WARBURTON: FOREST CAN STILL PULL UP TREES

MARK WARBURTON has hit back at Nottingham Forest’s critics and insists they can be play-off dark horses.

The 11th-placed Reds come up against a Bristol City side who sit third today.

Forest are seven points off the top six and have struggled for consistency, but Warburton knows what is possible having been part of the academy set-up at Watford when they made a late surge in 2006 and went up via the play-offs.

Boss Warburton (above) said: “There are 21 games gone and there are so many points to play for. I read recently that we were out of the play-off reckoning. That is nonsense.

“I was at Watford when Aidy Boothroyd and his team made a fantastic late run and got into the play-offs. And they got promotion to the Premier League. You can leave it late or you can be strong all the way through the season.

“There are different ways of doing it, but the ultimate goal remains the same.

“We are sitting above mid-table and you can see how tight this league is. And that will continue until the end of the season.”

Forest have not drawn a league game this season – yet have never won more than two in succession.

And Warburton added: “We are frustrated to have dropped points. But we have integrated a number of new players into the side, we have asked the players to adopt a new style of play, with some different ideas.

“And we are in OK shape. We are frustrated not to be higher than we are, but other teams will be saying the same thing.”