April was always going to be a defining month for Nottingham Forest. Steve Cooper’s side now have two weeks to steady and steel themselves for what lies ahead.
It’s not going to be pretty, it’s probably going to be tight and they are going to have to dig in. They are in the thick of the relegation scrap, but they are by no means down and out. Far from it.
In urgent need of turning the tide, yes, but still with enough time to do so and enough points to play for. The international break offers a chance to take a deep breath before the battle to come.
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A run of six games without a win has dragged the Reds into trouble, following last-minute heartbreak against Newcastle United. They could be further in the mire once their rivals have fulfilled their round of fixtures.
The fight at the bottom end of the table is one of the closest in years, though. And Forest go into the run-in still with a chance of staying up. Many would have taken that before a ball was kicked this season.
Defensive errors
“The overriding feeling at the moment is disappointment because of the result and how we haven’t covered ourselves in glory in the build-up to Newcastle’s goals,” Cooper said after Friday night’s 2-1 defeat. “That’s what I’m annoyed with.”
The Reds rode their luck against the Magpies. They survived an early scare when Joe Willock spurned a gilt-edged chance, they were twice rescued by the woodwork and they had VAR to thank for chalking off a Newcastle goal for offside. But they still so nearly came away with a result. Two lapses in concentration, both in added time at the end of either half, proved costly.
Forest argued they should have had a free-kick for a foul on Andre Ayew in the build-up to the visitors’ equaliser. Owner Evangelos Marinakis and the club hierarchy are understood to be fuming with referee Paul Tierney over that. Regardless, the hosts were caught napping and allowed Alexander Isak to connect with a cross, coming up with an improvised finish after Serge Aurier had been unable to intervene.
Having then hung on at times after the break - with Felipe showing the fighting spirit required as he threw himself in front of everything - a point would have been seen as a decent result. There was no arguing with the handball decision against Moussa Niakhate, however.
It was not how the defender wanted his comeback to go after seven months on the sidelines. He had done OK prior to that, but was punished for a sloppy mistake.
The Reds have already learned the hard way that you rarely escape unscathed from such moments. The Premier League is ruthless in that regard.
Selection conundrum
Cooper changed formation for this one. He named an attacking line-up, forgoing his usual three in midfield to allow Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Emmanuel Dennis to support Andre Ayew in attack.
Ryan Yates and Jonjo Shelvey made up the axis in the centre of the pitch. The former made a huge difference on his first start since January, scrapping for everything, winding up the opposition and showing exactly what his team have been lacking.
Forest were still struggling for possession, but with Yates in there, they had a fighter. When he was forced off with a shoulder problem, they missed him - as has been the case for the last few weeks.
Cooper will hope to have more options available to him after the break, with the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate and Taiwo Awoniyi working their way back to fitness. Having both back would be a huge boost - Awoniyi in particular.
Picking the right XI for the games to come is going to be key. Johnson and Gibbs-White need to see more of the ball than they did against Newcastle.
Dennis delivers
It can be hard to find positives after a suckerpunch of a result, especially given the position the Reds find themselves in. But the opening goal was certainly one.
It was an exquisite finish from Dennis, who pounced on a poor backpass and lifted the ball over Nick Pope. That’s the kind of quality Forest have been waiting for him to unlock this season.
He deserved his place in the XI after a couple of positive substitute appearances, and generally, he took his opportunity. This was arguably his best performance for the club.
He still has the ability to frustrate, but there is clear potential there. Getting on the scoresheet should give him a confidence boost, but now he has to build on that.
Cooper needs all the attacking options he can get. Goals need to come from all areas and as many players as possible. It might be that the head coach reverts to a more familiar formation once the action resumes, but Dennis has shown he is worth considering handing more minutes to. Whether it be from in the starting line-up or from off the bench, Forest need more of those kinds of performances from him.
Fighting it out
Newcastle are a very good side. Even with the Reds’ incredible record at the City Ground and the fact they had taken points off the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City Trentside, it was always going to be tough.
That’s not being defeatist; indeed, Cooper’s line-up suggested he was really going for it on Friday night. That it didn’t work out is perhaps a sign of the position Forest are in and the run they are on. They are in a dip - one they are more than capable of coming out of.
The manager emphasised the need to stick together when he spoke after the final whistle. No blame would be attached to Niakhate, he said, for that moment of madness.
They need to improve again, but this was a better performance in many ways than other recent displays. A stat which did the rounds on social media at full-time showed one area the Reds must look at, though. They have surrendered 15 points from winning positions this season, with only Bournemouth (17) and Leicester City (19) losing more.
This term has been a huge learning curve for all involved; for the club, for Cooper, for many of his players. But they are still in there fighting, they still have it within them to survive.
Plenty of pundits had written them off amid that dismal run earlier in the campaign, but Forest came back from that. They can do so again.
It is about staying the right side of the line anyway, anyhow. Epitomised by Yates, the Reds showed some grit and fight against the Magpies. They are going to need plenty of both in the coming weeks.
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