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Karanka’s scattergun recruitment policy has led to Forest’s inconsistency
For much of his time as Middlesbrough, Aitor Karanka was pragmatic in terms of his tactics on the pitch and approach in the transfer market.
He spent Steve Gibson’s money like it was his own, and although he struggled to pick a striker, most of his frugal moves were successful.
Then Boro got into the Premier League and the Spaniard completely changed his approach; in came an influx of expensive, high-earning players who seemed at odds with the team spirit that had got the club into the top flight.
Karanka paid with his job during Boro’s one season in the top flight; with the division in the squad between the promotion-winning side and the new boys undermining their attempts to stay in the Premier League.
After getting back into management with Nottingham Forest, it seems that Karanka has not learned from his mistakes.
A frantic January transfer window was followed up by a busy summer period as the Spaniard tried to reshape his squad but without a clear vision of how to do it.
That has led to the inconsistency that has seen pre-season optimism give way to mid-table mediocrity at present.
Unless Karanka learns from his mistakes and adopts the ‘less is more’ mantra that got Boro promoted, Forest will remain muddled.