Forest hope to follow in Birmingham's footsteps
A £20m summer spending spree has given a different look to Alex McLeish's squad, in comparison to the one that secured second spot in the Championship on the final day of the last campaign.
But, while the Scottish manager hopes to follow the example of Hull City and Stoke by beating the odds to retain their Premiership status, his fellow countryman has been working equally hard at the City Ground.
Tomorrow, Billy Davies will have the final chance to cast his eye over his own handiwork, having added nine new faces to his Forest ranks.
With a lengthening list of players with minor injuries, not so long ago Davies would have been plunged into a selection crisis, ahead of the opening day trip to Reading.
But, as the final pre-season test of the summer approaches, the Reds boss is in a calm mood.
"We are not ready yet, but we are getting better. And once we get people back in full training, the likes of Guy Moussi, James Perch and Chris Cohen, we will be even better equipped," he said.
"Joe Garner has played his first match now – that is what these games are for. He is close to being back to full fitness.
"Cohen and Wilson need a few days and Moussi and Perch are a few weeks away.
"You add Julian Bennett – who is still months away – and we are missing crucial players.
"But that is why we carry a big squad, because you expect this to happen. And we are far better equipped to deal with this now than we were last season.
"We were using very young players last season – fantastic young players, but young players none the less.
"And the Championship is only a step away from the greatest league in the world, which is why the competition is so tough.
"That is why the likes of Dexter Blackstock, Paul McKenna, Dele Adebola and David McGoldrick are so important to the future of the club.
"Now we have options, we have depth to the squad.
"We are delighted to have brought the players in that we have. We are trying to develop a squad here, which we will need for the difficult challenge of the Championship.
"There are so many midweek matches and so many games that we will need that depth."
Davies has been happy with the pre-season preparations so far, but says tomorrow's fixture will not be the end of the fitness work for some of his squad.
Instead, he predicts that some of his squad will not hit their peak for several weeks yet, as they recover from slight injuries.
"Joe Garner was excellent in what was his first 60 or 70 minutes of football this summer against Stoke and David McGoldrick still has a fair bit of work to do on his fitness, along with one or two other guys," said Davies.
"We still have another week of work to do before the season starts.
"And, even beyond that, I think it will take several matches for some of these players to settle down.
"But what you can see is craft and energy in the side, you can see a level of competition.
"And there is no doubt we can score goals.
"I have been delighted with the response of the players, but there is still work to do."
Davies hopes a sense of perspective can be maintained, as the season approaches.
"What we achieved last season was nothing short of remarkable," he said.
"In the circumstances – when we made no signings (in January) and had one of the youngest squads in the Championship – it was remarkable.
"What we have done now is not go beyond other sides at this level, we have just been playing catch up.
"With the quality we now have, we can now compete. It does not guarantee us success, but we know that we can compete."
Tomorrow, Forest will be aiming to prove as much, as they take on another side hoping to acclimatise at a higher level.
But the real test will come in eight days time.
Last season, a 1-0 win at Reading was a key factor in securing survival.
This time round, Davies will be hoping a similar result could provide the foundations for something altogether more positive.
Billy Davies
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