The excitement of football fixture day. Yes, really

To the non-fan the announcement of the football fixture list tomorrow must seem like a strange thing to get excited about.

A computer simply selects the order in which football teams - that already know they will have to play each other by virtue of being in the same division - will meet across the order of the season. It's an incomplete schedule since television companies, cup games and the weather will mean it undoubtedly alters several times.

Does it really matter whether we play Huddersfield in September or March? Given that we will have to play all teams twice there are, unlike cup draws, no surprises awaiting.

However, maybe it's just me and, although it's not the cool hipster thing to say, I always look forward to the announcement with a sense of excitement.

Firstly, there's bugger all else going on at the minute. Well, except a glut of copy and paste Twitter bots telling us the transfer news and rumours Radio Nottingham or the Post brought us hours or days earlier. (They're almost as annoying as the 'wind up' 'ITK' prats who think it's funny to try to catch people out with made up 'news').

But it is more than that. I DO care when we play Huddersfield and, for that matter everyone else. As a fan living afar (deepest, darkest Lincolnshire no less) I'm eagerly looking out for the dates of the slightly easier to reach games. Yes, that's you Milton Keynes and Hull (!) - but not you overpriced Ipswich. If these fixtures fall on Saturdays - and preferably not right in the middle of winter - then an away day beckons. A football fan that hasn't experienced an away day is an incomplete football fan.

Rightly or wrongly I'm proud of my record of visiting 59 football league grounds - and slightly peeved that relegation and new grounds have deprived my total. The combination of a new place to visit and the special away day atmosphere mean that even the most mediocre match can be a fun adventure.

I'm also looking out for Rotherham, Bristol City and Reading as potential away day fodder. Only the fixture list could bring these three delights together on a bucket list, with the greatest respect of course.

Then, of course, there's the dates with the Sh**p at home and away, which are almost always late August/early September (home) and late January/early Feb (away) for no apparent reason. There's also the Boxing Day and Easter games to be aware of as well as the start of the season - before realism sinks in and the dream dies for another year - and the all-important run-in that, by then, won't be all-important.

If nothing else us Forest fans can at least console ourselves in the fact that no matter what the computer does to us tomorrow, it can't pit us against ruddy Walsall again...

Ward, Mills and Tesche provide welcome news in summer silly season

Sadly we've reached 'that time' in the closed season. You'll all know the time I'm referring to. It's the period when Twitter is awash with fake designs for new home shirts, countless people thinking it's funny and original to set up accounts passing on made up transfer 'news' and there's no actual football to drown out the clowns. Darren Pratley has even been linked to the club - just to drag up unhappy memories of the farcical 2010 summer transfer window. It's a good job I like cricket really.

The low point in the closed season cycle came last week when the official Forest website ran a story headlined 'Capital One Cup Draw Date Set'. Not that I blame them, there's not a lot to report just yet. But that's not to say nothing is going on.

*Firstly, Dougie has come good on his word and snapped up two actual signings. Yes, I know they haven't been announced formally yet - much to the daily chagrin of Paul Taylor of the Post on Twitter - but all signs point to Jamie Ward and Matt Mills joining the ranks when their contracts are up with D**by and Bolton respectively. I know there's been a little bit of controversy about Ward but I'm happy with his arrival, providing he's fit. He's one of 'those' nasty little pests of a player - ala Paul Dickov - and should add a ruthless, sharper edge to our play. I don't really care where he's coming from - Robbie Earnshaw, Marcus Tudgay and Lee Camp show that ex Sh**p can thrive in the Garibaldi - and he might be what we need to make us more streetwise in the unforgiving world of Championship football. His appears to have precisely the tough mentality that Billy (MK1) and his signings added to Colin Calderwood's 'nice but beatable' side when he saved us from relegation. I just hope the ex Blunt winger/striker is not seen as a replacement for Michail Antonio.

As for Mills, I have more mixed views on his impending arrival. In some respects picking up a 28-year-old with well over 200 games of experience at Championship level within our FFP budget is a big coup for Freedman. My worry is that Mills has drifted around from Doncaster to Reading then Leicester and Bolton - without ever staying put. His display at the City Ground for Bolton this season was an utter shambles - completely devoid of discipline in the face of an admittedly superb attacking display. It's also a little frustrating that, when under financial constraints, we need to shop for a centre half when Jack Hobbs, Kelvin Wilson and Michael Mancienne are on the books.

Sadly though the ongoing fitness concerns of Hobbs and Wilson - and Dougie's desire to use Mancienne in different roles - makes it a necessary purchase. If Dougie can get him to mature and settle he certainly has the talent and pedigree to be part of a defence back line but there's work to be done.

*Tyler Walker's four-year contract, meanwhile, was a positive signal of intent from the club. He showed, in all-too-brief cameos, that he is a very bright prospect towards the end of the season and justified his new four-year deal. It's about time we brought through a striker and who could not want Tyler to succeed as an academy graduate and son of an absolute legend.

