Former Nottingham Forest boss Aitor Karanka expects his old club to climb up the table between now and the end of the season.
The Spaniard says with Chris Hughton at the helm and a squad packed with talented players, the Reds are better than their current predicament suggests.
Ahead of Karanka’s visit to his old stomping ground with Birmingham City on Boxing Day, Forest sit 20th in the Championship table - one point above the drop zone.
Hughton’s side go into the game on the back of picking up four points from their last two outings, hoping they have moved on from a seven-match winless streak.
“You look at Forest’s squad, you look at their manager, who is one of the most experienced and a top man,” said Karanka, in his pre-match press conference. “Their position in the table doesn’t reflect how good they are.
“For sure they’ll be higher in the table, because they have a very good squad.
“I know most of them, I know Chris and they’ll be higher, but for now it’s a game we need to win because after three defeats we need a good reaction.”
On the Reds’ current position, he added: “It surprised me because they have a very good squad and a top manager in Chris.
“It’s true that, after last season, the hangover is difficult.
“Everyone was expecting them in the play-offs, and the worst thing was the way they didn’t get into the play-offs - in the last minute.
“But I’ll say again, they’ll be higher in the table because they have a very good squad and a top coach.”
Karanka’s Blues have lost their last three fixtures, including falling 4-1 at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
They are five points ahead of Forest, in 17th, but the manager believes both sides will pull away from the relegation scrap.
Karanka said: “Of course, I hope to be higher than them!
“We are in a different situation, they were in the play-offs almost last season, and we were almost in League One in the last minute of the season.
“We have changed 11 players without spending a pound, and they’ve signed top, top players.
“If you add the players that they had, like Lewis Grabban, Tobias (Figueiredo), like (Jack) Colback, they’re a really good team.
“But it’s 11 v 11 and we’ll compete against them.”
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