Steve Corry’s Nottingham Forest blog: Feelgood factor spreading around City Ground

For many Forest supporters, the Kuwaiti businessman is something of an enigma, an unknown quantity to say the least.

There have been rumours of unpaid wages, managerial power struggles and dictatorship of transfer activities.

However, I’m a great believer of the “actions speak louder than words” phrase.

And despite the controversial sale of Darlow and Lacelles, we have received some decent acquisitions to our squad in more than one area of the field.

Think about it carefully; Newcastle are paying Carl and Jamall’s wages and we have two decent players in competition for every shirt.

Players like Hobbs, Wilson, Patterson, Osborne, Lansbury, Vaughn and Veldwijk are desperate to stake their claim in that first eleven.

How many other Championship sides have that much quality in their first team, let alone on the bench?

For those of you with short memories, cast your mind back to the pre-Fawaz era. Steve Cotterill had nothing close to this selection and we were selling Patrick Bamford to stay alive!

Unfortunately, in the modern era we are governed by money, but occasionally you get an owner with a vested interest.

How many other foreign owners would pose with Forest supporters, behind a “We hate Derby” flag?

Only last week, Mr Al-Hasawi responded beautifully to a colourful tweet from a Derby fan. Fawaz saying “Calm down, oh by the way . . . Bobby Zamora from QPR says hello!”

This guy is actually sticking his neck on the line for us, he even flew his mother over for a game last season.

He has given us the manager we craved, a squad to envy and to prove just how cool he really is; an ice bucket challenge!

Meanwhile, back on the field of play it was Reading’s turn to visit the City Ground.

Forest broke the deadlock when Assombalonga held the ball nicely for Chris Burke. His excellent deep cross found Antonio at the back post, the ever improving winger was literally head and shoulders above everyone as his looping header found the Reading net.

Forest doubled their lead just a minute into the second-half when Hunt’s superb cross was swept home, first-time once again by Michail Antonio, a vital time to score and from here on in it was one way traffic.

Antonio was on fire and he turned creator on 53 mins when he terrorised Gunter once again before cutting onto his right foot to deliver an inch perfect cross, Fryatt smashed home the header with ease.

There was a real buzz around the city Ground that seems to have drifted in with homecoming of Psycho. This 12th man effect is proving crucial to the players confidence.

Record-signing personified by Assombalonga got his obligatory goal after a laughable scramble, following Reid’s corner. Mancienne, Antonio and Fryatt all scuffed their attempts before Assombalonga tapped home from two yards out.

A hail storm swept over the stadium from there on in and the game was over as a contest, despite one last volley from Sub, Jamie Patterson.

The game finished with a Forest 4-0 victory and the jubilant chants of “We are top of the league”, as I said last week, there’s a long way to go!