*German midfielder Robert Tesche looks as though he might end up heading out of the door. On the fact of it his departure would create a further gap in a position that Dougie already needs to strengthen in if he's to play his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. Yet, it does appear that the former Hamburg man is not fancied by the current boss and his wages are rumoured to be fairly high. Yes, we aren't going to meet the tough constraints of FFP but that doesn't mean we don't need to start moving in the right direction. If we really can get a fee of about £500,000 for Tesche - and clear the best part of £1 million off the wage bill - and replace him with someone within the 600k-a-year FFP regulations then it might prove decent business. I thought the German showed potential in some games but did lack consistency. We can't afford to add too many people to the shopping list but there's no reason to think that we can't find someone better to take his place.

*Speaking of 'gaps to fill' - a goalkeeping berth will be high on the agenda for Freedman in the coming weeks, as will another full back. Talk of a Finnish stopper - Niki Mäenpää - has now died down leaving the field open to replace Karl Darlow. I'm actually relaxed about starting the season with Dorus De Vries as 'number one'. Dougie may well want to swoop if and when a player becomes available that wants to join and is better than the ex Swansea man. Tim Erlandsson's new contract shows we might well be in a position to school our own replacement for the Newcastle-bound Darlow in the not-too-distant future.

*In many ways Dougie appears to be approaching the full back situation with that sort of 'replace if possible' logic in mind. With out-of-contract Dan Harding appearing to be no more, Danny Fox has been backed to play a part in Freedman's plans. Anyone who saw Fox in a Forest shirt last season will have rightly shuddered at the thought. But this is the new world of FFP. We cannot afford to create problems. Freedman should hunt for an upgrade to Fox but he shouldn't jettison someone in a way that simply makes his search more desperate. Is this different to the Tesche situation? Possibly, in the sense that we have a potential buyer - in Birmingham - for the midfielder, that the German's wages are said to be high and that Freedman may well be aware of just how tough full backs have been to find in recent years. I fear the Scot might end up playing the versatile Lichaj at left back and Mancienne at right back were the season to start tomorrow anyway. I just hope someone turns up to ensure Lichaj can be allowed to settle at right back - maybe Jack Kelly or Alex Iacovitti could emerge from the youth ranks? Or perhaps, just maybe, Fox can rediscover the talents he showed at previous clubs.

*While Dougie may have shown intent with Mills and Ward we're yet to see the club's resolve tested with bids for Lansbury or Antonio. I'd be amazed if we didn't see at least one bid for both. As much as the club says it doesn't need to sell I've always felt that the future of both players is in their hands. We've seen before that keeping players who want to leave isn't productive and it's only when an offer is firmly on the table that we'll know how tempted either is to try their hand at Premier League football. There's vague talk of bids from West Brom for Antonio and Villa for Lansbury - these will be big tests in the coming weeks if they do emerge.

*Away from the field there have been a number of mentions of the 150th anniversary. A wonderful video with John McGovern was followed up by news that club historian Don Wright has worked on an 'official history' book to mark the occasion. This promises much substance and should be far more than a 'scratch the surface' rehash of what's come before.

*And finally...big hats off to whoever managed to concoct this City Ground shaped cake. Awesome.

Who ever did this cake is a genius! Amazing #NFFC pic.twitter.com/u062atruZJ

— Chris Waters (@WatersCJ) June 7, 2015

Greatest Forest 11? Here's my best post-Premier League side

With the 150^th anniversary now upon us, it’s only natural that the club has decided to consider a ‘greatest XI’. The problem I’ve got is that I feel a bit of a phony. I went to my first game as a small child (although I didn’t get much taller) in the very late 1980s, and started going more regularly in the early 1990s, taking in Wembley visits in 1992 for the Zenith Data Systems and League Cup finals.

In that respect I’m lucky. I caught the tail end of Brian Clough and got to see Des Walker, Stuart Pearce and Nigel Clough playing in the Garbaldi. But when it comes to a ‘greatest ever’ there’s a clear elephant in the room. Two, in fact, in the shape of our European Cup triumphs.

For fans of my age and younger it’s fantastic to look back at that footage and see our club at Europe’s top table. Yes, some other fans may think we spend a little too long wallowing in the past but what a past. And, when you’re lumping the ball up from Danny Cullip to Eugene Dadi in the present day then, frankly, the past offers the only respite.

But it’s not our personal past. We weren’t there, we weren’t blessed enough to see Robbo, Kenny Burns, Bomber Bowyer or Tony Woodcock. While that doesn’t stop us celebrating their achievements - as a history graduate I'm all for debating, analysing and reflecting on the past - it does mean comparisons are tough. 

Equally, while we don’t have the first hand knowledge to judge these players, who are we to deny their place in a great 11? Take the goalkeeping shortlist, announced on the official Forest site for example. Of those mentioned by the club I’ve only briefly seen Steve Sutton play and have seen plenty of ‘Oooh’ Mark Crossley. (Poor old Peter Grummitt and Harry Linacre have to make do with a still in a video of the contenders)

I love ‘Norm’ – he was a great character and grew to be a fantastic goalkeeper for us, after a little bit of a ropey start. Yet can we seriously say he deserves his place in a best ever 11 above the man who helped us win the European Cup? There’s surely not going to be many people who can dislodge the members of that side, if not just for the sheer weight of what they achieved. It’s going to take a lot for anyone in recent times, particularly post Premier League, to be considered worthy of rubbing shoulders with the men who brought home the bacon in Munich and Madrid.

