Nottingham Forest have had a successful season this year and, since Steve Cooper came in as manager, the progression has been remarkable. 

They are now preparing themselves for a play-off final against Huddersfield Town, which will send them into the Premier League if they win.

If the club gain promotion it would be their first time in the top flight since 1999 and Forest's chief executive, Dane Murphy, feels owner Evangelos Marinakis can take the side to the next level if they win promotion.

Speaking to American Soccer Now, Murphy said: "We're very lucky to have the owner that we have. I think in every challenge that he's embarked on in life, he's been successful. Shipping, media, environmental companies, and football.

"He also owns Olympiacos, and they're perennial winners of their league. They're in Champions League or the Europa League every year.

"And he is invested in a way that is smart and diligent. And he knows - and he believes - that once this club is able to get back to the Premier League, where it does belong, that he can take it to another level and build upon the work that's already been laid.

"But he has a much more systematic idea of how to do that than just throwing money at it every year to see if it works - because sometimes the bottom falls out and you end up losing the basis of what the club is. And you have to go down the leagues.

"His expectation is to win every year, which is completely fair. But he also does it in a way that's a little more scientific than others.

"That's part of the reason I came in - my background at Barnsley, in a financial restrictive environment, building out the club in a way that made it more sustainable long term, but also push the narrative on the sporting side and use data analytics as our first cut in recruitment, and to really adhere to a style of play from the club, meaning the club sort of has an ethos and philosophy, or an approach, in the way it wants to play. And you recruit your coaches and your players in a manner that will always adhere to that, so that year to year, you're not having to change the entire basis of the club."

The Verdict: 

There certainly seem to be good foundations in place at Nottingham Forest for success to be created and progression to be achieved.

For them to unlock the next level of their potential however will require them to be promoted given the increase in funds this will give them.

However, if they can achieve this, then it seems as though there is a sustainable set up for the future of the club that can see them survive.

You could expect that their first season in the Premier League would be a tough one where they would be fighting to stay up, but if they could do that in the first season, they could then build upon it and gain a sustainable position in the top flight.