Last night a very young Nottingham Forest scalp was claimed at the hands of Birmingham City but to all who saw the squad sheet prior to that game? It was clearly obvious that manager Billy Davies is readying the side up for a Premiership place in 2011.

Of course its sad to know that we shouldn't have even had to replay this tie were it not for a penalty blunder at first meeting in this Cup. But Forest should this morning be able to walk with heads lifted high after producing a sprightly display and one in which they could have put the tie beyond Birmingham's reach were it not for some goalkeeping heroics.

It has been a very long time since a manager has been in this position at the City ground. We are well placed, have good league form at this point and have a certain desire to prove critics wrong. After all we are a BIG club.

When Billy Davies decided to rest players up for the Reading game that approaches he might as well have reached for a can of spray paint and written on walls. “Beware, Forest are coming back!” After all it is pretty clear now after all said and done and despite his playing down the possibility that Forest's intentions are pretty clear as regards the league and their immediate future.

It's been a pretty quite on the January transfer market. We shouldn't be too surprised at that at all, we hardly ever do business in January though we are open to surprises of course.

Reading will be a tough game, manager Billy Davies knows that too, they have a point to prove and need to survive so Billy's decision to rest up players ahead of that crucial game should be lauded. After all....

Whoever thought we would be in this position this season at the start anyway? Certainly not the bookies.