Defender Joe Worrall is convinced Nottingham Forest are on the right path to pulling away from relegation danger.
The Reds have found themselves struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table this season, having picked up just three wins in their opening 18 league games.
A wretched start to the campaign cost Sabri Lamouchi his job, but under Chris Hughton there are signs Forest are making progress.
They have been on a good run of form since the middle of December, with one defeat in their last 11 Championship matches.
And a 0-0 draw at home to Bournemouth this afternoon made it four games unbeaten.
It was a result which lifted Hughton’s side to 16th, with a five-point cushion to the bottom three.
“I missed the start of the season, so it was painful watching from the stands with the way we were playing at the start, especially after last season,” Worrall told Sky Sports at the full-time whistle.
“But as soon as things calm down, you get the transfer windows out of the way and the players start gelling and building into the Forest way, then we should be okay.”
He added: “We’ve built a bit of momentum in the last couple of games.
“Although we’ve not won the game, we’ve limited them to very little chances. I don’t think they had a shot on target.
“We had a couple of chances ourselves - (Glenn) Murray’s flick at the near post, which was cleared off the line and a couple of half-decent chances. On another day, it could have gone the other way.”
Worrall has been at the heart of the Reds’ recent improvement as Hughton has focused on making the team tough to beat.
They have recorded shut-outs in three of their last four outings.
“It’s what you build your foundations on - your clean-sheets and your defending,” the centre-back said.
“We’re getting a little bit of understanding.
“The manager doesn’t change the team a lot and we’re getting used to playing with each other now.
“The week we had before this game (without a midweek fixture) has really settled us down a bit and got us to do a bit more training together.
“We keep learning every day.
“The form guide is decent for us.
“If we’re going to start climbing the table, we need to build from the back and keep clean-sheets, which is what we’re doing.”
A visiting side who had won both their previous games under caretaker boss Jonathan Woodgate, and with designs on an immediate return to the top-flight, were limited to very little on the banks of the Trent.
“They are a great team and they have a strong bench. When you see the likes of (Sam) Surridge and (David) Brooks coming on, it’s a different dynamic of player,” Worrall said.
“Shane Long has bags of experience and is a willing runner.
“They keep you on your toes.
“You knew, as soon as they came down from the Premier League, they would be near the top of the table.
“But I think it was probably a fair result for both sides.”
