THE passing of the November loan deadline does not normally garner much interest. There is no yellow-themed countdown on Sky Sports, no great fanfare at 5pm.
But, for Nottingham Forest, the passing of this particular deadline does hold additional significance. It might prove to be a landmark moment.
It definitely would have, if Reds boss Stuart Pearce was not happy with his lot; had he not held the belief that he already now possesses a squad that can challenge in the Championship.
Come January, the first implementation of Financial Fair Play rules is almost certain to mean that the club will find themselves under a transfer embargo – even if it is one that still means Forest should be able to make new additions on a one in, one out basis.
While January might still present an opportunity to tinker slightly, from this point on, Forest's business is likely to be limited to free transfer additions or loan signings.
Unless a deal can be agreed to sign Jack Hunt permanently from Palace – something the club are allowed to do outside of the transfer window as he is already at the City Ground on loan – there will be no more big money signings, in the near future at least.
Largely speaking, the squad Pearce has at his disposal now is the one he must rely on, if Forest are to achieve their ambitions.
Thankfully, for Forest fans, when asked if he was happy with his squad; if he was content that they are equipped to challenge, Pearce was in cautiously optimistic mood.
The continued absence of Andy Reid, Jack Hobbs and Chris Cohen through injury has tempered his spirits slightly. But Pearce is lifted by the prospect of seeing Reid and Hobbs only weeks away from a return.
And he said: "I was asked the same thing at the start of the season and my mentality has not changed. If we had the three injured players fit and available, we would only need to be tinkering, really.
"With those players fit, if people had asked me if I was happy with the squad I have, I would have said 'yes I am'.
"Injuries might change that mentality slightly, but if we can get Reid and Hobbs back for the Christmas period, it will be like signing two new players.
"I think we will continually look to bring people in, we have to do that, because that is how a football club works.
"But we have not got a bad squad, I like what we have got here and I enjoy working with them. What we have got is what we have got, we will deal with any implications, down the line, when it comes to buying players, when they come."
Following the 3-0 demolition of Wolves, it is debatable whether either Reid or Hobbs would force their way into the starting line-up at Birmingham tomorrow, even if they were back fit and ready to go in the West Midlands.
"What I would say is that, historically, I am pretty loyal to players who have done well," said Pearce. "If your form has been good, you will stay in the team. If your form has not been good, you will drop out of the side and have to fight to get back in.
"It is as straightforward as that, for me. I have always been one of those managers who, if performances are good and the team is doing well, I do not like to change the team, in the main. There are a few criteria that would alter that – if we change formation, for example, or if we feel the opposition has a key player who can cause us a threat and we might put a more defensive player in, to deal with that.
"It is not a hard and fast thing, but I want to back players who are doing well."
Pearce's words intimate that, if there are any changes to the team at St Andrew's, they will be minimal. But, either way, he will hope that the performance is identical to the one produced at Molineux.
"We have to keep building now. The Norwich game was the first of the building blocks and we have to build on that, to get ourselves back up the league," said Pearce. "We have learned a great deal about ourselves recently and a lot about the supporters and their loyalty to the team.
"I see an upturn on the training ground, I did in the build up to the Wolves game and I have again this week. We gained confidence from the Norwich victory and put that into the Wolves game, when the confidence in the group showed in the performance.
"The uplift after the Norwich game was incredible. The mentality of the players was very good. All the players took the mentality and ability they had been showing in training into the Wolves game.
"So far this week I am seeing the same thing, but perhaps with an even stronger mentality and an even stronger camaraderie among the players. Hopefully we will take that into the Birmingham game."
The Blues may be languishing towards the wrong end of the Championship table, but they are a revived force under new boss Gary Rowett, who is yet to taste defeat in four matches in charge.
"Birmingham pre-Rowett will be different to the side we will face this weekend," said Pearce. "They are very tight defensively, they play deep and on the counter-attack. It will be a very close game the first goal will be very important.
"They are a well organised group and, as we have seen with our club, victories and good performances do bring confidence.
"Gary looks a well organised manager who is learning his trade and coming up through the ranks. We need to concentrate on trying to build on what we have done in the last two games."
Following that win over Wolves, Pearce believes he has the personnel available to do exactly that. He will hope to be proved right at St Andrew's.