Beyond that, there’s the 1959 FA Cup side. With 600-plus games to his name, does Bob McKinlay not walk into our best ever 11? What about the 1898 cup winners or that famous 1967/8 side? For people of a certain generation Ian Storey-Moore is a must.

In truth, it's all a bit of fun. We shouldn't take it too seriously and, in essence, you could argue that the task is to start from those European Cup sides and work out who might've made it into them. Pearce, Walker, Storey-Moore, Collymore, McKinlay and others might well lay claim to that loftiest of honours. It's an interesting debate, I just wish I was lucky enough to weigh it up properly.

Still, worthy fun though it is, what of the post Premier League era? Clearly none of these players are fit to tread the turf with Europe's finest. For most, in fact, top flight football was beyond their talents. But, it'd be wrong to write off the last 15 years. So, donning my hard hat and anticipating the flak, here's my best XI of the post Premier League days...

Lee Camp: We've actually been pretty blessed between the sticks in the past 15 years barring, you know, Barry and the coffee cup. Paul Gerrard, Darren Ward, Karl Darlow, Paul Smith and the tail end of Dave Beasant all made for decent custodians. So it is perhaps with an ounce of controversy that I'm plumping for the Derby-born stopper in my side. The smallest of the keepers on that list, Camp made up for it with a large personality. When he came in on loan, Forest were sliding meekly back to League One. Paul Smith, an imperious shot stopper in the promotion push, had epitomised our performances in the Championship - timid, out of form and not commanding. Camp was different. Brash but brilliant, he marshalled his box much better and announced his talents in some style on November 2 2008. At Pride Park, no less, the Derby fan stretched to save a bizarrely-awarded injury time penalty (thanks Stuart Attwell) and then, from the subsequent corner, produced an even better save to rescue a precious point. His tubthumping celebration was glorious. No matter where he was from, he was ours and he had a point to prove - adding a swagger and desire to win that was much-needed. Those heroics were performed while on loan and he continued his form after a permanent move from QPR, winning the player of the year crown in 2010 for 18 clean sheets in the push to the play offs. 

Matthieu Louis-Jean: This position was a straight toss up between Matthieu Louis-Jean and Chris Gunter (sorry Nick Eaden, no room for you!). In truth there's not a lot between the two - both were solid servants and both, if we're honest, lacked the attacking skill to make the most of the positions their athleticism afforded them when venturing forward. Gunter's susceptibility to being beaten to far post headers - and to becoming embroiled in 'aggro' - coupled with Louis-Jean's pace in the recovering tackle edged it in the favour of the likeable ex-Le Havre man's favour for me.

Jim Brennan: What to say about our left back worries? A succession of donkeys (eg Gino Padula), out of position centre halves (Joel Lynch) and loanees (Ryan Bertrand) have briefly stopped off in this revolving door of a position (cast also featured: Greg Cunningham, Alan Wright, Julian Bennett, Gregor Robertson, Chris Doig, John Curtis, Matt Lockwood, Alan Rogers, Clint Hill, Paul Konchesky, George Elokobi, Danny Fox, Dan Harding, Eric Lichaj...I'm sure I've missed some). It'd be tempting to stick loanee Nicky Shorey in this side, such was his impact while temporarily with us from Aston Villa. It's easy to forget he played just nine games and our inability to sign him permanently was often said to be a factor in missing out on automatic promotion in 2010. Still, while he oozed class and Chris Cohen put in some lung-busting shifts in this position for Billy Davies: The Second Coming, both were a little too short lived. Instead I'm going for Canadian Jim Brennan as my left back, just ahead of unsung hero Julian Bennett (I'll save him for my 'unsung 11', coming soon...!). What makes Jim better than the other 19 (!) contenders I've mentioned? Like Louis-Jean, he was consistent, gave us good shape and went about his business in a reliable way. He could've offered more going forward but, in Paul Hart's stylish play-off side especially, he was a vital cog in the side and greatly missed when he left. 

Wes Morgan: Little did I know on August 12 2003, when travelling away to Port Vale in the League Cup, that I'd be witnessing something special. But, enough of Darren Ward's penalty shoot-out heroics...the night also saw the debut of 'Big' Westley Morgan. Unfairly maligned by some - and often dropped by incoming managers who thought he didn't look the part - Wes proved a dependable mainstay for the side. He always relished the battle - whether it be League One football, Championship struggles or play-off pushes - keeping strikers in his sizeable pockets across 350-plus games. He was more talented than people gave him credit for - and more solid than most strikers had talent for. It's only a shame that he's had to go down the A46 to ply his trade in the top flight. Still, I don't begrudge him his time to shine.

Michael Dawson: While the choice of Wes was obvious, for me, the second centre half is a trickier prospect. Big Jon Olav Hjelde is straight into my unsung team (Ok, enough about that already!) and I've always felt Luke Chambers and Kelvin Wilson were overrated. While the return of Des Walker was joyous, it was his Yoda-like influence on the young guns that was most pleasing. For that reason - and to capture a bit more of the magic of that Paul Hart side - I'm going with Michael Dawson. His pinpoint diagonal balls out to the wing and tremendous tackling were symbolic of a side that, 1-11, played with such style at a time when we feared the worst. 

