Nottingham Forest fans would be forgiven for dusting their passports off.
The Reds are currently third in the Premier League and are dreaming of a truly special season in the top-flight.
Shay Given thinks Chris Wood deserves a new nickname after his eighth goal in 10 appearances and things are very rosy indeed.
Forest have defied the odds so far and it’s made a refreshing change to the other two seasons the team have been back in the Premier League.
Talk of European competition might be premature but Evangelos Marinakis is certainly leaving no stone unturned.
It was claimed yesterday that Forest are keen to bring Arsenal sporting director Edu to the club and that would be a huge coup.
Jeff Stelling makes amazing Nottingham Forest claim
The TalkSPORT presenter has been very impressed with Forest this season.
His co-host, Ally McCoist, has praised Wood already this season and things do look to be on the up at the City Ground.
Stelling actually thinks it’s not premature for Forest to be dreaming of playing in Europe next season.
He said live on TalkSPORT (05/11; 07:43am): “My prediction is, look, Forest will end up in a European place this season. Will that be sixth or seventh, I think it’s so open in that chase for European spots.
“The points they have got on the board now, the quality of their starting XI, the strength in depth they have, Elliot Anderson couldn’t get a start at the weekend, he has been absolutely brilliant, makes me think that Forest have got what it takes to finish sixth or seventh.
“And Nuno did that in successive seasons when he was at Wolves.”
Forest must take one game as it comes
The advantage that Forest might have is that certain players have been at clubs that have qualified for European competitions before.
The likes of Nikola Milenkovic, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi have all got experience in various competitions.
There is also an element of the squad depth being better this season and that should mean a smoother process when injuries and suspensions kick on.
However, after flirting constantly with relegation for pretty much two seasons, stability is key this season.
Finishing in the top half – or anywhere around there – would be a truly amazing season for Forest during 2024/25.
Stelling’s comments do hit home at just how good the start has been for Forest.
With a few more wins in the coming weeks, perhaps we should start to check those passport dates in anticipation of next season…
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