Following promotion to the Premier League in 2022, Nottingham Forest went signing crazy – attracting vast negativity from outsiders looking into the club.
Looking back, it was a crazy time. No fewer than 23 players were added in the summer and then a further seven were signed in the January window.
The brutal fact is that some of the players signed during that period haven’t even made an appearance for the football club.
Forest stockpiled a number of players, with some clearly signing in the event of an immediate EFL return and others always likely to be short-term options.
Thankfully, Forest have learned some harsh lessons now and this summer, the recruitment policy at the City Ground was vastly improved.
One of the most pleasing aspects of the window was that over 20 players left either permanently or on loan to other clubs.
Josh Bowler was one of those players – and he’s yet to make a competitive appearance for Forest too.
He’s quickly become a bit of a forgotten man and that’s largely down to the predicament he finds himself in at Preston North End.
PNE expert delivers verdict on Forest-owned Josh Bowler
Speaking to Nottingham Forest News, Preston expert and Deepdale Digest editor Olly Dawes gave his verdict on Bowler and what has been going wrong for the player.
He started off by saying: “When Bowler arrived, PNE fans were pretty excited. Sure, annoying Blackpool fans was a major factor but North End had seemingly added a maverick with a genuine dribbling ability on the flanks.
“Liam Millar’s exit left PNE lacking a bit of magic out wide and Bowler was seen as a player who could bring a spark out wide.”
Bowler has struggled though. He’s made seven appearances in total and has failed to really convince Paul Heckingbottom of his ability.
So, what has gone wrong? Dawes enlightened us on what exactly has been the issue with the Forest winger.
He continued: “Bowler has struggled to make an impact in a PNE short and there are two problems really hampering his progress.
“Firstly, Bowler picked up an illness which saw him miss out on crucial games and set him back in terms of finding match sharpness.
“Secondly, the manager hasn’t really been playing with wingers in recent weeks and has mostly viewed Bowler as a player who can change the game from the bench.”
Bowler would have naturally been hoping to do well on loan and then secure a permanent deal to Deepdale. However, Dawes thinks that the ship might have already sailed.
He finished his interview with us, saying: “It’s early days for Bowler but as things stand, it’s difficult to see a long-term future for him at Deepdale and he will need to pick up some momentum soon as North End look to move away from the drop zone.”
Bowler will go down as one of the strangest signings in Forest history
It’s not clear how long Bowler signed for at Forest but it looks very unlikely that he won’t make a competitive appearance for the Reds before he eventually gets released.
In hindsight, the signing was always made with one possibility in mind that the club might not have enough quality to remain in the Premier League during 2022/23.
With the club now fighting it out in the top half of the Premier League, there is absolutely zero chance that he earns a crack at the top flight when he’s not even playing regularly in the Championship.
Forest fans will have no animosity towards Bowler but ultimately, the signing was ill thought out and hopefully, the Reds continue learning lessons fro that first transfer window after promotion to the Premier League.
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