It is not about how you start, or even necessarily how you fare in the middle. It is all about how you finish - Nottingham Forest are well aware of that.
For so long last season, the Reds appeared on course to clinch a top-five finish in the Premier League. Doing so would have brought with it all the glitz and glamour, not to mention the riches, of Champions League qualification.
But a dip in form during the final weeks of the campaign left them having to settle for seventh spot and the Conference League. Still a remarkable achievement, but one with a tinge of disappointment and frustration about it.
As they prepare to do it all again, Forest will no doubt have lessons from last time around at the front of their mind. They have solid foundations to build upon but also have the challenge of navigating a European adventure and the additional games it brings.
The 2025/26 Premier League fixture schedule presents an opportunity for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to get off to a positive start, with two of their first three games at home. Brentford, who will be under new management by then, and West Ham United visit the City Ground either side of a trip to face Crystal Palace for the Reds in August.
Following on from the opening month, September will see Forest come up against two of the newly-promoted teams. The month begins with a tricky trip to take on Arsenal, but then has games against Burnley (away) and Sunderland (home).
Fast forward a few months, though, and that might well be where the real test lies for the Reds. After last season’s stumble at the finish, can they end strongly this time around?
They do not have a particularly easy run-in. April ends with clashes against the Clarets and the Black Cats, but May could prove to be key for Nuno and his charges.
Two games at the City Ground. Two on the road. Chelsea and Manchester United away, either side of Newcastle United at home, before rounding off against bogey side Bournemouth on the banks of the Trent.
Forest shouldn’t fear anyone. They showed in 2024/25 they are more than capable of living with the best, and of beating them - either at home or away. They should approach the new season with confidence. Indeed, there is a lot to be excited about.
There is no doubt what happens in the remainder of the summer transfer window will have a bearing on how next term pans out. Head coach Nuno needs strength in depth, both to continue on an upward curve and to cope with being in Europe.
Most of the hard yards will already have been put in by the time next May comes around. By then, the Reds will already have a good idea of what they are aiming for in the Premier League and what is at stake.
But if last season demonstrated anything, it is that the final weeks can be key. That four-game stretch right at the death could end up defining Forest’s season.
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