GONE was the haunted expression, the scowl, the barbed remarks – in fact a smile had returned to Dougie Freedman’s face by early evening on Saturday.

Having watched his Forest side steamroll his former club, the Scot resisted any temptation to crow, or rub salt into the wounds of his opposite number Neil Lennon.

He described Forest as a “joy to work with” and his players “eager to learn” which have their own subtext, if you are cynical enough to find it.

He even vowed to start playing with wingers – a comment which might have pricked interest from Lennon, who was left with just two out-and-out wide men when he took charge, Liam Feeney and Rob Hall.

Freedman probably had more important questions to fend – namely those about his future at the City Ground, which according to club owner Fawaz Al Hasawi approximates a trial until the end of the season.

So far it looks like the Scot has fallen on his feet. And that is bound to sting for some of the Wanderers fans who hold him chiefly responsible for the club’s problems this season.

By the time Freedman had left Bolton in October he had lost faith that the group of players he had at his disposal were good enough to avoid a scrap with relegation, at least under his own stewardship.

For most of the last four months Neil Lennon appeared to have proved him completely wrong.

Josh Vela, Andy Lonergan, Zach Clough, Darren Pratley and Craig Davies came in from the margins – but the recent dip in form has rang alarm bells. Could Bolton regress to the same team which suffered so badly under Freedman?

There was definitely an air of concern in Lennon’s voice, if also one of spiky defiance that he would not be associated with such failure.

Freedman and Wanderers parted ways again for another season and one would hope they meet again on more equal terms post-August.

Perhaps only then the two managers can be better judged on the jobs they are doing at two grand old clubs?