Championship: Don't forget about Nottingham Forest

Stuart Pearce has built an impressive squad at Nottingham Forest

A fine transfer window to enhance an already-gifted side suggests that Nottingham Forest will figure in the title race...

Though they are one of the biggest teams in the Football League, play-off participants in two of the last five years and top-half finishers on a further two occasions in that period, Nottingham Forest barely feature in the 2014/15 Championship winner debate.

The two-time European champions are 19.5n/a eighth favourites to top the second-tier table and 5.95/1 to gain promotion to the Premier League by any of the three means at their disposal.

However, such billing overlooks that they were in contention throughout 2013/14, topping the table in August, occupying a top-six position for all bar three weeks between matchdays two and 36 and only fading to seven points from play-off view after an abject final third of the campaign.

Billy Davies was axed in late March as their slump flirted with the status of terminal decline, and the club controversially opted to hold out until the summer for City Ground legend Stuart Pearce rather than appoint someone quickly and shoot for the play-offs, dropping from seventh to 11th as a result.

While it was a rather baffling call, it at least hints at a long-term strategy, acting as a huge show of trust in the former defender, which they followed by approving a number of high-profile additions.

They have recruited a proven Championship net-rippler in Matty Fryatt and the less established talent of prolific 21-year-old Dutch forward Lars Veldwijk. Those two will be assisted by the tricky wing work of Chris Burke and clever playmaking of David Vaughan.

Pearce has overseen a makeover of the defence that statistically was their weak link last season too, shopping in the Premier League for full backs Danny Fox and Jack Hunt and acquiring former England squad member Michael Mancienne in the middle, alongside youngsters Louis Laing and Roger Riera.

Those shrewd signings have been overshadowed by this week's news that leading assets Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles will be joining Newcastle for a combined sum of around 7 million, particularly because Pearce has publicly criticised the decision.

The manager is right to question the small transfer fee given the interest in the goalkeeper and centre back, but besides that the board have done well by him, guaranteeing him the services of the two players that he risked losing most on a year-long loan in which they pay no wages.

In truth, a major reason for the lack of Forest support is distrust of Pearce's pedigree, but the 52-year-old gets a rough press for failing to win a tournament as England U21 boss when, in reality, they rarely qualified for them before his reign, in which they reached a semi-final (2007) and final (2009).

Similarly, while he wasn't a landslide success at pre-minted Man City, he was no disaster either at a difficult time, outshining predecessor Kevin Keegan's final full season position and points haul in each of the three that he contributed to.

With a squad shaped to his requests and retaining the spine that impressed for much of 2013/14, Pearce has the tools to finally silence his detractors.

Recommended Bet: Back Nottingham Forest to win the Championship @ 19.5n/a