Nottingham Forest boss should hand defender a run of games

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Sky Bet Championship outfit Nottingham Forest have started the 2018/19 campaign in fine style, with the Reds currently in fifth place.

There is of course still a long way of the season still to go but early signs are positive for Aitor Karanka’s new-look squad, who are beginning to show real signs of togetherness.

The club showed ambition in the transfer window with several new additions, one of which was former Forest academy graduate Michael Dawson.

The veteran penned a two-year deal at the City Ground after his contract expired at Hull City and it was a move welcomed by the club’s supporters.

The romantic signing has been forced to wait patiently for a chance to shine, however and the win over Middlesbrough last time out was Dawson’s first start since the opening day of the campaign.

The 34-year-old was on the wrong end of a robust challenge from George Friend which saw him hobble off with just 37 minutes on the clock at the Riverside Stadium. It was perhaps quite fortunate that nothing serious was sustained and Dawson has resumed training.

His presence in the Forest lineup at Middlesbrough, however, does perhaps suggest that Karanka is ready to utilise Dawson alongside the evergreen Danny Fox a little more often.

The Championship is an unforgiving league and the games do come thick and fast. Given Dawson’s age it does seem unlikely that the Forest boss will unleash him three times a week, but managed properly he can be a real asset to the Forest back four.

Every club in the second tier needs an element of experience to become a success. Dawson has played hundreds of times in the top flight and it seems likely that he will become a mainstay in Karanka’s starting eleven sooner rather than later.