If Nottingham Forest fans were sceptical when Dougie Freedman was announced as Stuart Pearce's successor last month then they will be pleasantly surprised now. Saturday's impressive comeback against high-flying Middlesbrough made it six wins in eight Championship games under the Scot and 19 points from a possible 24. Forest have reignited their season in some style, scoring 22 goals under their new manager at an average of nearly three per game - and all that with 15-goal top scorer Britt Assombalonga having been ruled out for a year with a knee injury two matches in to Freedman's reign. Nottingham Forest manager Dougie Freedman has led his side to an excellent run of form since taking over . Gary Gardner (left) celebrates his goal for Forest against Middlesbrough with Jamaal Lascelles . Dexter Blackstock (right) accepts the plaudits from Michail Antonio as Forest made it 19 points from 24 . Bolton fans must be wondering where this Freedman was hiding during his two years at the club. Widely considered one of the best young British managers around before he left Crystal Palace for Bolton, Freedman departed Lancashire in October with his managerial reputation tarnished. Watching Bolton play in Freedman’s final few months - and in truth for the majority of his time at the club - was an uninspiring experience. Freedman the self-assured Palace manager became Freedman the big-headed Bolton boss - blind to his team's failings and unwilling to change his methods. Freedman was widely considered one of the best young British managers around before he left Crystal Palace . His spell with Bolton Wanderers was more difficult but he is using a similar system at Forest with good results . But in reality the character of the man has not changed. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and success is the litmus test. He will have learned lessons though from his testing experience at Bolton - he has to have done if he harbours any hopes of a long and prosperous managerial career - which he does. Despite the goal glut, Freedman's system - 4-2-3-1 - has not changed from his time at Bolton but Forest's players are clearly responding better. His habit of tinkering with his line-up regardless of the previous result frustrated Bolton fans but appears to have galvanised a Forest squad where several players were left on the fringes under Pearce. Gardner blasts in his goal against Middlesbrough at the City Ground on Saturday in the Championship . Blackstock (left) finishes high into the net on Saturday afternoon as Forest beat the in-form visitors . We can only guess what a manager does aside from his team selection and media comments but sometimes in football a manager and a club just click and sometimes, as with Freedman and Bolton, they do not. That being said, things clicked at Bolton in Freedman's first season in charge for a short while, and sceptics will wonder if this is just a honeymoon period he is enjoying at Forest. A brilliant run of form in early 2013 almost saw Bolton sneak in to the play-offs and there are parallels with how he has started at Forest - though that run was not as instantaneous as this one. Freedman's habit of tinkering with his line-up appears to have galvanised the Forest squad . Several players were left on the fringes of the squad under Stuart Pearce's leadership but that's changed . Freedman makes an appeal for a decision on the touchline during his time with Bolton back in May . Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi has admitted that Freedman's future will be assessed at the end of the season but denied claims the Scot's contract was only for three months. Either way, the 18 games he had ahead of him when he took charge have always felt like an audition, a chance to build for next season. Keep up this form though and, with 10 games to play, Forest fans might soon start dreaming of a return to the top flight after a 16-year absence. Having been 12th and 13 points off the play-offs when Pearce left, they are now ninth and nine points off. The safe money is still on Forest missing out on the top six but having lost momentum at Bolton in the spring of 2013, never to get it back, Freedman will be desperate to keep this going. Lascelles is already departing this summer for Newcastle United but Forest could get promoted . Karl Darlow is also leaving - and Forest can't afford to be in the Championship for much longer . With £22.9million losses for last season recently announced, the forced sales of Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles last summer and having been under a transfer embargo earlier in the season it would appear Forest cannot afford to be in the Championship for much longer. Their Kuwaiti owners came in with the target of Premier League football nearly three years ago and, five managerial departures later, they needed to get this one right. Time will tell if this is merely a honeymoon period for Freedman and Forest but it's a case of so far, so good. Owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi has gone through five managerial departures since taking over three years ago . Good week for... BARNSLEY. Three wins in three games under new manager Lee Johnson - the latest coming against Walsall - have propelled the Tykes right in to play-off contention in League One. The third tier is so tight - just nine points separate 14 clubs from sixth to 19th - that Barnsley have managed to leap 12 places up to seventh in the space of just three weeks. Bad week for... HARTLEPOOL. Ronnie Moore's side conceded a last-minute winner against Burton Albion to stay firmly rooted at the bottom off the Football League. A point for Cheltenham against Mansfield has stretched the gap to League Two safety to eight points with just 11 matches remaining. Time is running out. Hartlepool United are firmly rooted at the bottom off the Football League and are eight points from safety . Talent scout: Harry Toffolo (Swindon, on loan from Norwich) There's no shortage of promising youngsters at the County Ground and the latest to hit the headlines is 19-year-old England youth international left back Toffolo. Given freedom to attack from wing back in Mark Cooper's 3-5-2 system, Toffolo - who was part of the Canaries’ FA Youth Cup-winning side two years ago - scored the Robins' third in their 3-0 win over Notts County on Saturday. Harry Toffolo (left) won the FA Youth Cup with Norwich City and is enjoying a good loan at Swindon Town .
Dougie Freedman took over as Nottingham Forest manager last month . Since then his side have taken 19 points from eight Championship games . Freedman has the belief of his players, which he did not have at Bolton . Good week for Barnsley who have three wins in three under Lee Johnson . Bad week for Hartlepool with time close to running out on survival hopes . Harry Toffolo is revelling in his freedom to attack at Swindon Town .