For many, Nottingham Forest are one of the sides to watch this season coming in the Sky Bet Championship.

There are good reasons for that, too, with them improving their squad drastically this summer and possessing a manager in Aitor Karanka that knows how to win promotion.

Certainly, hope has grown considerably around the City Ground in recent weeks and the strength of the Reds' squad has been underlined by their Spanish manager.

The Tricky Trees beat Scunthorpe United last night in a friendly with a chopped and changed side and Karanka was evidently pleased with those that took their chance to shine.

As quoted by the Nottingham Post, he said:

“The players we started the game with tonight knew they had their chance and I was really pleased with them, because they played well and had good intensity."

Certainly, despite the significant outlay on players, the Reds have got others that are ready to force their way into the side and Karanka seems well aware of that.

Competition for places is vital and it seems as though there's plenty of that with the Reds right now.

The Verdict

It's exciting times at the City Ground to say the least and it's clear that Karanka has a highly motivated squad of players in front of him.

If players are going to take their chance when presented to them, that can only bode well for the coming season.

Thoughts, Forest fans? Let us know below!