Andy Reid: Still, when Dawson departed it wasn't he who I mourned the most. It was Andy Reid, the majestic Irish magician, who lit up Hart's side with such style. I don't mind admitting that, despite being 18 and probably too old for that sort of thing, I had Reid's name on the back of my shirt. Creative and attacking, there was nothing not to love about an academy graduate who was a breath of fresh air after the dodgy Italians and other bought-in flops. It was a delight to see him return in 2011, bringing his Premier League know-how to a central role in which he is pure joy to watch. Pirouettes, flicks, tricks, pinpoint passes - he's got the lot. What a shame we saw him just six times last season.

Chris Bart-Williams: Despite joining in 1995, I felt Chris Bart-Williams' best days in a Forest shirt came after we fell to the second tier. As Platt's torrid tenure failed to deliver a return to the big time, he held together a mess of a side, providing class and leadership. The 2000-2001 season proved his high point as the free-kick specialist top-scored with 14 goals and netted a deserved 'player of the year' crown. It was just a shame that the club's financial perils meant he was unable to stay around to help Hart's young stars and he moved on to Charlton in December 2001. If you're desperately trying to remember something good about the Platt days, it was Bart-Williams. 

Michail Antonio: If Bart-Williams was a deserved winner of the 2001 player of the year crown then Antonio was certainly deserving of the accolade 14 years on. The most explosive player to grace the City Ground since Collymore, the ex Sheffield Wednesday winger proved to be an inspired signing, with 15 goals and 12 assists in his debut season. His displays of raw pace and power were enough to lift me from my seat on several occasions and made him the sort of player to relish seeing. With Reid in a central role in my side, the excitement of Antonio edges out Kris Commons who, despite his Sheep defection, maybe deserves an honourable mention for his touch of class to take us out of League One.

Chris Cohen: I've succumbed and gone for a crowd pleaser to finish off my midfield. While I fully expect the likes of the Forest Boffin could prove me wrong, I reckon there are solid reasons to have him here on the right, despite being left footed. Firstly, as with many other positions, there has been a real dearth of talent on the right hand side. Paul Hart played with a diamond in which David Prutton drifted to the right, Nicky Southall was good for set pieces but arrived too late in his career to make a difference and others have 'filled in' out of position (Lewis McGugan, Radi Majewski). Cohen, for me, actually flourishes when he doesn't have the pressure of the central midfield battle, where he can get lost. Billy Davies, who got the best from him in his two spells, harnessed his sheer energy and astonishing work rate and was often able to do that on the right. He possesses a dangerous left footed cross from the right from set pieces - dinking tantalisingly over a defender and inviting a finish - and could drift off the flank to make a difference. Plus, if anyone would take being asked to do a shift in a different position well, it's the ex West Ham trainee.

Robbie Earnshaw: The somersaulting Welshman netted more than 40 times in three seasons on Trentside and enjoyed a good record against his former employers from down the A52, with 5 in 7 against D**by for Forest. A deadly finisher and lead-by-example hard worker, Earnshaw was the star signing for Colin Calderwood's newly promoted men. Despite not being a 'Billy Davies type' striker he continued to show his undoubted class, adding a clinical edge to a solid side.

David Johnson: For a long while it looked as though David Johnson was destined to be another big money mistake of the David Platt era. But, despite looking Burnley bound under Paul Hart, he returned with a bang to inspire the 2002/3 play off push, netting 29 goals in 47 games. Injured robbed him of the chance to kick on from there, although five goals in the last four games of Joe Kinnear's 'rescue job' - particularly a rare long range effort at the Hawthorns - showed a tantalising glimpse of what could've been.

Bench: Commons, McGugan, Harewood, Scimeca, Williams, Prutton, Ward.

So, there we go. Feel free to criticise! None of these players will be anywhere near the official 'greatest 11'...but it's worth recognising their efforts to lift the gloom since the summer of 1999.

Osborn Supremacy showed the way forward

It was damp - and unnaturally chilly - squib that brought the curtain down another ultimately disappointing campaign at the City Ground. The gloom of a flat and pretty pathetic 2-1 defeat at the hands of Russell Slade's Cardiff was only broken by two rays of light.

The first of those came from a man who grew used to bringing us out of our seats. This time, Garath McCleary proved able to get the crowd roaring from 25 miles away as news of his third goal for Reading against Steve McClaren's choking sheep drew a slightly surreal - yet raucous - cheer. Was it a little sad that D***y's demise was all we had to cheer at 2-0 down and heading to 14th? Probably. But did that make it any less joyful? Nope.

And the truth was there was one other glimmer of light to come. Yes Dexter Blackstock netted to reduce the arrears and confirm his own better-than-expected comeback but the real star of the last 20 minutes was Ben Osborn.

First though. let's be brutally honest, Dougie's team selection for this game was best summed up by one inflatable that was thrown around the Lower Bridgford - a cock up. Having the right footed Mancienne - who has spent the last few weeks out of position at right back and central midfield - at left back was a recipe for disaster. The early substitutions were a little bizarre too - Chuba Akpom looked like he had absolutely no idea where to run when he came on and capped off his miserable loan spell with a shot so bad it drew laughs when he was presented with a golden chance. Paterson too came into a confused and disfunctional forward set up on the hour mark while the 90 minutes saw five loanees involved, seemingly wasting a chance to utilise players we will actually have on the books next season.

