Fresh from his first defeat, at The Valley on Tuesday, Freedman was forced to shuffle his pack again. I worried that switching Eric Lichaj to left back might spoil his near-flawless displays under the new manager and that the midfield selection - with Mancienne and Gardner in the middle - might be a sign that we were going to be a shade on the defensive side in the face of the threat posed by the likes of Adomah, Tomlin, Kike and the returning Patrick Bamford.
That wasn't really the case, though, in an entertaining first half that was just shaded by the home side. Still, it was Boro - a good technical outfit, well marshalled by one-time (well many times actually!) Forest target Grant Leadbitter - who took the lead through the man himself. Leadbitter's teasing, chipped dink to the far post found the net after a short corner which had predictably caught Forest napping.
That felt unfair based on the run of play and rightful parity was restored when Gary Gardner levelled matters in some style. Having just planted a header wide he made amends with a superb long range curled effort. Sky will have to name its 'Goal of the Day' award after the on-loan Villa man at this rate given the magnificent strike he fired home at the Madejski last week. His performance had deserved it too - a smart display full of clever touches, turns and passes which showed another side of his game, with Mancienne in the side to be the deeper man.
The second half was much more a case of dogged determination and discipline. Boro controlled the ball better as they looked for a way to forge ahead in a super-tight title race. Here Freedman earned his corn once again - setting up a solid shape that restricted to visitors to long-range efforts. It was tough to watch as we struggled to get enough of the ball but it was a system that retained just enough of a threat to conjure a winner.
Michail Antonio had been denied a penalty after what looked to be a pretty deliberate and clear hand ball from Kalas but made sure that that didn't matter by setting up Dexter Blackstock for a well-taken winner. I know some are frustrated at Michail's lack of defensive cover but you do wonder if it's a ploy for him not to track an overlapping full back so that he's in position to spring a counter. Even if it's not you can't be too harsh on him - the pace and power he shows on the left is a handful for anyone at this level and he's a joy to watch going forward. We'd be a much worse side without him.
You couldn't help but be delighted for Dexter too - netting his first goal at the City Ground since Boxing Day 2012 when he scored the 4th in a 4-2 win over Leeds United that was to prove the final game for Sean O'Driscoll. Dexter was a menace for the Middlesbrough back line all afternoon with the sort of hard working and physical display that was the hallmark of his earlier days at the club.
From then on it was what Freedman called a 'superhuman effort' to see the game out. It's the sort of steel we simply didn't have under Pearce. I needn't have worried about Lichaj who once again proved the unsung hero cutting out crosses and getting in tackles alongside Lascelles and Wilson, who both did well. The returning Todd Kane proved rusty in the first half but just about held out as part of the Freedman shape.
It all made for a cracking three points and, just as we feared we had done the Sh**p a favour, the icing on the cake came with news of two injury time goals for Birmingham down the A52.
I'm still not allowing myself to whittle about the play offs. I'm massively enjoying the football served up by Freedman's side and I really don't want to spoil it with all that stress, especially since it's still an awful way off and tough trips to both East Anglian clubs and Brentford await. I'd prefer to dwell on the fact that it's some time since such an entertaining run of performances from a Forest side.
I was also heartened by Freedman's pre-match interview. In some respects it was the sort of interview you'd like to hear from Fawaz. He was positive, enthusiastic and knowledgable whilst realistic to the challenge ahead. It sounds like he's effectively drawn up a 'business plan' for the future on how to recruit and develop under the limitations imposed after breaking the FFP spending limits. It's something that you doubt anyone else involved in the club has done, save maybe for a piece of paper in Fawaz's office somewhere with 'get to the Premier League' written on it.
I'm sold on Dougie now and I wish Fawaz would get on with confirming he will be with us next season. With the embargo looming over us we'll need to be super smart in the transfer market. Targets need to be identified now and chased as soon as possible. We need a plan and Freedman is clearly a man with a plan. His long-term stay on Trentside really shouldn't be dependent on him pulling off some unlikely promotion miracle. Days like this have earned him the right to try to deliver in the long-term, it's time that common sense prevailed.
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