Much was, and still is, expected of Nottingham Forest this season.

Under Aitor Karanka, they have spent over £27 million on players this season, most notably bringing in the 21-year-old Joao Carvalho from Benfica for a club-record signing of £13.2 million, as well as splashing £6.8 million on Bournemouth forward Lewis Grabban.

After 12 games of the season, Karanka’s side sit in 5th place of the table, having lost just one game of the season so far.

Forest are a hugely historical club thanks to the long-gone days of the late Brian Clough and haven’t tasted the top flight since the early 90s. This season though could prove to be their season and could be their first play-off finish in eight years.

The problem though for Forest is their inability to see out games. Since the start of the season, points have been dropped from winning positions in games against Bristol City, West Brom, Blackburn and Millwall, adding to a total of seven draws in their opening 12 games of the season.

Brendan Rodgers would describe it as a ‘lack of character’, and that’s certainly what it is. After it's happened once, twice, three times, it starts to become a stigma for the players. Forest have made a real go of it this season and if they are to surmount a realistic promotion challenge, then Karanka needs to force into his team a winning mentality... and character.

Given his experience as a player with Real Madrid, and his experience as an assistant manager there and from his promotion with Middlesbrough to the Premier League in 2016, the task of promotion with Forest should not be too far beyond the realms of possibility.