Worst of all was the omission of Osborn, and he hammered home that mistake with a superb cameo. The midfield trio of an out-of-sorts David Vaughan, sloppy Henri Lansbury and a not-quite-fit Gary Gardner lacked the energy and drive that young Ben has in spades. He came on, took the game by the scruff of the neck and was involved in everything. His arrival sparked the team into life, having a noticeable impact on Todd Kane who marauded forward with great purpose and Paterson - who was suddenly able to pick up the ball in his favoured areas. Osborn was positive, drove forward, passed accurately and must surely be destined to be a starter for next season.

His continued progress has been a joy to watch and its about time we stopped seeing him as the player who can easily be dropped - both Pearce and Freedman have been guilty of this - and realised he's a vital part of the midfield, especially in the current formation.

It's also worth considering - as was pointed out to me - that you can, if you want, consider Osborn's magnificent winner at the sheep dip as the goal that ultimately cost them the play offs. Now tell me that didn't at least draw a cheeky smile??

Worryingly, if the rest of the players were out to earn their Forest futures then there wasn't a lot to be positive about. Dexter battled hard and probably earned his goal but beyond that none of the starting XI will have done anything to further their cause. The football was one-dimensional too. Basically the only tactic seemed to be 'give it to Antonio and hope he can beat the two/three men surrounding him'. It was a bit of a slight on the wily Burke that the plan seemed to bypass his talents.

I worry that we may well have squandered a decent chance in the last few games. We haven't given Hobbs and Mancienne a chance to gel as a partnership, haven't given Osborn the extra responsibility he's deserved and could've seen more of Tyler Walker. The back four was a bit of a shambles and Cardiff, who have themselves been thoroughly underwhelming this season, didn't have to break too much of a sweat to get their lead, even if both finishes were clinical.

Dougie's early games in charge involved progressive attacking football - and brought him a richly deserved longer term contract. Unearthing a few more Ben Osborns will be the key to re-finding that and might ensure we're cheering our own stars - not relying on our old flames to warm us up. Freedman's seen the good and bad of all his charges in his 18 games - it's just a shame that there was so much of the bad in this defeat.

Time for a squad audit as Freedman prepares for tricky summer

Another summer brings yet another tough task for the incumbent on Trentside.

Previous years have seen the club up for sale or wholesale changes in personnel as new managers look to mould the club in their image.

In some respects Dougie Freedman’s in-tray isn’t as dramatic or wide-ranging yet that’s not to say it won’t be just as vital, or indeed as tough.

The necessity of the transfer embargo leaves the Scot little wriggle room yet the experience of the last seven games has shown that the squad does require work.

Against Wolves, Watford, Ipswich, Norwich and Brentford we’ve held our own, been on top for passages and come up short in a barren spell that has seen us notch up no victories.

So, how does Dougie get us up to the same level as those sides without the freedom to spend how he wishes?

It’s vital, given the situation we’re in, to make the most of the personnel we’ve got. Every player needs to be properly assessed, including any returning loanees who have time left on their contracts. We can’t afford to be wasting time shopping around for players we’ve already got.

Equally the stability of having a strong core of players that remain on board should help. Most of the top eight this season are settled squads that played a defined style. Constant change at the City Ground has stopped us achieving any continuity.

To my mind only Henri Lansbury and Michail Antonio should attract interest from the Premier League. Given that we’re way off meeting any sort of FFP targets - and the restrictions on signings replacements - then it’s surely false economics to cash in on these two to reach that.

To my mind the ball is totally in their court. If, understandably, they want a crack at the big time then we should focus our efforts on getting the best possible prices (the losses do have to come down some time after all).

My instinct is that Antonio might be persuaded to stay another year – Freedman already seems to have started heavily hinting that he has plans to get the best from him. I also get the feeling Henri would fancy leaving, especially given that he’s already been denied the chance to head to the Promised Land last summer. If so we should wish him well and bear in mind that that is a position we may well need to fill. Freedman seems sensible and it’s time we got streetwise in the market and identified targets to replace our stars before they go.

So what are we faced with? I’d split the players into the following categories:

Assets: Lansbury, Antonio

First team squad: De Vries, Lichaj, Hobbs, Mancienne, Wilson, Osborn, Chris Burke, Blackstock, Fryatt

Question marks: Vaughan, Majewski, Mackie, Abdoun, McLaughlin, Fox, Paterson, Veldwijk

Out of contract: Harding, Collins, Halford, Tesche

Injured stars: Cohen, Reid, Assombalonga

Young prospects: Walker, Grant, Oliver Burke, Evtimov

We’ve already discussed the assets, so what about the rest? De Vries is signed up for a couple of years and is a decent, experienced pro at this level. It appears to me that Dougie only sees him as a back up though and would quite like to add another keeper, especially since the message seems to be that Evtimov isn’t ready.

Lichaj has been something of a revelation post-Pearce, so much so that he must be one of the first names on the 2015/16 team sheet. The beauty for Freedman is that he has shone at both right and left back – meaning he could fit in on either side, depending on who we can sign. I’d still prefer him on the right but starting the season with Lichaj at left back would not be a worry.

We’ve got three senior centre halves on the books and they need to deliver next season. Hobbs and Wilson need to shrug off their nagging fitness woes and show the sort of class that caused Fawaz to dig deep into his pockets to buy them in the first place. Wilson in particular has disappointed this time around but given that his wages would probably make him hard to off-load - and that we can’t afford to be making problems to fix - we need to work out how to get the best from him.

