Nottingham Forest have to fix major finishing fault under Martin O’Neill

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If Nottingham Forest are to challenge for promotion to the Premier League, then there are several issues that need to be addressed.

Many of you could probably reel off a list as long as your arm.

There are, however, a few basics that need to be prioritised.

Regardless of what happens in the summer transfer window and who may or may not arrive, the Reds need to find a way of bringing the best out of those at their disposal.

Martin O’Neill is the man charged with that task.

Whatever your stance on the rights or wrongs of his presence, he will be sticking around.

As he leads Forest into 2019-20, there are obvious flaws to iron out.

Back-to-back wins and a fabled success on the road have finally been secured, but not without a slice of good fortune.

Admittedly, the Reds are owed plenty.

Costel Pantilimon’s penalty save at QPR does not make up for trips to Leeds, Norwich, West Brom and Ipswich, but it is a step in the right direction.

Prowess

An afternoon in the Big Smoke could, however, have been far more comfortable.

As could many outings prior to that.

Finishing prowess has not been a feather in the Forest cap this season.

Particularly under O’Neill.

The Reds boss has admitted as much in the Nottingham Post, saying: “Against Middlesbrough, for example, we created a number of chances in the first half hour of the game.

“But, in fairness, you probably thought the same as I… and that was, will we get a goal here?

“That is the difficulty. We do not always score enough goals.

“We created chances in that game, which is great. But the matches we have lost in recent weeks, in quick succession, we did great chances.

“We created loads of chances against Sheffield Wednesday – and we were unable to take them. Eventually that will cost you.”

Conversion

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It will, and it has.

Since O’Neill took the reins at the City Ground back in January, Forest have – according to Opta data – converted just 31.03% of the ‘big chances’ they have created.

So, they have taken less than one in three.

Only five sides in the Championship boast a worse record over the same period.

Of those sat above Forest in this particular table are Bolton, Reading, Wigan, QPR, Millwall and Swansea.

Overall conversion rates shed a slightly better light on Forest, as they sit in the middle of the pack on 14.19%, but there is clearly a need to be more ruthless.

That is reflected in the fact that Lewis Grabban and Joe Lolley are the only players to have made double figures in the league this season – with the latter helped to that mark by inheriting penalty duties from the former.

Another frontman may well be targeted over the summer.

Whoever is on the books, though, come August, O’Neill has to find a way of turning promise into something more tangible – in more ways than one!