Defender Moussa Niakhate has stressed unity is key for Nottingham Forest in their survival bid - along with retaining concentration for the full 90 minutes.
With four games to go, the Reds find themselves back in the relegation zone on goal difference. They are level on points with Leicester City and Leeds United above them, while 19th-placed Everton are a point behind.
The table could have looked very different had Steve Cooper’s side not thrown away the chance of victory at Brentford on Saturday. They conceded twice in the final 10 minutes to return from the capital empty-handed.
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The visitors were particularly frustrated with the manner of the goals conceded, along with their failure to build on last Wednesday night’s triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion. Niakhate is keen for lessons to be taken on board.
“We have to stick together,” he told the club’s official website. “There are four games left and we have to focus on the next one.
"We won against Brighton but we didn’t win for more than two months before that. We know we need to win games.
“How we play is good and we go out to follow the game plan, but it’s also about remaining concentrated and it’s about being focused for more than 90 minutes. We will stay together, give everything and our focus is now solely on Southampton.
"We need to be focused for 100 minutes, continue to play how we have been playing lately and cut out the mistakes. We need to continue to stay together and continue to believe. This is the aim.”
Forest host the bottom-placed Saints at the City Ground next Monday night. That clash is followed by a trip to Chelsea, Arsenal at home and then an away game at Crystal Palace on the final day.
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