Ben Osborn has been a revelation this year and also one of the unluckier members of the squad – often being the one to get subbed or left out when changes are made. His energy helps us press high up the pitch and his passing and poise have come on a lot to make him a key part of the squad going forward.

The wily Burke and striking duo of Blackstock and Fryatt add experience – although big concerns remain about the forward pair’s fitness over a long-hard season.

That brings us on to the long-term injury situation. Chris Cohen and Andy Reid were all set to be Stuart Pearce’s central midfield combination of choice but both saw their season’s cruelly cut short, only managing six games apiece. Both are big concerns going forward and, at some point, a tough decision might have to be taken on their futures. For now it makes sense to try to get them back – while being mindful that we can’t factor either in as definite starters.

Britt, meanwhile, can be the January signing we’re not allowed to make. Provided his recovery goes to plan he can give the squad a vital boost at a time in the season when rivals will be able to dip into the market and make signings.

In general though, beyond these three, you have to be worried about the overall fitness of the squad. Fryatt, Hobbs and Vaughan have a great pedigree but we simply haven’t been able to field any of them for enough games for them to make the desired impact on our fortunes.

We cannot afford to juggle any more injured players and you wouldn’t be surprised if Freedman looked to move on one or more of the members of the squad who seem unlikely to be able to contribute for even 20 games across the season.

I’m not sure I see a way back for the out of contract players. Dougie knows he needs to trim the squad and the quickest and easiest to get the numbers down will be to let these players go. In some respects it’s a shame that Danny Collins’ renaissance fizzled out, that Dan Harding wasn’t given more of a go under Pearce when he was performing better than Fox. It's also said that the versatile Halford – who has the natural talent to play anywhere without ever nailing down a proper position – won’t have a future. Tesche (who I understand we have the option of taking for another year) showed flashes of talent but the later loan of Gary Gardner showed up what we’d been missing when Tesche was in the midfield.

The young prospects speak for themselves but I'm the first to admit that I don't know the full extent of what's waiting in the wings. It'll certainly be interesting to see if Louis Laing has done enough on loan to warrant consideration, while Roger Riera's acquisition was seen as something of a coup at the time. 

The main headaches come with the 'question mark' category. If we count the injured players, assets, first team squad members and young talent then we've reached a total of 18. Dougie will undoubtedly want another keeper so I'd say there's five spaces up for grabs for a 24-man squad.

Personally I don't see Veldwijk being part of Freedman's plans - he seems destined for a switch back home or a season long loan at least. He's struggled to settle and, if we're already carrying injured players, then we can't afford to hang about and see if it works for him. It was never a good sign for him that Walker took his place on the bench.

Abdoun needs to go pretty desperately - his attitude and wage bill really isn't worth the show pony routine - while Radi, for me, has also had his day. He couldn't force his way into the Huddersfield squad and simply can't be relied on to be consistent. McLaughlin doesn't quite look quick or sharp enough for this level for me, while Fox has been a continued source of frustration and, like Radi, is a liability. It's a shame because I thought he had the talent to finally end our left back hoodoo but it hasn't worked out.

Now down to the difficult choices. David Vaughan has been a huge disappointment, mainly due to the fact he has barely lasted 90 minutes, let alone two games running. The 32-year-old has the experience and class to run a Championship midfield - but can his body last the pace? Maybe our lack of bodies in the middle saves him but the jury is out though and if a suitable replacement can be found then maybe it's time to be ruthless and move him on.

Jamie Paterson has been the biggest disappointment of the season. The 12-goal rising star of last term has notched just once this time around and looked a shadow of the player from 2013/14. I can't help thinking it's because he's wrongly labelled. He's seen as a winger but I see him and think that the traditional game of the wide player - getting around a full back and whipping a cross in - isn't his game. For me he's better centrally, either just off a front man or at the point of a three-man midfield ala Lansbury. That's often where Billy got the best from the former Walsall man. Can he work in that position for Freedman? Possibly. It remains to be seen if Dougie fancies him there though. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him depart for pastures new - and then probably come back to haunt us!

Another tricky decision needs to be made over Jamie Mackie. In all honesty I don't see him as a regular starter, but probably as the ideal back up in either attacking wide berth if Antonio or Burke isn't getting any joy in Dougie's favoured 433. Yes he's not an out and out winger but - unlike Paterson - he can do a shift and cause havoc for defenders with sheer effort and strength. I'm not sure how big his wages are though - if they're sky high then it might be time to move him on too.

So where does that leave us?

Goalkeepers: De Vries, Evtimov

Defenders: Lichaj, Hobbs, Mancienne, Wilson

Midfielders: Osborn, Lansbury, C Burke, O Burke, Antonio, Grant, Reid, Cohen

Strikers: Fryatt, Blackstock, Walker, Assombalonga

With the following needed: a goalkeeper, full back, central midfielder(s), striker and another defender/midfielder - albeit with the chance to use Vaughan, Mackie and Paterson if required. That's maybe more drastic than I thought before going into this process but it does keep a solid core in place to build from.

