Davies has led Forest to third, two points off the second and final automatic spot and five adrift of leaders Newcastle United before Boro's trip to the City Ground today.
But having found promotion costly in the past, Davies continues to claim staying in the Football League would be more beneficial to his team.
In 2007, the Scot took Derby County into the top-flight. A few months later he was sacked, with question marks raised over his man-management and transfer policy.
Such an experience has led Davies, who also twice led Preston to play-offs, to persistently talk down Forest's chances of going up this year, having saved them from relegation last spring.
Strachan, however, is having none of it. For all the Middlesbrough boss would also prefer more time to mould a team capable of sustaining a place in the Premier League, there is no way he would pass up the opportunity if it was on the cards this season.
I don't know if it was kidology or not on Billy's part,
said Starchan.
But because of the upheavals we have had here in terms of personnel and everything, you could say we are not ready for promotion either.
But we would take it if it was on offer. We are desperate to go up.
It is not a settled place here at the moment; we have five or six players out of contract, new players, injuries, but we are trying to deal with that and get back to the Premier League.
If we get to the play-offs, that would be great, and then, if so, we will deal with the Premier League after that. I am not having any of this toosoon- to-win-promotion talk. It is never too soon. You cannot pick and choose promotion. It is never going to happen that way.
Strachan is a firm believer in hard work bringing rewards, which is why he will continue to stress to his players that Premier League football is still achievable this time around.
In life, you have to go for it.
You get out there, it is like running a marathon, and I used to do it by getting right out in front and hanging on in there, said the 53-year-old.
It's better doing it that way than pacing yourself. It is the same in a game of football.
Jock Stein used to tell me to pace myself, but when I paced myself, the game by-passed me. I used to just go for it and if you are winning three or four, great, you can coast it; if not, then hang in there.
Strachan will take his squad to Forest today knowing three points would seriously boost Middlesbrough's chances of climbing into the play-offs, with a three-point gap to make up to sixth.
But his options are limited.
Many of his players are carrying niggling injuries, but with few ready-made replacements, players such as Gary O'Neil and Barry Robson are likely to have to start today.
Strachan has instructed chief executive Keith Lamb to strike a loan deal, with a view to permanent arrangement, as soon as possible, with Blackpool's Charlie Adam and Aston Villa's Fabien Delph options.
The Boro boss wanted to wait until the back end of this week to increase his search for new faces, knowing if a maximum 93-day loan was secured now it would take in any potential play-off battle.
I do need midfielders still,
he said. It is unfair that we have had players playing with injuries, O'Neil is doing it just now, Robson too, Rhys Williams was for a long period of time and it affected him.
If we had more midfielders, we would have been able to chop and change, but we did not have that.
The loan window is open again and if I sign anyone now they can play right in the playoffs, which would not have been the case had I signed them earlier.
We have tried hard to bring someone in because our midfielders need a break but in saying that, the lads are strong minded and keep playing.
It's a sign of character.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo