Nottingham Forest sit fifth in the Championship with a game in the hand and the chance to become “a very dangerous team”.
Reds legend Garry Birtles is among those looking for further potential to be unlocked.
Which is a hope we are all clinging to in 2019-20.
In many ways we have been spoiled to this point, with few predicting a top-six challenge before a ball was kicked in anger.
Optimism has always been there, but belief has become a welcome addition to the pot.
And Birtles is right to suggest that there could be more to come.
Forest’s progress through 15 games has largely been built from the back.
Solid foundations have been laid by Joe Worrall, Brice Samba and Co, with Leeds the only side to boast a better defensive record.
Improvement
At the opposite end of the field, no side in the top-half of the table has scored fewer goals than Forest.
That hasn’t been a problem so far.
There have been four 1-0 wins and a few more by the odd effort.
Sabri Lamouchi’s men have been getting the job done, and long may that continue.
It is, however, important to remain ambitious and seek out continuous improvement.
The man in the dugout has been demanding as much.
For Lamouchi, there are a few more gears for the Reds to go through in the final third.
Birtles has echoed those claims, saying in the Nottingham Post: “We’re very resilient; a solid side. Teams don’t score many goals against us – and we’ve got to keep it that way.
“With the players we’ve got, we’ve always got a chance then, of going forward and creating something.
“Sooner or later that attacking midfield is really going to click, and when that happens we’ll be a very dangerous team.
“But we’re still looking okay at the moment. Some people might say it’s better than okay, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Creativity
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Finding that “click” in the creativity department has been a rather obvious challenge for some time now.
Forest boast the likes of Joe Lolley, Joao Carvalho and Tiago Silva on their books.
Consistency has been an issue for playmakers at times, but there have also been encouraging signs of progress.
Silva could become a favoured option in the No.10 post, while Lolley remains full of running and confidence in his own game.
If that group can fire, with the likes of Sammy Ameobi and Alfa Semedo offering welcome assistance, then Forest really will ignite.
And that is an exciting prospect for all concerned.
Collecting points when not at your best is always the sign of a good team, so just imagine what could be achieved this season if everything falls into place!
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