It's well established fact that a club like Nottingham Forest cannot compete with Manchester United, or the rest of the Premier League's top six, in the transfer market.
The Reds have a massive pull but financially they cannot match the richest teams in the country, which is the same story for the majority of the top flight. But just because you have more money does not mean you necessarily spend it more wisely.
Indeed, this has been the problem for Man United in particular in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent on transfer fees, wages and agents fees with very little to show for it.
READ MORE: Marinakis & Cooper receive overwhelming message from our Big Forest Forum
SEE ALSO: Follow the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news LIVE
Anger among the fan base has once again risen to boiling point following the opening day defeat to Brighton. Underwhelming transfer links with former Stoke City striker Marko Arnautovic and Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot have only inflamed matters.
Meanwhile in Nottingham, the Tricky Trees are getting deals done without fuss. Twelve new signings have thus far arrived, most of whom arguably upgrade the team on last year.
Time will tell whether or not they are successful signings, but that is the case with every club anyway. And Forest simply had to bring new recruits and plenty of them to give Steve Cooper any hope of success this season.
The worst possible thing the club could have done was dither over deals. When Liverpool pushed for more money to sell Neco Williams, they played ball before anyone else could swoop in and hijack the move.
Man United fans would kill to see their club move with that kind of agility and haste in the transfer market. They've only been waiting for a proper central midfielder for about four years now.
And it's not just the incomings that are a problem. Both Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard left the club for free this summer when United could have recouped a fee for both last year. Forest directly benefited from their incompetence by snapping up the latter on a Bosman.
The difference between the two fan bases in their happiness levels when it comes to transfers is clear to see in the results of our latest survey. NottinghamshireLive received over 1,100 responses to our Big Forest Forum from Reds fans on a range of topics related to their club.
Our colleagues at Manchester Evening News conducted a similar survey of United fans. And the contrast could hardly be any wider.
When it comes to Forest's approach to transfers, out readers gave them an average score of 86 out of 100. Over 350 gave them the maximum score of 100, illustrating just how happy they are with this summer's new signings.
United supporters, on the other hand, have handed their club a gigantic thumbs down after seeing only three new players through the door at Carrington. The average score was a pitiful 26 out of 100.
Forest may not have United's standing in the game, but the supporters are certainly in a far happier place right now.
What's your verdict on Forest's transfers? Have your say in the comments below!
READ NEXT:
Man Utd deal Nottingham Forest transfer blow
Man Utd receive transfer response after Nottingham Forest claims made
Nottingham Forest make defender 'enquiry' after Alex Moreno transfer blow
Callum Wilson makes Jesse Lingard admission and addresses Newcastle transfer interest
Get the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news straight to your inbox!
