If there’s one thing that can be said for us Forest fans, it would probably be that we’re very good at laughing in the face of adversity. Last year for example, the Reds’ relegation to League One earned them the rather dubious status of being the first former European champions to slip into the third tier of their domestic league.

 

Yet there was no teeth-gnashing whatsoever among the fans as Forest prepared for their maiden voyage into the previously uncharted waters of what, let’s face it, is Division Three in all but name. If anything, it was just the opposite – with the general consensus being that it was actually quite exciting in a perverse sort of way to get to go on away trips to obscure places like Yeovil and Hartlepool.

 

As the season got underway though, the novelty wore off very, very quickly. And following the Reds’ eventual failure to win promotion, it’s been difficult this summer to muster a great deal of enthusiasm about the prospect of another nine months in League One. That said, with new manager Colin Calderwood at the helm, I think us fans have good reason to be quietly confident that things might be about to finally go right for Forest.

 

Calderwood certainly did well in his previous job at Northampton, and he seems to command a lot of respect from a lot of people in the game – most importantly, the players who have played for him. During his time at Northampton, his team also allegedly played the sort of attractive football that Forest fans expect as a given – no mean feat in League Two, which is even more of a clogger's paradise than League One!

What’s more, Calderwood could be poised to usurp Jose Mourinho as housewives’ footy manager of choice, judging by an unintentionally hilarious feature that appeared recently in the Guardian newspaper. “Calderwood is a bit like your favourite schoolteacher,” frothed reporter Georgina Turner in the piece. “His eyes sparkle from a summer-bronzed face that is beginning to line; his smile is warm and invites conversation; an unimpressed glare from beneath raised eyebrows is ample admonishment.”

Let’s just hope Calderwood isn’t given much cause over the months ahead to unleash his ‘unimpressed glare’ upon his players. With Forest having the biggest squad in League One, competition for places is going to be fierce – so you’d hope that those who make the new manager’s first eleven will be playing out of their skins in order to keep their shirts.

 

Calderwood has decided at this stage not to add to the team selection headache by bringing in truckloads of new players - his only signing to date having been that of goalkeeper Paul Smith. A sensible approach really. Indeed, if Calderwood manages to do what Gary Megson failed to do and get the players playing to their full potential, then Forest should have promotion sewn up by Christmas without needing to bring in any new faces.

But this is of course Nottingham Forest – so don’t be surprised if there are a few unexpected twists and turns along the way…