Nine weeks today, the summer transfer window will come to a close. Nine weeks for Nottingham Forest to get their business done.
Come 11pm on August 31, there will be a very different looking squad in place at the City Ground, have no doubt about that.
There will be ins and outs, twists and turns aplenty before then.
But while it has been the slowest of starts for the Reds, there is no cause for panic - yet.
Three weeks in, Forest have yet to make any new additions. No shortage of players have been linked with a move. But, so far, no deals done.
There is a temptation to compare this lack of movement with what’s happening around the division and draw the conclusion the club are in danger of being left behind; that they will end up sorting through the scraps nobody else wants.
However, this particular race isn’t about who gets their business done the quickest.
Sure, almost every manager would love to get the majority of transfers over the line as early in the summer as possible.
There are certainly significant benefits to that.
For the Reds, though, it’s better to get summer signings right than to get them done fast.
In an ideal world, you’d have both. But suitability wins over speed every time.
If this time is being used to ensure Chris Hughton gets the players he wants - the right characters, the right quality and the right blend - then that’s no bad thing.
Forest had a chaotic shopping spree last year, and that didn’t exactly work out.
They do need a significant number of additions this time, but it shouldn’t be anything like the 14 who came through the doors almost 12 months ago.
Changes going on behind the scenes are likely having an impact on the Reds’ business, but much work is still being done.
They are not the only ones yet to get off the mark in the window.
And ultimately, the only way of judging how they and their rivals have fared in the market is on the final positions come the end of the season.
Winning that race (or at least coming in the top six) is the one which matters.
