[3] On 15 October, the club sold Garry Birtles to Manchester United for £1.25 million,[4] prompting the arrival of forward Peter Ward from Brighton & Hove Albion.

[5] In spite of these new arrivals, during the season the team dropped to mid-table, and by spring the midfield was weakened after the departures of Martin O'Neill, Raimondo Ponte, Ian Bowyer and defender Larry Lloyd.

Forest's defence of the European Cup ended in the first round following a 2–0 aggregate defeat to Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.

Finally, in the FA Cup the team was knocked out at the quarter-final stage following a replay with Ipswich Town.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.