Nottingham Forest turn to Tom Ince to shake off slump?

Early Championship pacemakers Nottingham Forest have gone off the boil in recent weeks, with no win in seven league outings. Their odds for promotion have drifted to 9/2 as a result, but Reds boss Stuart Pearce reportedly wants to land Hull City wideman Tom Ince on loan.

Forest recruited heavily in attack over the summer, signing a new front four of Michail Antonio, Britt Assombalonga, Chris Burke and Matty Fryatt. Pearce also added Dutch target man Lars Veldwijk to his abundant options up front.

Despite this impressive forward line, it may be the Reds defence which is letting them down. Although they drew a blank in three consecutive away games at the end of September, the East Midlands outfit have scored six goals in October, but that total was only enough to secure two points as they conceded nine times.

It is not his rearguard that concerns Pearce, however, with stories circulating in the national press he is interested in recruiting Ince, who he worked with when England Under-21 manager, to the City Ground.

Son of ex-England enforcer and former Liverpool captain Paul, Tom Ince was handed his Young Lions debut by the current Forest boss back in 2012. Pearce has gone in for a player he coached during his stint in the England setup before, bringing defender Michael Mancienne to the Reds this summer.

Ince is no longer in favour at Hull, as boss Steve Bruce made late summer swoops for Uruguay forward Abel Hernandez permanently from Palermo and loaned in Newcastle United’s French winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

Having started the Tigers’ first three Premier League games and featured in an ill-fated Europa League qualifying campaign, Ince has subsequently been dropped from matchday squads. He has made just one appearance, in the Capital One Cup third round loss at West Bromwich Albion, since.

A proven player at Championship level, Ince scored 31 goals and made 27 assists in two-and-a-half seasons at Blackpool, who have since fallen on hard times. Forest travel to Huddersfield Town in their next assignment on November 1st, and are 7/4 shots to end their winless run.