Former Nottingham Forest coach Ian McParland has insisted that the club have the "best chance they’ve had for years" of winning promotion to the Premier League this term.

The Reds head into the third international break of the season occupying fifth spot in the Sky Bet Championship table, after making a hugely impressive start to the campaign under Sabri Lamouchi.

At the weekend, Forest lifted the Brian Clough Trophy for the second time this season, defeating arch rivals Derby County by a goal to nil to claim their eighth league win of the campaign.

Lamouchi's side look like a really solid, well-drilled unit, who have a clinical edge in front of goal and very rarely ship goals.

Forest sit three points off the automatic promotion places with a game in hand on the teams above them, as we prepare to head into a hectic winter period.

Speaking on Notts TV, cited by Nottinghamshire Live, former Reds coach McParland said that this is the "best chance" Forest have got of winning promotion for the first time in years.

He said: "Most of the games they’ve scored one goal. Even when they are getting beat 1-0, you think they are going to nick a goal. Or if it’s 0-0, they are capable of nicking a goal.

"At the start of the season, I said we’d need to see how it pans out, but maybe seventh or sixth position - just getting in the play-offs slightly.

"But after having a look at all the teams and watching the games, I’m thinking this is the best chance they’ve had for years of going up. And if they don’t go up this year, I think it’s a failure."

After a short international break, Forest travel to promotion rivals Bristol City, before taking on another promotion rival in Queens Park Rangers in West London.

The Verdict

Forest are certainly looking like a team who will be right up there come the end of the season.

You sense that year is different to previous ones - they possess real character, spirit and experience in the dressing room, and are such a hard team to beat.

These next two games will be massive tests for them in my view, as Ashton Gate and Loftus Road are two very tough places to go and win.