I'd like to think the academy could provide at least one or two defenders in the coming years. It's a great disappointment that we are continually having to go cap in hand to Premier League clubs to pinch reserve right and left backs for a few months here and there. We have to be able to produce someone who is a solid defender at the very least, even if bombing past on the overlap is too much to ask for.

Interestingly, of course, Cohen did flourish at left back during Billy's second stint in charge. I do wonder whether, post injury, this may be where he needs to return in the future. Yes, it's a tough position with lots of heading and tackling but I can't help thinking that the hustle and bustle of the middle of the park might be too big an ask. In central midfield he'd be forever stopping and starting, twisting and turning and putting his legs at risk. 

In truth this whole audit has revealed that Freedman's task is a tough one. Too many of the core of players I'd like to keep have injury question marks by their side. Harsh as it sounds it's not beyond the realms of possibility to imagine a week without Hobbs, Wilson, Vaughan, Reid, Cohen and Fryatt fit and that can't go on, no matter what sentiment we may hold for some of those players. Dougie has to be ruthless and honest and act swiftly. He does, at least, have some talented players to work with and he's had time to properly assess who can contribute come August. 

The last few weeks has been the phoney war. When the final whistle goes against Cardiff the real work starts. 

Dear Villa, please can we keep Gary Gardner?

I'm rooting for Villa. Not necessarily this Sunday, although I wouldn't mind seeing them upset Liverpool and the 'FA Cup narrative'. No, I'm backing Villa because I'm clinging to the hope that if they stay up and, even better, if they get bought out by rich owners, they might be prepared to let us keep Gary Gardner.

It's probably a false hope, especially with Tactics Tim's record with younger players and the restrictions we have under the dreaded FFP. It'd be nice though wouldn't it?

Wednesday's night's game against Watford served as a timely reminder of the quality we've missed from Gardner while he was suspended. 

Despite carving a golden chance for Chris Burke I felt we struggled to settle for the first 15 minutes - not helped by gifting a goal to Odion Ighalo after just four minutes. 

However, one touch of magisterial brilliance from the on-loan Aston Villa man lifted us. A neat dinked ball, seemingly innocuous given it led to nothing directly, seemed to spur us into life - as if we realised we had a bit of class to rely on in the middle and could go forward with confidence.

For the rest of the half I felt Watford continued to look dangerous - how did Abdi miss 'that' chance? - but so did we. Former Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes denying Antonio, the tigerish Osborn and Eric Lichaj, who tried his luck with an incredible acrobatic effort from distance.

Still, all that good work, inspired by Gardner's poise and sheer class, was undone when Ighalo evaded the lame defensive efforts of an off-the-pace Kelvin Wilson and his shot rebounded to Matthew Connolly, who had started the breakaway, to establish a two-goal cushion.

There were plenty of grumbles at half time but actually it hadn't been a bad game, we simply didn't have the same cutting edge up front with a front line led by a largely anonymous Chuba Akpom and the wide threat of Michail Antonio not quite hitting the heights of a couple of months ago as the season continues to take his toll on the ex-Sheffield Wednesday man (surely the clear player of the year regardless?).

The second half was even more entertaining than the first prompted, bizarrely, by the red card of Kelvin Wilson. His horror show ended with a petulant looking kick out - a lazy bit of play that showed no regard for his team mates or the desire to come back in the game. At that point, with half an hour to go, you feared the cricket season was due to come to West Bridgford earlier than Sunday's first home clash with reigning county champions Yorkshire. Surely the hungry Hornets would pile on the pressure and give their goal difference a boost with the proverbial cricket score?

What followed was a remarkable effort from Freedman's men. Mancienne was put out of his midfield misery and shifted to centre half but the real change came with the sheer display of effort and determination. It was if the players knew they had to up their game to cope with being a man down - and dug deep to improve drastically (which probably also speaks volumes for Wilson's display too).

Led by the lung-bursting forward forays of the revitalised Lichaj, the men in red stormed forward, not caring that there was nothing to play for. Burke battled and schemed, Akpom was replaced by the much more effective Tyler Walker, Antonio dug deep and probed and Gardner, the fulcrum at the heart of everything, sprayed the ball about.

When a marginal free-kick/penalty decision on 72 minutes saw the referee opt not to give a spot kick, Gardner took his frustration out on the ball and thundered in a devastating free kick into the net to pull a goal back. 

What followed from that was something of a slugfest - a shootout at the City Ground corral - as both sides continued to attack. It was refreshing to see to be honest. Our players could have given up, given there was little to play for, and Watford could've sat deep and accepted a useful 2-1 win against 10 men. Instead both strove to find that all-important next goal.

It should've come to Antonio when a shot from Gardner - that man again - found its way to him just a couple of yards out with an open goal to aim at. But, despite all of those wonder strikes he's scored this season, Michail misfired and spooned his effort wide. Anyone stupid enough not to forgive the winger, though, needs to spend a few minutes on YouTube.

The sting in the tail came when Almen Abdi made amends for his earlier miss, finishing after Darlow parried a typically vicious swerved effort from ex-Red Adlene Guedioura. 

It was perhaps cruel, I thought a draw would've been fair for our efforts with ten men, but Watford will think it was reward for their own attacking intent and impressive cutting edge. Even then a slightly rusty Hobbs was charging forward with a give and go on the half way line in injury time - epitomising the exceptional spirit on show.

