Last summer saw major upheaval at the at the City Ground as Billy Davies was replaced as manager by Steve McClaren and many key players left the club.

The changes meant a club that had challenged for promotion during the previous two seasons nose-dived, winning just two of their opening 11 Championship games.

Forest secured their position in the second tier of English football with a goalless draw at home to Blackpool on Saturday, but the club's reliance on loan players, coupled with a number of players out of contract in the summer is a major concern for their manager.

"I hope the club takes this as a warning," Cotterill said.

Unbalanced

"The playing squad has not been turned over and it needed to be. We have seen the unbalanced side of the squad.

"We need to be aware that there are good players who are out of contract and there are good loan players who will be going back to their clubs.

"On Saturday we competed against a side chasing promotion, but that was with all the loan players and with the players who are out of contract.

"If we do not do something, we will be in a worse situation than when I arrived.

"Maybe we stop the juggernaut before it goes out of control and flies off the road at the bottom of the hill. It is a vital few months.

"The players who are out of contract, if they leave the club and the loan players go back, this situation is a scare, a warning, and we need to learn from it. If we do not, we will be in trouble next year."