Steve McClaren has recently suggested that Nottingham Forest are not as good as Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion, as the race for automatic promotion from the Championship hots up.

West Brom and Leeds currently occupy the two automatic promotion places, with the latter sitting five points clear of third in second place after a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

The chasing pack have somewhat tailed off in recent weeks, but midweek wins for Fulham and Forest against Swansea and Cardiff respectively have kept their automatic promotion dream alive.

Forest have already faced Leeds and West Brom twice this season, picking up four points against Marcelo Bielsa's side, and salvaging a late 2-2 draw against Slaven Bilic's side at the Hawthorns a fortnight ago.

Can you get full marks on this Forest quiz?

Speaking on Sky Sports News (February 26th, 10:27am), McClaren said: "That worries me a bit little bit because that’s kind of all Forest are. I think they are more than that, they can play more football. The likes of West Brom, Leeds can do both.

"They can keep possession, but also cannot keep possession, defend and also in transition. They have got everything, but Forest are a bit one way to win, and they are doing it very well, they are getting results."

McClaren is obviously no stranger to the East Midlands club - the 58-year-old took charge in June 2011, but won only three out of 11 games during a four-month stay at the City Ground before resigning.

Via the Nottingham Forest News page on Facebook, here's what Forest fans had to say in light of McClaren's comments...

Brian Clough: He says Leeds and West Brom can play more than one way, but the fact is that they don't. The reason those two teams play attacking football is because they can't defend like us. They are built to play that way as we are to play the way we do. If they tried to play like us they'd lose more games because their defenders aren't that great.

Howard Nffc Morley: Really!! Leeds play one way. WBA are not all that and flattered at top imo. What a Wolly with a brolly he is.

Will Thorpe: Why would anyone take notice of what one of the worst managers we’ve ever had and the worst manager England has ever had has to say!?

Liam Masey: A man that has a nick name of wolly with the brolly says everything we all need to know about his football ‘knowledge’

John Smith: Only bloke I know that’s been rewarded for failure

Nigel Hemsley: I couldn’t care less what McClaren thinks.

Pat Clarke: Maclaren put a sock in it just cos you failed with forest dont put our lads down only thing you do well is putting up an umbrella