It’s happening all over again at Nottingham Forest with fans doing what we promised we’d never do again and falling in love with a loan player!
After the 2021/22 campaign when Djed Spence, Max Lowe, James Garner, Keinan Davis and Philip Zinckernagel guided the club to promotion, we vowed never to walk this path.
None of those players were added permanently and headed in other directions. During the maiden season back in the Premier League, Dean Henderson was added to the list.
He was the club’s goalkeeper for 20 of the 38 games played – and we were desperate to see him added to the ranks permanently. Injury hampered that and again, Forest moved in a different direction.
Last season, it would have been hard to like any of the loan players, let alone love them! This summer, however, Forest have got us all misty-eyed once again.
Alex Moreno has been added from Aston Villa and he’s been part of a much sturdier rearguard that has propelled Forest into seventh place in the Premier League.
On Friday he was once again in fine form and something he did at the final whistle really endeared himself to the club’s fan base.
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What Alex Moreno did after Nottingham Forest won at Leicester
Had Moreno been at the club when Steve Cooper was there, this might have felt like a bit of a skit at the expense of the former Forest head coach.
After every win of the Cooper era – whether in the Championship or the Premier League – there was a trio of fist pumps in the direction of every stand at the City Ground.
Cooper would also do the same in front of the travelling army of supporters after a win on the road – although he only secured two of them at Forest in the Premier League.
After Friday’s win, it was the turn of Moreno to get the crowd worked into a frenzy. Not only did he do the trio of first pumps but he was also teasing the supporters – something that Cooper became accustomed to as well.
The scenes at the King Power highlighted just how far Forest have come in such a short timeframe. It’s only two years ago since Cooper was seemingly clinging to his job after being battered 4-0 by Leicester at the same stadium.
Forest have to sign Moreno permanently next summer
Cooper might have been kicking himself watching this Moreno masterclass, with Forest almost signing the defender on his watch.
On that occasion, he chose to sit tight at Real Betis and wait for a bigger club to come calling, which Aston Villa duly did around six months later.
With the Villans having bigger fish to fry in the Champions League these days, Moreno was shunted down the pecking order with Ian Maatsen and Lucas Digne both ahead of him.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 17 |
| 6 |  BrightonBrighton | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| 7 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 16 |
| 8 |  TottenhamTottenham | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 13 |
| 9 |  BrentfordBrentford | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 13 |
Forest were therefore granted permission to take him on loan for the season and he’s played his part in a wonderful start to the Premier League campaign.
Moreno is already warmed to the fans with his all-action displays for the club and being left-footed does bring more balance to the Forest defence.
As Forest fans we can’t have our hearts broken over a loan player again and with that in mind, the club has to bring the 31-year-old to Trentside on a permanent basis as quickly as possible.
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