THEY may be dubbed pre-season friendlies but, as the new season approaches, Robert Earnshaw is hardly in friendly mood.

In fact, the Nottingham Forest striker insists they should be looking to instill a sense of fear into their opposition this season.

And he sees no harm in getting into the habit early on.

Earnshaw, last season's top scorer, hit the goal trail quickly, netting in the first half of the 2-1 win over SC Olhanense in Portugal last weekend.

Tonight Forest play friendlies at both Mansfield Town and Tranmere Rovers.

With the Reds believed to be planning to send a slightly stronger squad to face the League One side, Earnshaw will find himself on a coach headed to the north-west this evening.

And, while he admits July is never the favourite month on a professional footballer's calendar, Earnshaw is already looking beyond the hard work, sweat and toil of pre-season.

"This season, we have to make sure people are fearful of us," he said. "We have to make sure people know they are going to get a tough game.

"They have to be ready for a difficult time when they face us.

"It is not complex, we just have to make sure we are better than most of the other teams in the division.

"We are in for another tough season, but hopefully a good one."

When the bookmakers published their odds on who would win the Championship title a few weeks ago, it was Forest who were installed as the favourites.

Despite their painful defeat in the play-offs, the third-placed finish secured by Billy Davies' side was enough to convince them they were capable of going one or two steps further this time around.

But he warns that Forest cannot expect to simply canter to the top of the Championship table.

"Hopefully it will prove to be true," he said. "We are hoping the bookies are right to make us the favourites.

"But it will be tougher this year.

"Last year we kept pushing and pushing. But, for all the quality we had, the hard part is trying to replicate that again; to keep at that level.

"We have a good squad, a good club and a good fan base.

"Because of that quality, we are going to be one of the favourites.

"But we have to relish that. We have to see it as being an enjoyable thing.

"When people make you favourites, when people put you up there as one of the teams that can go up, it is a positive recognition.

"People are recognising how we are progressing. Once the season starts, it is down to business and the task of justifying that billing."

For Earnshaw, the most significant goal is to secure the top-two finish that narrowly eluded them last season.

"Hopefully we will not need the play-offs this time around," he said. "We almost managed to avoid them last season.

"And we have to approach things in the same way again."

Dele Adebola is expected to feature against Mansfield, after making a quicker than expected return from injury.

But central defenders Wes Morgan, Luke Chambers and Kelvin Wilson will not be in contention, as all have slight strains.

"We're hoping to get Dele part of the game at Mansfield," said Billy Davies.

"We're going to play as many of the other lads as we can over 90 minutes."

The line-up for the game at Tranmere is expected to include Chris Gunter, Chris Cohen, Paul McKenna, Earnshaw, Dexter Blackstock and Radi Majewski.

Joel Lynch, Nathan Tyson, Paul Anderson and Guy Moussi are likely to play at Field Mill.