As supporters left Ewood Park last night there will have been frustrations from both Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers.
For the Reds boss Sabri Lamouchi the dissatisfaction will have almost certainly come in the way of the performance level. The Frenchman spoke after the Stoke win about improving on that front, but it didn’t happen at Ewood Park.
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray told Nottinghamshire Live after the game that he was disappointed to draw having been the only side who looked like winning.
Although the Rovers boss did have a point, his comments perhaps serve to highlight just how far Forest have come in the space of nine games, and more precisely two months.
One of the frustrating aspect from a supporters perspective during in recent years as been Forest’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A soft underbelly has been evident for far too long, with the Reds of recent times simply being rolled over all too easily.
Last night Forest didn’t play well. Ball retention was sloppy, most second touches were tackles and the range of passing that has been evident in recent weeks was non-existent.
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The Reds found a way to snatch a positive result from the clutches of defeat last night and if that is going to be the mentality going forwards then exciting times will surely be on the horizon.
Improvements
Lamouchi did need to shuffle his pack last night. Three games in a week have clearly taken their toll on some players’ fitness levels. Joao Carvalho and Tiago Silva were both on the bench last night.
The 47-year-old has done a lot of good things since arriving at Forest. None should be considered better than the clear change in the attitude of the players since his arrival.
Forest quite simply don’t know when they are beaten. Last night’s draw with Rovers made it seven points that the Reds have claimed from losing positions and that has to be deemed a massive positive.
Mowbray is quite right to be left scratching his head as to why his team didn’t walk off the pitch with three points. Against another Forest team in recent memory, they may well have hammered the Reds last night.
Lamouchi now has a squad that is willing to run through brick walls for the football club, however, and that is a dangerous animal.
Several crosses entered the box last night yet Tobias Figueiredo and Joe Worrall weren’t in the mood for letting Danny Graham or Sam Gallagher have easy pickings in the air.
Forest aren’t in the business to be rolled over and easily tickled into submission anymore and that can only be a positive thing.
Mowbray might cite disappointment but the change in mentality will surely be delighting the Forest faithful and indeed Lamouchi.
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