Since replacing Stuart Pearce as manager of Nottingham Forest, Dougie Freedman has overseen a significant improvement in both performances and results. The club has risen to 9th in the table thanks to 5 wins from the last six games including a crucial 2-1 victory against AFC Bournemouth at the City Ground. However there is still a significant 1o point gap between the Reds and Ipswich Town who sit in the final playoff spot so should Forest really be considered serious contenders at this stage.
Taking a look at results, Forest have claimed some big scalps in recent weeks since Freedman took the helm. A close 3-2 win at Brighton started Forests fight back up the league table. This was shortly followed by a convincing 3-0 win at lowly Wigan Athletic before an astounding 4-4 draw at bottom place Blackpool at Bloomfield Road. The Reds got back to winning ways when they battered a resurgent Bolton side 4-1 before the aforementioned 2-1 win against AFC Bournemouth where the Reds came back from 1-0 down to take all 3 points.
More recently the reds marched onto a crushing 3-0 win at Reading thanks to a trio of incredible goals from Ben Osborn, Matty Fryatt and Gary Gardener. These results have definitely reaffirmed Forests credentials as a tough championship team and that it has sent out a message of intent to other teams in the league around them.
However tough fixtures await the Reds in the form of Middlesbrough, Leeds, Norwich and Ipswich. Should Forest want to continue their climb up the table, they will have to dig deep and go back to basics in order to adapt to the different mentalities and threats which these teams offer. Furthermore, Forest’s season has taken somewhat of a major blow when leading scorer Britt Assombalonga was ruled out for over a year due to a knee injury sustained when playing against Wigan. This has meant that Freedman has had to call in seasoned strikers Dexter Blackstock and Matty Fryatt to step up to the first team. Both have taken big strides since getting their chance with both getting a goal to their names since Assombalongas injury.
The majority of Forest’s recent goals however, have come from midfield; with stand-in Captain Henri Lansbury and winger Chris Burke both providing goals in abundance despite having struggled to find them prior to Freedman’s arrival. Forest have now got 19 goals in total over the last 6 games, showing how prolific Forest have become under Freedman’s stewardship. At the other end of the pitch, Forest have conceded 11 goals in those six games. Although they have a positive goal difference of 8 in these games, it is still obvious that Freedman still has room to improve them at the back and add so additional steel; although the recent good form of former wales international Danny Collins and the reintroduction of Michael Mancienne after his injury may help to provide this extra defensive muscle.
All in all, Freedman has made a positive impact on the team as shown by the results and how well the team has reacted to the new manager.They have looked solid and played attractive football going forward whilst also digging deep to protect leads and pick up wins both home and away. Whether this is enough to see them reach the playoffs is yet to be seen as they have tough competition for the spot and will come head to head with a lot of other contenders for that crucial 6th place. The squad has the quality and the manager has them playing well but in a league as close and competitive as the Championship, there are too many factors and variables which can change the course of a season. Therefore, it is very near impossible to predict, especially with the league being as close as it is going into the March Period.
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