Pundit Peter Crouch has put Nottingham Forest’s transformation from “laughing stock” to Champions League contenders down to a strong team spirit.
With nine games of the Premier League season remaining, the Reds are firmly in the mix for European qualification. They are third in the table, six points above fifth-placed Manchester City and seven ahead of Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion.
It is an incredible turnaround given Forest spent their first two campaigns back in the top flight battling relegation. It is also not so long ago that the club were raising eyebrows among many observers for the number of signings they made, with 29 new players added in the first two transfer windows following promotion in 2022.
"They were almost a laughing stock," Crouch told TNT Sports’ The Breakdown: Premier League Special. “When the new regime came in they were just buying so many players, and everyone was going 'this will never work, this is ridiculous'.
"I've had the pleasure of being down the training ground, they're all together and they all seem to really get on, the staff are amazing. It's easier when you're winning games, but it seems like they've created a really harmonious group there with some really good players."
Fellow pundit Ally McCoist also chipped in with praise for the Reds. The Scot argued there is a case for head coach Nuno Espirito Santo to be named manager of the season, if his team get over the line in the race for Champions League football.
"What a breath of fresh air," McCoist said. "If they finish third in the league, (Nuno) might be manager of the year.
"I'm fortunate enough to have been there a few times - you know when you go to a place and it's just absolutely on fire, electric, and that's Nottingham right now.
"They're having the season of their life. What a season."
Former defender Martin Keown admitted he had nicknamed Forest “the Dirty Dozen” after their shopping spree of a few years ago. But the club’s rich history on the European stage could now be set for a new chapter.
Get your special Nottingham Forest in Europe souvenir edition
We have produced a special 48-page edition of the Nottingham Post celebrating the club’s two European Cup wins.
Nottingham Forest are flying high in the Premier League and Reds fans are dreaming of a return to European competition. It has been an outstanding campaign for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, who are on course for a place in the Champions League next season. And Forest supporters can whet their appetite for a possible return to football’s top tier on the continent with our 48-page special edition celebrating the club’s two European Cup wins.
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Keown weighed in: "What would you need to be, 50, to remember those good years back in the day? There's a feeling of nostalgia when you go there. Mull of Kintyre pumping out. It is a great feeling.
"I call them the Dirty Dozen because all those players were thrown together, quite a lot of them have been at top clubs, even the manager, and it hasn't worked. Somehow, six points off the bottom three last season, they are now in the top four. It's remarkable."
After yesterday’s FA Cup exploits, Forest’s focus turns back to the Premier League. Nuno’s men host Manchester United on Tuesday (8pm kick-off) in their first league game back since the international break.
Should Nuno win the manager of the season award? Click HERE to have your say