Forest could emulate side of 94-95 - ex-boss Clark

Frank Clark has played for, managed and served as chairman at Nottingham Forest

The last Nottingham Forest manager to take the club into Europe says he is optimistic about the Reds emulating what his side did three decades ago.

Frank Clark guided Forest to a third-placed Premier League finish in the 1994-95 season, which earned the East Midlands club a spot the Uefa Cup - now known as the Europa League.

It was only Clark's second season in charge, having steered them to promotion from the second tier after replacing legendary boss Brian Clough following relegation from the top flight in 1993.

He guided Forest to second in the table 10 matches into their Premier League return in 1994, and this season Nuno Espirito Santo has the Reds third after as many games.

"If they can carry this on and finish third at the end of the season it would be wonderful," Clark told BBC East Midlands Today.

"It doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things being third at this time, but the numbers are important. Nineteen points after 10 games is terrific and puts us in a really good position to go on and hopefully carry on the momentum.

"I'm optimistic we will have a good season."

And few know what it means to be a success at Forest better than Clark.

The 81-year-old, who was also a player and chairman at the club, now happily calls himself a fan.

As a player, he was part of Clough's title-winning side of 1977-78 and then helped the Reds lift the first of their back-to-back European Cups the following season.

Mark Crossley was Forest's goalkeeper under Clark and says there are striking similarities between the two Reds sides 30 years apart.

"You can really match it up, the way the team are playing and the team we had back then," Crossley said.

"We didn't think we would finish third in the Premier League, no way, but once you get into a bit of momentum, the way the boys are doing now and the manager has really got a grip of them, you never really know what can happen."

While Forest came up a division to challenge at the summit in 1994-95, their high-flying exploits this term have come off the back of a battle to avoid relegation.

Clark says the equally surprising starts from the sides a generation apart go beyond points tallies and positions at this stage of the season.

'Forest are a well-balanced team'

Just as Forest have Chris Wood leading the way up front with eight goals so far, Clark had Stan Collymore and Dutchman Bryan Roy finding the net at a prolific rate back then.

Collymore scored six of his 22 league goals that season in the first 10 games, while Roy hit the next five times in that same time on the way to amassing 13 for the season.

"I didn’t expect to be second in the league after 10 games - we got off to a good start," said Clark, as he reflected on the 1994-95 season.

"Bryan and Stan hit it off straight away, which wasn’t a given at the start of the season.

"Now I have to hold my hands up, when Chris [Wood] first came I might have been one of the doubters, but he has shut everybody up now. He is a smashing lad, they tell me, and he is in a purple patch at the moment, so it's great for him."

Beyond an in-form striker, Clark says Forest have the players needed to maintain their place high up the Premier League table.

"We look in good shape and it’s a well-balanced team," he said.

"That back four is probably the strongest back four we have had for a long time. I love the centre-half [Nikola] Milenkovic from Serbia, he is a proper centre-back. Him and Murillo make a great pairing.

"I have a good feeling about the team. I go to games and I look at the team and look at the squad and I feel very comfortable about it.

"We are not going to win every game, but we look a real team."

Forest have won three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time in more than quarter of a century to climb to third, and are the only team to have beaten leaders Liverpool this term.

Their upcoming fixture list is a demanding one, starting with a home game against Newcastle on Sunday and which includes trips to Arsenal, title holders Manchester City and Manchester United in quick succession after the international break.

"There will be some difficult games, but that won't necessarily define the season," Clark said.