Aitor Karanka building Nottingham Forest on solid foundations, says Jack Colback

Nottingham Forest's Jack Colback. Picture Bruce RollinsonNottingham Forest's Jack Colback. Picture Bruce Rollinson
Nottingham Forest's Jack Colback. Picture Bruce Rollinson
Jack Colback feels like Nottingham Forest have built on solid foundations and improved in the final third this season.

Colback was on loan at the City Ground for the second half of last season under Aitor Karanka and believes there has been a telling improvement in the Reds’ attacking unit this term.

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He said: “Since the manager came in last season he has got the team solid and defensively well organised. I think the difference this season is that we have a bit more quality in the final third and he has got options to change it.

“We are blessed in the top half of the pitch really, Lewis [Grabban] has been on fire recently and he is disappointed with the chances he had today but it is one of those where some go in and some don’t.

“We are just taking each game as it comes, we are in a good position so hopefully we can kick on from there.”

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Colback was recalled to the Forest side on Saturday for the visit of Stoke City after missing the win over Sheffield United through suspension.

In a game which ended goalless, the midfielder, on a season long loan from Newcastle United, thought on a different day the Reds could have taken all three points.

“It was open and end-to-end at times which the manager doesn’t really like to be honest,” said Colback. “I felt we looked more solid and attacked them and won it back earlier. We had chances, they had chances so a draw was probably a fair result.

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“I think we are very solid as a team, very organised, and we create chances. Again, today we had chances to score and on another day you nick one and win it 1-0 but we are not too disappointed with a point.

“The save off Joe Lolley was the stand-out one. I think Jack Butland saw it late and got a touch to it but he is a Premier League goalkeeper so will come up with moments that, unfortunately it was against us. But on reflection they had a couple of good chances so we could have easily lost it 1-0; we could have won it 1-0 too but a draw is probably a fair result.”