Following an incredibly underwhelming 2020/21 campaign which resulted in his side being forced to settle for a 17th place finish in the Championship, Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton would have been hoping to guide the club to a positive start to the new term.
However, after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Coventry City and AFC Bournemouth, the Reds were unable to prevent Blackburn Rovers from sealing all three points at the City Ground in Wednesday's clash.
Although the season is still in its infancy, pressure could be starting to build on Hughton who was drafted in as a replacement for Sabri Lamouchi last year following a poor run of results for Forest.
Set to face Stoke City this weekend, the Reds know that a failure to step up their performance levels in this fixture may lead to yet another defeat.
Whereas many of Forest's Championship rivals have managed to draft in a host of fresh faces this summer, Hughton has only been able to secure the services of three new players.
With the transfer window set to close at the end of August, the Reds were recently linked with a move for one of Newcastle United's academy graduates.
A report from The Northern Echo earlier this week suggested that Nottingham Forest had made an approach to sign Matty Longstaff on loan from the Magpies.
The 21-year-old, who is also believed to be the subject of a great deal of interest from Sheffield United, has been given the green light by Newcastle manager Steve Bruce to leave the club on a temporary basis this summer.
Longstaff struggled for game-time last season as he only managed to make five appearances for Newcastle due to the presence of Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden and Jeff Hendrick.
Ahead of Forest's clash with Stoke this weekend, an update has emerged concerning their pursuit of Longstaff.
According to Nottinghamshire Live, the Reds are now unlikely to sign the Magpies man on loan despite recent reports linking them with a swoop.
GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...
With Forest seemingly out of the running for Longstaff's signature, it will be intriguing to see whether they are able to bolster their options in central-midfield this month.
Although the Reds are still interested in re-signing James Garner from Manchester United, any potential deal for the 20-year-old could depend on whether he decides to change his mind in regards to signing a new contract at Old Trafford as he recently rejected an offer.
It is understood that Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly unwilling to sanction a loan move until the midfielder's future is resolved.
Taking this into consideration, Hughton may need to look at alternative options to Longstaff and Garner as a failure to improve his squad could have a detrimental impact on his side's fortunes in the Championship later this year.
Read More - Carabao Cup 2021/22: Fixtures, Dates, Draws, Scores and Everything You Need To Know
