Nottingham Forest currently occupy tenth place in the Championship which is probably just about par for the course, given the off-field issues overhanging the Reds.
The club have been under strict transfer embargo stipulations this season and have been restricted to the signings of free agents and loans, with a limit of £10,000 per-week placed upon the wages of any player who joins the Reds.
Boss Dougie Freedman has worked tirelessly to try and turnaround the fortunes of the East Midlands-based outfit, and even his fiercest critics would be able to knock his work ethic.
With the club a seemingly mammoth nine points away from the play-off pack, attentions over the next few weeks will turn towards how the club might perform next season.
With a core group of players still under contract for next season, it seems a good bet that the Reds can improve upon any finish they achieve this season.
Football League World’s Lee Clarke gives us THREE reasons why the Reds could be title contenders next season......
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE THREE REASONS!
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Youth is thriving
Under the stewardship of boss Dougie Freedman, young players from the club’s youth academy have been given the chance to thrive.
The likes of Oliver Burke and Jorge Grant have been given game time in the first-team and haven’t disappointed when called upon.
Freedman has been able to utilise his younger players given the current financial situation without any real pressure, but the experience they will have gained could put them and Forest as a club in good shape for next season.
The club’s under-21 squad are also sat top of the division, which indicates there is more to come from the current crop of young guns at the City Ground.
Forest now proven in the transfer market
One thing that Reds fans cannot take away from Dougie Freedman is his ability to pick up an astute signing or two.
Forest have searched high and low for close to ten years for a decent left-back and every man that came before Freedman failed, Dougie has found two in little over a year.
Both Daniel Pinillos and Bojan Jokic have proven to be fantastic acquisitions for the club and throw into that Jamie Ward and Matt Mills who have arrived on free transfers, Freedman has proved that the bank doesn’t need to be broken to sign good quality Championship players.
Injured players will be back to fitness
Believe it or not Forest still have strikers Britt Assombalonga and Matty Fryatt on their books, but such as been the severity of their injuries they are yet to feature this season.
With ex-Peterborough striker Assombalonga due to return towards March or April time, he will have little time to make a real impact this season.
The club might even use him sparingly and get a full pre-season out of him ready to unleash him on the Championship next season.
In Forest’s current squad and style of play both Britt and Fryatt would get plenty of chances to score goals and their return can only be a good thing.
Throw into that a fully fit Chris Cohen and you have a decent trio of players who will be fit and ready to go come August 2016.