Birtles: It is not too late to back Billy in transfer market

IT is hard to envisage a situation where a football manager would actually be left feeling frustrated when his club makes a signing.

But, if I was Billy Davies, I would be biting my lip very tightly right now.

Because the urge to scream 'I told you so' must be simply huge.

Back in November, the Nottingham Forest manager provided the transfer acquisitions panel with a list of potential targets he felt they should sign in January.

Yes, great credit should be given to the club for making what is a very good signing, in the form of George Boyd from Peterborough.

He is a talented player who is capable of scoring goals from midfield.

He can also allow Davies to put square pegs in square holes, for a change – because Forest have not had a naturally left-sided midfielder since Kris Commons.

And I suspect Forest have had to put their hands fairly deeply into their pockets to bring in a player who is a genuine good prospect.

But, at the same time, it is March now.

Three months have passed since Davies first passed over that list of targets.

And there is the question of why the club was finally spurred into life now.

Could it have been because of the recent dip in form?

I suspect it probably was a factor.

And what was the major influence in that dip in form?

It was the lack of signings in January.

There were three clubs who did not make additions during the transfer window.

Forest, Crystal Palace and Cardiff and the latter pair do not have a pot to pee in between them. Fair enough.

Forest may have set their sights high, in the people they went for. I accept that. They were ambitious.

And I also know the situation in the transfer market is not always as cut and dried as you might expect.

But still, the failure to not only bring a single signing to the club but also, at the same time, see Nicky Shorey slip from their grasp, for me, was the moment their season took a downward turn.

Davies hoped to have two new signings for the trip to Pride Park at the end of January.

It didn't happen – and the defeat they suffered kick-started a downward spiral in their previously undefeated away form.

January was a time when Forest could have sent out a message. They could have stated clearly they were serious about promotion. But, it is not too late.

Now they have finally been sparked into life, there is still room for them to throw their weight behind not just the manager, but the team as a whole.

West Brom can still be caught. So, with a good run of form, can Newcastle.

The signing of Boyd will provide a timely lift, as well as an important option in midfield.

But there is still a massive void to be filled at left back. So why not fill it now?

Forest can still win promotion. This is the best chance they have had in ten years to return to the Premiership.

Is it reasonable to expect the Reds to face that challenge without a recognised left back?

Is it wise to expect them to see through the final months of the campaign without a little depth to cover for injuries? No, it isn't.

Forest have done brilliantly to land Boyd. There are not many clubs who would have been willing to splash out on a loan fee, as Forest presumably have, or to agree what is presumably a seven-figure future fee for the player to make the move permanent in the summer, for that matter.

But, if they can land another signing – or maybe even two – they will not only appease their manager.

They will also be able to look back at the end of the season and, whether they win promotion or not, know that they gave it their best shot.

Because, if they miss out on automatic promotion because they are just a player or two short, then they really will have a frustrated manager on their hands.