This week saw many of the players sent out on loan by manager Billy Davies to gain first team football, return back to the City Ground.

Youngsters Brendan Moloney, Joe Heath and Matt Thornhill have all returned to the club as has midfielder Arron Davies from their respective loan spells.

Davies decided to send the players out on loan to gain valuable experience of playing professional football.

The exception was Arron Davies, whose Forest career seems to be over after Billy Davies told him he can find a new club.

It has been an unfortunate time for the Welshmen who arrived on Trentside with a lot of expectation after he seemingly knocked Forest out of the play-offs single handily with Yeovil.

However, injury and excellent form from other midfielders at the club has seen Davies struggle to make an impression and his namesake believes it is time for him to move on.

But the youngsters that were sent on loan have not had the impact that Davies was looking for, with not all of them playing too many games.

The Scot decided to abandon the reserve team because he felt the players would get more out of playing regularly for a league club then playing reserve football.

Yet it has been a frustrating time for some of the players, with first team football hard to come by. This is surprising really when you consider that Thornhill, Heath and Moloney all deputised in the first team last season, due to injuries to first team players.

And whilst they performed well for the Reds in their difficult campaign last season, to not be playing for clubs in lower divisions is certainly not what Davies had in mind.

It was rumoured that Thornhill failed to settle on the South Coast of Brighton and that is why he did not feature regularly for the Seagulls. Even when then manager Russell Slade brought former Yeovil man Arron Davies to the club from Forest, Thornhill still didn’t get much of a look in.

The arrival of Gus Poyet as manager saw the two Reds players told they can return to Forest.

Joe Heath was unfortunate to pick up an injury early into the season which lost his place in the Lincoln City team, but after showing some real assured performances for them at left back before his injury he still couldn’t break back into the team.

The exception was Moloney who featured regularly for our neighbours over the Trent, Notts County.

Yet with the ridiculous state County find themselves in after backer Munto Finance pulled out of the club, the Magpies were unable to finance a deal to bring the Republic of Ireland defender back on loan or on a permanent deal.

Other players sent out on loan have also struggled to gain first team football. Keeper Shane Redmond was axed early in the season at league newcomers Burton Albion after conceding 3 in the first game. Since then Redmond has had to be content with warming the bench at best at the Pirelli Stadium.

Mark Byrne and James Reid linked up with Rushden and Diamonds, and have both played fairly regularly, with Byrne establishing himself as a key man in their midfield.

Forest are well known for producing good youngsters at the club, with the likes of Michael Dawson and Jermaine Jenas going on to play for England in recent times after progressing through the youth team.

However, it has to be said that the future of the current school of youngsters does not look as healthy as they find it harder to break into the first team picture at the City Ground due to the excellent form of the players currently in the first team.

I am sure that if offers come in to take these players than they will almost certainly be allowed to move on and further their careers somewhere else.

Lets just hope it doesn’t prove to be Forest’s loss and someone else’s gain.