Selling Henri Lansbury would be a big blow to Nottingham Forest but should the 26-year-old join Derby County, it would be even worse.

That is the uncompromising view of former Reds favourite Andy Reid who gave his thoughts on the ongoing circumstances at the City Ground, during an exclusive interview with Forest’s official shirt sponsors 888sport.

Lansbury’s ongoing situation was right at the top of the agenda during the interview and Reid would love to see the midfielder stick around the football club for the time being.

Reid said: “He is one of Forest’s best players – if not the best player – so to lose him would be a massive blow.

“It is a strange situation at the club at the moment with the takeover having fallen through so who knows what will happen between now and January.”

Talk to Reid for any period of time and you will see that his passion for Nottingham Forest is peerless and the Reds are a club which he clearly holds dearly within his heart.

Whilst Reid stretched some sympathy out to the recently departed boss Philippe Montanier, he does think that the time was right for him to go.

The former winger said: “It was a really tough situation for him to be in but ultimately he didn’t get the right results with a decent set of players.

“It is always unfortunate when someone loses their job but the writing has been on the wall for a little while.”

So where has it all gone wrong for the East Midlands-based outfit? Reid, who played 263 times for the Reds, across two spells with club, thinks that a lack of leaders in the squad has been evident this season.

He continued: “A lot of the problems stem from the back and they need to be more secure there. It’s not just the defenders but the midfielders who sit in front of them as well.

“They will probably look to bring in a centre-half but Jack Hobbs has recently come back into the side and he is quality so that will give those around him a big lift.”

Forest are currently just three points clear of Blackburn Rovers who are just inside the relegation zone, with the club embroiled in a real fight to retain their Championship status for next season.

Reid doesn’t think Forest should worry too much, however, believing that the team has enough quality within their current ranks to stay afloat.

He added: “They definitely have enough quality in the dressing room are there are some good players at the club so I am pretty sure they will be okay.

“Having said that they do need to pick up some results sooner rather than later and it will be very interesting to see who is still there in January.

“If they manage to hold on to their quality players I think they’ll be okay.”

Academy manager Gary Brazil will take charge of Saturday’s crunch six-pointer with Bristol City, and Reid believes that Forest are in safe hands.

“At the moment the team is in good hands with Gary (Brazil) looking after them. I know that Jack Lester (Forest u-23s manager) has been mentioned for the job from within the club and something like that wouldn’t be a bad idea for the time being.”

Given his affiliation with the club, Reid sincerely hopes that the Reds can get themselves sorted off the pitch sooner rather than later, following a takeover collapse which means massive insecurity at the football club.

Speaking on the off-field issues, Reid commented: “First and foremost the club needs to be galvanized and to settle on a direction. Will the current owner stay there or will it be sold to someone else?

“For a plan moving forward that needs to be made clear as soon as possible because at the moment they’re on a downward spiral and it needs sorting.”

Now 34-years-old, Reid was forced to retire from playing football during the summer after failing to recover from a series of groin operations. The lovable rogue confirmed that he would relish the chance to return to the City Ground one day in another capacity.

Reid confirmed: “I am finishing off my coaching badges at the moment and of course I got a taste for coaching last season.

“I would definitely like to go into it at some stage and if that was at Forest it would be brilliant.

“I have a big affinity with the club and the fans and also a lot of the players who are still there. I would love to return there one day.”

 Read the full 888sport interview with Andy Reid, including why he would love to coach at Forest. 

Nottingham Forest fans, what is your standout Andy Reid moment from his playing days at Forest? Should the club find a role for him somewhere? Let us know in the comments below!