That defeat to West Brom back at the start of August seems a long time ago now. Much has happened since then.
Nottingham Forest took the first tentative steps towards a potential return this week, when they returned to training for the first time since March.
Their promotion bid remains on hold for the time being. But before football was suspended, a top six finish looked very much on the cards.
Sabri Lamouchi has proved a triumph of an appointment, Brice Samba has become the goalkeeper the Reds didn’t know they needed and Matty Cash has been reborn at right-back.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, but by and large it’s been a fine season on the banks of the Trent. Here’s our verdict on how the campaign has gone so far.
The good
There’s a fair few highlights to choose from. Some fans will say Forest haven’t put together too many scintillating 90-minute performances under Lamouchi, but they’ve still racked up some fantastic results - and some fine displays.
Fulham and Swansea City away stand out from early on. That was when it started to feel like this team could be on to something special this year.
There was the thumping of Derby County in the cup - a moment to savour for Joe Worrall as he captained the side that day - and victory over the Rams in the league a few months later.
That 4-0 rout at QPR wasn’t half bad, either.
But the result which really stands out is the 2-0 win over Leeds United in February. That was a special night in one of the best atmospheres for some time at the City Ground.
The bad
As impressive as the Reds can be, they can be equally as terrible at times. There have been some pretty dire matches.
No need to dwell on them too much, but you can take your pick from Wigan away (an all-round fiery affair that saw a spat on the touchline), Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic at home as the pick of the lowlights.
Then there were the two performances before this enforced break - a poor night at Middlesbrough and a dreadful defeat to Millwall. Being able to put a bit of distance from them may be no bad thing for Lamouchi’s men.
The fantastic
Unlike in previous campaigns, picking out a player of the season isn’t an easy choice. There’s a few contenders.
When the club added to their collection of keepers by bringing in Samba, it prompted a few quizzical looks. But he’s turned out to be the best goalkeeper the Reds have had for some time. And he’ll go down in folklore purely for his love of winding up opposition fans.
Forest also uncovered a hidden gem in Samba Sow. The stats demonstrate how important he’s been.
Worrall has been fantastic, Lewis Grabban’s goals have been vital and Ben Watson has been in his best form in the Garibaldi.
But Matty Cash has undoubtedly been the standout star of this season.
He’s taken to a new position with ease and turned into arguably the best right-back in the division with Lamouchi’s guidance.
The flops
As much as the club did some excellent transfer business in the summer in particular, they still made a few signings that haven’t worked out.
Rafa Mir won’t be remembered too fondly in these parts. Lamouchi gave him a few chances, but the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee passed up most of them. He just didn’t make the impact he would have hoped.
The same goes for Arijanet Muric. First-choice to begin with, the manager’s decision to drop him for Samba was one of the turning points of the season.
Both Mir and Muric are young and could yet go on to prove themselves elsewhere; it just didn’t happen in the Garibaldi, though.
The jury is also still out on January additions Adama Diakhaby, Gaetan Bong and Nuno da Costa. The latter two, especially, have barely featured, so it seems harsh to write them off just yet.
