Former caretaker boss Ian “Charlie” McParland says Nottingham Forest have “the best chance they’ve had for years” of reaching the Premier League.
It has been a fine start to the season for the Reds under Sabri Lamouchi.
With 15 games of the campaign gone, they sit fifth in the table, five points behind leaders West Bromwich Albion and with a game in hand.
They have been beaten just three times in the league, having bounced back from successive defeats after the last international break with wins at Luton Town and at home to arch-rivals Derby County.
The only time they have failed to score in the Championship was in their 1-0 reverse to Wigan Athletic.
And McParland says Forest's ability to keep finding the back of the net can be key to their bid to clinch promotion.
“Most of the games they’ve scored one goal,” McParland told Notts TV.
“Even when they are getting beat 1-0, you think they are going to nick a goal. Or if it’s 0-0, they are capable of nicking a goal.
“At the start of the season, I said we’d need to see how it pans out, but maybe seventh or sixth position - just getting in the play-offs slightly.
“But after having a look at all the teams and watching the games, I’m thinking this is the best chance they’ve had for years of going up. And if they don’t go up this year, I think it’s a failure."
