BLOG: Win over Steve Evans' Leeds United was '˜proudest moment' for Nottingham Forest fans in Dougie Freedman's reign

No, it wasn’t because it wiped the smile away from Steve Evans’ face, but because it ensured that Forest have now not conceded a Championship goal for 470 minutes.

Entertaining football is all good and well when you are winning football matches, but earlier in the season, Forest for all their entertainment values, were losing – regularly.

The management team have been forced to revert to basics and make the team harder to beat, and Freedman has achieved that with aplomb.

Okay so the football hasn’t been great during this run of 14 games without defeat in all competitions, but the fact that we haven’t tasted a loss for such a long time is certainly a sign of progression.

If someone had said to me after a drab 1-1 draw at home to Ipswich Town in early October that we were capable of such a run, that the team are currently on, I would have laughed at them and labelled them clueless.

For the record, I hold my hands up and say that after that game is the only time I have doubted whether Freedman could do the job required of him at Forest and I deeply feared for his job.

Four months on however and the Reds are looking firmly upwards with a new fire in their bellies that shows a determination to fire themselves up the league table.

Achieving wins and clean sheets in back-to-back away games against Middlesbrough and Leeds is no mean feat and the team should be praised for two solid wins on their travels.

It is always refreshing to listen to Freedman speak with the press after a game.

His insights are usually refreshingly honest and insightful, with a real fondness for the chance to work at a football club he holds dear to his heart.

The same cannot be said about his counterpart on Saturday.

Evans said to the press after Saturday’s defeat that he would rather go to the dentist than watch Nottingham Forest.

To be fair Steve, the majority of the people inside Elland Road on a Saturday afternoon probably wish you were at the dentist instead of managing their great football club.

He also said that Forest had one shot which they scored from.

The respected BBC Sport website shows that the Reds had seven shots on target during the game, compared to Leeds’ four.

Which game were you watching Steve? You will also be shocked to learn that he bemoaned the match officials yet again, saying that Nelson Oliveira’s goal was fractionally offside and had he done his job properly they would have got something from the game.

In fairness again Steve, Ben Osborn should have been awarded a second-half penalty but then I am guessing you didn’t see that one, did you?

Had Forest gone to Leeds to play an attractive 4-4-2, that allowed expansive free-flowing football, I have no doubt that the Reds would have lost.

Did Evans expect Dougie Freedman to do his compatriot a favour just because he is the manager of Leeds United?

I think the ex-Rotherham boss is out of his depth at a club the size of Leeds and his post-match comments are those of a desperate man.

Finally this week, I have to pay homage to the Forest faithful.

It was great to see so many make the journey to West Yorkshire at the weekend, especially at £37 a ticket.

Hopefully the team’s current form will see a few more bums on seats at future home games.