Nottingham Forest have got their 2019/20 season off to a flyer and currently sit in second place after 11 games of the Championship campaign.
The Reds are level on points with West Brom at the top of the division and boss Sabri Lamouchi couldn’t be happier with how things are going.
His Forest team is unbeaten since a defeat to the Baggies on the opening day of the season, with the Reds already playing a lot of the league’s big-hitters.
Saturday’s win over Brentford didn’t come without disappointment, however. One aspect that did take the shine away from a quality three points was the injury sustained by midfield maestro Samba Sow.
The Malian must await results from a scan on a hamstring problem before Forest will know how long he will be missing form Lamouchi’s team.
MORE FOREST STORIES
Aside from that particular knock, things are looking pretty rosy for the Reds right now. 11 games have reaped six wins, four draws and just a single loss.
Forest’s performances so far have indicated a shift in mentality under new boss Lamouchi. Every player has been given a blank canvas and his new additions have largely had an impact on the season so far.
The style which the Forest boss has instilled into his players is one of togetherness, working to play on the counter-attack and being clinical when chances do arrive in the final third.
It’s fair to say that it’s not always easy on the eye and for large parts of some games Forest do give up their fair share of possession. It is, however, proving effective and fruitful.
Given the nature of opponents towards the start of the season, some supporters have almost lowered their expectation levels. Fulham, Leeds, Stoke, Preston, West Brom, Swansea and Brentford have all been played already.
Following the international break, Lamouchi will perhaps need to show that something else has changed under his management at the City Ground.
Favourable run
There has been a real mentality issue in previous seasons when it comes to playing against the so-called lesser sides in the division. Wigan Athletic, Hull City, Reading and Lutoare all on the agenda shortly after the break and those games could offer an indication as to how Forest’s season might progress.
Any point gained on the road at any club in the division has to be deemed decent. At home, however, it is vital that the Reds win as many games as possible.
Hull and Reading are both likely to come to the City Ground to frustrate and it would provide a massive positive to supporters if they could come through those two games with six more points. The following home game sees Forest face Derby and anything can happen in a fixture of such magnitude.
Several positive changes have already been evident under Lamouchi but if the Reds can maintain their lofty league position ahead of the November international break, people might seriously start to believe that Forest are genuine promotion contenders.