorer, but with only six goals to his name.

The 33-year-old scored 17 goals in his first season at the City Ground, and last season, he scored 20 goals and became the first player in 16 years to hit that tally.

Grabban has endured a frustrating campaign with injury, but even when he has played, the goals have been hard to come by for the striker.

The forward has made 28 appearances in the Championship this season, scoring six goals with two of those coming from the penalty spot.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, though, Grabban insisted that he can get back to his best in front of goal and regain his goalscoring form.

He said: “For sure, I do think I can hit those heights again. Mentally, I feel good in terms of understanding the game.

“Even when I did get 20 goals last season, it wasn’t easy. We were playing off a counterattack style, so there still weren’t as many chances.

“It’s something that I always look to do. Hopefully next season I can get close to where I’ve got to before.

“Hopefully next season we’ll be able to be a bit more expansive, and with that comes more chances and dominating games a bit more.

“With those types of elements in the game, you’re able to do better generally in the final third. That enables players, like myself, to have a bit more freedom to score more goals and be more clinical.”

Forest are likely to bolster their attacking options in the transfer window this summer, with Accrington’s Dion Charles and Blackpool’s Jerry Yates both on the Reds’ radar.

The Verdict

I think Grabban has a big part to play under Chris Hughton next season despite the Reds being linked with new strikers.

We saw Grabban play in a deeper number 10 role in the last game of the season, and I personally think that could be a sign of what is to come.

He is a clever footballer, and having him up top with someone with a bit of pace and potential could work really well.