It was a season of highs and lows for Nottingham Forest, which looked as if it would turn in a campaign to remember before petering out in disappointing fashion.
Reds legend Stuart Pearce took charge during the summer and got off to a great start, leading Forest to the top of the Championship as they went their first 11 games unbeaten.
However, just two wins from the next 14 games saw them plummet down the table and the pressure increase on the manager. A brief glimmer of hope came with a huge win at Derby County, but defeats in the two games that followed meant that Pearce lost his job.
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Former Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers boss Dougie Freedman was immediately installed as his replacement and got the team firing again, as seven wins from his first 10 matches in charge put the Reds back in touch with the playoff places.
However, Freedman's side failed to win any of their last eight games as they laboured to a frustrating 14th-place finish.
Five key results
Nottingham Forest 4-0 Reading, August 23, 2014: After winning two of their first three games, Forest were top of the tree when Reading visited the City Ground. The Reds continued their fine form, delivering one of their best performances of the season as they swept the Royals aside with a swashbuckling attacking display.
Nottingham Forest 5-3 Fulham, September 17, 2014:
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Pearce's men were still leading the Championship ahead of this game. While Forest entertained as they picked up three points in this one, the less-than-convincing performance set alarm bells ringing. Ben Osborn and Robert Tesche took over in midfield from the influential duo of Andy Reid and Chris Cohen, who both picked up long-term injuries against Derby a few days before. However, Forest struggled to organise themselves defensively, throwing away a two-goal lead as the visitors went 3-2 up in the second half. The Reds recovered to win thanks to three goals late on, with two coming from Michail Antonio.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Nottingham Forest, November 22, 2014: Forest won one of their next 10 games after the Fulham victory, but back-to-back wins in their next two outings against Norwich City - and here at Wolves - suggested that a revival was on the cards. Wolves were two points ahead of Forest in the standings, but the visitors controlled the game and won it with goals from Britt Assombalonga, Matt Fryatt and Henri Lansbury in the second half.
Derby County 1-2 Nottingham Forest, January 17, 2015:
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Forest could not build on that success, though, as three points from the next seven games saw them lose ground on the top six again. Ahead of this East Midlands derby against their fiercest rivals, Pearce was under severe pressure, with many observers suggesting that he would be gone should the Reds lose to the promotion-chasing Rams. Forest fell behind in the 16th minute when Lansbury headed into his own goal but got a deserved equaliser in the 75th minute through Assombalonga. Then, in stoppage time, Osborn's 30-yard run ended with him firing the ball past Lee Grant from just inside the area to secure a dramatic victory and send the travelling Forest support into raptures.
Norwich City 3-1 Nottingham Forest, March 21, 2015: Pearce was dismissed following a defeat to Millwall two weeks later, but his replacement Dougie Freedman took the Reds on a fine run of form that put them back in playoff contention ahead of this trip to Carrow Road. However, Forest were second best to a Norwich side who themselves had been resurgent under their new manager Alex Neil. The result sparked a dramatic downturn in form, as the Reds failed to win any of their final eight matches of the season, losing six of them.
Best Player - Michail Antonio
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Antonio arrived from Sheffield Wednesday last summer and the £1.5m that Forest paid for him already looks like money well spent. The winger was the standout player all season, with his pace and power proving to be a menace for opposing defenders.
The 25-year-old has had the best season of his career, scoring 14 goals and assisting 12 more. Had it not been for him, it is safe to say that Forest would have finished much lower in the table. It is perhaps no surprise, then, to see him attract interest from other clubs, with Premier League West Bromwich Albion said to be hunting his signature.
Most Improved Player - Ben Osborn
Having been on the fringes of the first team last season, Pearce gave the academy graduate his chance in the side and he has made the most of the opportunity. The 20-year-old is comfortable with the ball at his feet and his high work-rate is a welcome asset to the midfield.
Osborn has a bright future ahead of him and if he can maintain the progress that he has shown this season, he will be a regular in the side for many years to come.
Best Signing - Britt Assombalonga
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Antonio deserves to be in contention for this award, but Forest needed a goalscorer before the season began and they found one in the form of Assombalonga. He arrived from Peterborough United for a club-record £5m transfer fee in August, having scored 33 goals for Posh the season before.
Forest's new number nine had little trouble in adjusting from League One football, as he scored 15 times in 29 league appearances before a serious knee injury curtailed his season in February. He will be out of action for at least a year and Forest will be hoping that the Congolese frontman gets back to full fitness quickly in 2016.
Best Goal - Gary Gardner vs. Reading
Another piece of astute business from Pearce was to bring Gary Gardner in on loan from Aston Villa. The midfielder quickly became a favourite with the Forest fans thanks to his excellent displays and eye for the spectacular. The midfielder scored four goals for the Reds, with the pick coming in the 3-0 win at Reading in February. He collected the ball in the middle of the opposition half before unleashing an unstoppable 35-yard drive that flew past Adam Federici and in off the crossbar.
Must Do Better - Danny Fox
Fox has Championship pedigree, having helped Southampton win promotion from the division three years ago. However, since joining Forest in 2014, Reds fans have not seen the best of him. The 29-year-old is an able attacking left-back but has a tendency to give the ball away to the opposition with ambitious passes. If he can learn to keep it simple and add consistency to his performances he will be a much better player.
End-of-season grade: C
Forest entered this season among the favourites to win promotion and all looked rosy in the opening weeks of the campaign. However, the loss of form and key players to injury hampered them for the rest of the campaign and this is something that Freedman will want to avoid next term. The Reds have a strong side on paper and will not need to make wholesale changes over the summer. However, if they are to end their 16-year exile from the Premier League they will need to field a settled side and, crucially, keep faith with the manager - which they have struggled to do in recent seasons.
Steven Toplis
