“I want people to watch us, from a fan’s perspective but also from [the] opposition’s perspective, and go: ‘what are they doing?’ So they’re (the opposition) constantly thinking about how to problem solve against us because we’re constantly making them think.”
Those were the words of the smiling Tom Mallinson as he sat, with ambition coursing through his veins in the home dressing room at the City Ground, and vowed to excite and innovate as the new head coach of Nottingham Forest in June.
And that vision, from the man who has spent nearly 20 years with his local club in various coaching roles, from managing the under-10s to leading the under-18s, is beginning to catch the attention of the other 11 teams in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2.
Mallinson – who in interviews evokes a young and quietly-confident Paul Thomas Anderson yet on the touchline morphs into a loud, passionate figure – has directed Forest to an unbeaten start to the season which includes two wins and three draws in the BWSL2.
Take your pick as to why that is an impressive feat, be it the fact that ‘Mally’ is new to the women’s game, the reminder that the Tricky Trees are embarking on only their second campaign at this level, or the truth that eleven new signings are still bedding in.
And when you cast your eyes over the data, you soon discover that Forest have the potential to get even better under Mallinson, which will no doubt please the 41-year-old as he reflects on the opening weeks of the season during the international break.
The underlying numbers make good reading for Forest
“This group of players, honestly, I can’t speak highly enough of them,” said a proud Mallinson after Forest beat Burnley 2-0 at the City Ground last time out. “They want to work, they want to graft, they want every day to come in to get better.”
And that work ethic oozes from the statistics which declare Forest are among the best teams in almost every area, from goals per match (1.6, joint-fourth), goals conceded per match (1.0, fourth), touches in the opposition box (147, third) and tackles per match (22.4, fourth).
Operating in a back three in all but two of their games (Ipswich Town and Durham) this season – though they switched to that system in the second half in the latter – Forest have the highest average possession (59.4%) and the most accurate passes per match (374.4) in the BWSL2.
Building on the possession-based foundations left behind by previous manager Carly Davies, Mallinson and Forest have enjoyed more of the ball in all but one fixture (Durham, 46%) this season, meaning they are consistently giving themselves a strong base to build from.
Two of their summer signings, Cerys Brown and Abbie Lafayette, have caught the eye as wing-backs, with both of them creating two ‘big chances’ each in the BWSL2 this season, with only two players (Beth Lumsden, 5; Katy Watson, 3) creating more.
And in their first home win of the season against Burnley, Forest boasted a lovely midfield blend which featured Freya Thomas and Alana Murphy – who has scored two goals this term – as a composed double pivot alongside the creative talents of Leticia McKenna and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, who shone in the half spaces.
McKenna, a summer arrival from Melbourne City, has already recorded one assist and two ‘big chances’ from just 104 minutes of football, while Boye-Hlorkah has continued to act as Forest’s taliswoman despite the change in manager.
Rightly regarded as one of the best players in the division, Boye-Hlorkah – who posted eight goal contributions last term (seven goals, one assist) – has already chalked up four this season (three goals, one assist), a return that is only surpassed by fellow BWSL2 Player of the Month nominees Lumsden (five) and Martha Thomas (six).
And so it comes as a surprise that, despite having the tools to control their destiny in most matches, Forest have had to rely on their fantastic spirit to come from behind on three occasions (Watford, Durham and Southampton) already this season.
Mallinson is right to say a lack of cutting edge in both boxes has prevented Forest from making an ever better start to the season, with his charges having kept just one clean sheet (vs. Burnley) and missed more ‘big chances’ (11) than any other team in the division.
However, with summer signing Hannah Coan producing her best performance for Forest against Burnley, alongside fellow centre-backs Georgia Brougham and Chloe Mustaki, the former Portsmouth player is hoping to be the defensive antidote for Forest.
And at the other end of the pitch, Tuva Espas – the summer acquisition from Norwegian side Valerenga – will look to use her brace against Burnley as a springboard to help Forest go from strength-to-strength following the international break.
Forest hoping Espas can be the difference maker
“As a striker you always want to score goals so it’s a relief and I’m just so, so happy,” said Espas, whose shoulders are a lot lighter now after she – in her own words – “finally” scored for Forest after failing to find the back of the net in her first four appearances.
Arriving with great pedigree having represented Valerenga in the Women’s Champions League, it would be unfair to say Espas has been the player responsible for Forest lacking killer instinct at times this season.
The 27-year-old has only missed one ‘big chance’ in the BWSL2, whereas Forest team-mates Boye-Hlorkah and Lois Shooter have passed up four (the most in the league) and three respectively – to the frustration of themselves and also Mallinson.
This is not a new issue for Forest, however, with the club having scored just 27 goals (the joint-seventh most) and missed 23 ‘big chances’ (third most) last season, despite once again achieving the highest average possession (59.4%) in the BWSL2.
And that is exactly why Forest moved to sign Espas, the blonde forward who has broken her duck at the perfect time considering there are tricky tests on the horizon against high-flying Newcastle United (home), Wolverhampton Wanderers (away) and Leicester City (home).
Espas did not have to do too much to score twice against Burnley, getting her toe on the end of a neat cross from Boye-Hlorkah after 43 minutes before tapping home from close range in the second half after goalkeeper Jackie Burns spilled the ball into her path.
However, while any striker will tell you that it does not matter how the ball goes in, just as long as it does, Espas does deserve credit for keeping herself onside twice and, particularly with the second goal, gambling on Burnley shot-stopper Burns making a mistake.
“I’m so happy for her (Espas), as all the players are, you could see when she scored the players went straight over because it’s not always easy to go into a different league, different country, and try to settle in,” said Mallinson after the full-time whistle.
And while Chelsea loanee Shooter missed three ‘big chances’ against Burnley, it is also worth remembering that she is just 18 years old and that, given how much possession Forest have, she should receive plenty more opportunities to score this season.
If Shooter and Espas were able to start scoring on a consistent basis, going on what we have seen already, Forest may well enjoy their best-ever season under Mallinson, who wants his team to be “feared” for the remainder of 2026-27.
“I think teams will probably watch us now and go: ‘actually, there’s a little bit more to them than what [we] thought’ and so I’m really proud of the players,” added Mallinson, echoing his very first words in his very first interview as Forest head coach.