We've learned that Mancienne really doesn't work as a screening midfielder, that Tyler Walker coming along nicely and that Kelvin Wilson really doesn't deserve to be an automatic starter. Above all, we've also learned that we're at our best on the ball when Gary Gardner is in the side. A permanent deal for him would be the dream - and add real class to an emerging spine of a squad for next year. Does anyone at Villa fancy doing us a favour? Please?

We must back Dougie Freedman's Forest manifesto...and use these four games wisely

A fully costed plan for tough economic times? Trying to deliver progress without much cash to spend? Looking to secure a mandate to carry out the plan? Yep, the main ‘manifesto’ i’m interested in this week is not those being put forward by the political parties but Dougie Freedman’s vision for the future at Forest.

The canny Scotsman does appear to have put deep thought into both the business and footballing side of the immediate future of the club and his signature on a piece of paper is the vital starting point for building to next season.

Freedman’s experience at Crystal Palace and Bolton means he’s not only got knowledge of the Championship but also of working to tackle the deficit. No, hang on, that’s politics again. You get the picture though – it’s hard to think of a manager out there who has such immediate experience of both the financial and footballing circumstances the club now finds itself in. That and the fact he now knows the squad and its strengths and weaknesses. Jettisoning him in favour of someone like Dan Petrescu – with no knowledge of the league – now would be barmy. I'm not suggesting that's likely but it's worth considering that we'd struggle to find anyone anywhere near as well qualified as Dougie.

The appointment of Leon Hunter looks to be an important one when it comes to next season too. It looks, to the outsider at least, as though we’re finally going to take seriously the need to scour the lower leagues for bargains and up-and-coming talent. Given the financial constraints imposed by Financial Fair Play that’s now a necessity but it really is something we should’ve been doing anyway. For too long now we’ve preferred to wait and chase players once they’ve made the move to this level and become expensive.

So, presuming Freedman signs on the dotted line and retains the wise old owl of Lennie Lawrence by his side, Hunter could be just what the pair need to help in their player search. Fawaz needs to trust in the trio and realise that being prudent and not overspendng doesn’t mean you can’t challenge at this level – see Brentford and Bournemouth – but it does mean you need to be savvy and patient – two things we’ve spectacularly failed to be for some time.

I like the sound of Freedman’s manifesto and you’d like to think the work on new players and building our squad for next year will have already started. He says he has told some players they can look for new clubs already and appears to be hinting that he’ll be seeing what a few more players have to offer in the next few games as he weighs up who stays and who goes. A warning for the disappointing Paterson perhaps?

I don't imagine we'll be seeing Collins, Harding or Halford again. Radi has done nothing on loan to suggest he's worth the hassle and while Mackie would possibly be a decent sub, you fear he's probably too expensive to have as a bench warmer.

I’d like to see that hard-headed approach extended further. Now that it’s mathematically impossible to go up (although it has been pretty improbable for a long, long time) it really is time to focus on next season. In fact, not using these last four games wisely would seem to be a total waste.

To that end I see little justification in playing Karl Darlow or Jamaal Lascelles. The Newcastle-bound duo have done their bit for us now but it seems unlikely that they’ll be around next season. Following on from his ten-game loan spell at Mansfield Town I’d give Dimitar Evtimov a game, just to weigh up how close he is to being ready for this level, if at all. He’s surely either destined to be our number two or, if not good enough for the bench, then due to leave for pastures new.

It’s become something of a cliché now but it is also, surely, time to give Tyler Walker a start. These games would be an ideal chance to build his strength and fitness and vital experience if he’s to play a part in the squad in our upcoming anniversary year. That’s either got to be ahead of Akpom – why groom someone else’s kid when we can groom our own? – or alongside him as a partnership.

Oliver Burke csn probably ease the workload on the increasingly weary Antonio while the likes of Jorge Grant and the more senior under 21s might be worth a place on the bench. There's no point chucking them all in at once, that'd be counter productive and wouldn't teach us much. I'd still like to make use of Gary Gardner,  for example,  because his calm quality in the middle is a useful springboard for others to play off. Plus, it'd be nice - and hopefully possible if Villa stay up - to entice him back next season.

I'd also pick Mancienne and Lichaj, two players who have proven their versatility, in their best positions and put trust in Osborn,  whose energy is badly missed when he'snot in the side.

I think it’s also got to be make-or-break territory for David Vaughan now too. You’d think someone of his quality should be able to dominate games at this level but he’s barely been fit enough to last 90 minutes, let alone back-to-back matches. At some point a decision needs to be taken. We’re carrying an awful lot of players who, harsh or not, are injury prone. Reid, Cohen, Hobbs and Fryatt are all quality players but are all long-term concerns. I’m not saying any of those should go, but the club can't carry too many players who can't contribute.

I know there are some who argue that we ‘owe it to the league’ not to weaken the side but sometimes you have to be selfish. We need to use these game to improve our squad and build for next year. Quite frankly, everyone else can get stuffed. This is a ruthless league and no-one else will do us any favours. Plus, it's not as if we'd field a team of kids all at once, that wouldn't give us the best look at them.

We should treat these four matches as a bonus chance to get ahead with our summer plans rather thsn playing them out as a formality. We need to put ourselves first and help Freedman put the finishing touches to his manifesto in time to get started for next year.