Nottingham Forest are forging a new identity but will time cost them a shot at promotion?

A 2-0 defeat to Barnsley in South Yorkshire put the breaks on Nottingham Forest’s improved run of form. Despite signs of progress, Chris Hughton is still finding out about his players and his squad’s credentials to mount a serious promotion push.

It’s a funny old game sometimes. For 85 minutes yesterday afternoon at Oakwell, Forest had played as well as they have done all season in terms of overall performance. Chris Hughton’s side is steadily developing an identity which many Forest fans will be favourable of, having witnessed months of incompetent passing and playing without any real attacking purpose.

From what was served up against Barnsley at Oakwell yesterday, was at times, a team that is firmly looking to play with more vigour in the final third. 

Despite the result and disappointments, it’s not a time to knock that development, there were plenty of positives for Forest fans to take away from the afternoon. Picking up from where they left off at Wycombe, Forest looked a far more fluid outfit.

Joe Lolley and Anthony Knockaert on either side of the Forest attack looked menacing each time they had the ball and whilst both aren’t quite firing on all cylinders just yet, the former looked more like his old self yesterday with his forceful running.

Lolley will consider himself very unlucky not to have gotten himself a goal or an assist, with a sweetly struck first half volley that was well saved and a threaded through ball to Guerrero, that should have really brought about the game’s opener.

Anthony Knockaert has an obvious air of class about him with the ball at his feet. A sublime first-half back heel to get Cyrus Christie flying down the Forest right was a thing of beauty. Some of his deliveries deserved more and he’s another too that could have had an assist yesterday with a superbly whipped in cross, that created the aforementioned chance for Joe Lolley.

As Juan Angel Guerrero’s more notable contributions were costly misses in front of goal, his link-up play once more was very good in holding the ball up and getting the side moving on the counter. Their switching of the play was a really positive feature of the afternoon and possessing both menacing wingers and full-backs, they attacked with intent throughout the first half particularly.

Lyle Taylor is swiftly becoming a fans favourite with another good performance up top. He didn’t stop chasing lost causes all afternoon and a switch of the play in the first half which led to Guerrero’s second golden opportunity was a piece of brilliance akin to that of Forest legend Nigel Clough back in his heyday at the club.

Taylor was denied another goal in the second half, bringing a good save from Barnsley keeper Walton after Cyrus Christie’s pinpoint cross had picked him out in the box.

“We had good chances and there is always that balance when you are setting up the team, to how offensive you want to be. Goals change games and if we put one of those chances away, it changes the game. They have to come out a little bit more, play a higher line and then the game changes.

“The longer the game goes when you are not taking those chances, you are putting pressure on yourselves and their goal decided the game. The first one was a great strike and that can happen.” – Chris Hughton

Image: Nottingham Forest Official

If there was any criticism to be labelled at Chris Hughton, it would be that he failed to make changes in the last 15 minutes when it seemed that Forest didn’t quite have enough to win the game. Luke Freeman, on current form, is struggling and it’s difficult to figure out where his best position is at this time. 

Harry Arter made a good impact coming off the bench in the win at Blackburn Rovers and at home to Rotherham, offering fresh impetus from central midfield and his introduction may have spurred Forest on to win the game.

Not that there was a lot wrong with Ryan Yates and Jack Colback’s performances at the base of the Forest midfield. Whilst the pairing isn’t the most dynamic, with Yuri Ribeiro and Cyrus Christie bombing up the flanks at every given opportunity and Guerrero dropping into the hole from attack, their jobs yesterday were to provide a shield in a fairly attacking set up and they didn’t let anybody down.

What followed from 85 minutes was incredibly disappointing on an afternoon that Forest had deserved more from. Goals win football matches and you couldn’t really begrudge Barnsley finally getting their goal after being very unlucky in hitting the crossbar three times previously. It was a hell of a strike from Callum Styles and a goal worthy of winning any game.

The manner in which Forest conceded again moments afterwards was the biggest concern and it did taint the overall performance. To cave in like that was not something Forest fans have become overly accustomed to until recent times. The Stoke City capitulation continues to haunt.

With a tricky run of fixtures coming up, starting with Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, the challenge to get the season going has gone up a peg or three. 

With the amount of quality in their side, maybe this won’t be a bad thing as performance levels will have to be raised. Historically in The Championship, Forest have tended to fare better against the perceived top sides in the division. With Swansea and Watford to follow after their midweek journey to the South coast, things have got to come sooner rather than later if Forest are truly serious about promotion.

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