Nottingham Forest star Joe Lolley has told Nottinghamshire Live that Forest’s recent run of back-to-back defeats is nothing which hasn’t been seen before in the Sky Bet Championship,
Forest were 10 games unbeaten in the second tier but defeats at Wigan and Hull have seen the Reds slip down the Championship table.
Last weekend the deluge of rain in the East Midlands meant a postponed Reading fixture. As a result, the Reds have to wait until Saturday to try and get back to winning ways at Luton.
Lolley isn’t fazed by the recent defeats, however, and concedes it’s just the way the division is.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: “It’s nothing we’ve not seen before, whether you’ve been in the Championship a year or 10 years, or whether you’ve been promoted or not.
“Anyone who’s been promoted in this squad has said the same thing – they’ve had runs where things haven’t gone their way; they’ve had runs where they’ve lost games in a row or not won for a certain amount of games.
“That’s just the way the Championship is, anyone, can beat anyone.”
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It has been a running joke between Forest fans over the years, however, that the club would stand a better chance of success if they only played against the better teams in the division.
Forest losing against Wigan and Hull were shocks on paper, particularly when you consider the Reds have played Swansea, Fulham and Leeds all away this season and claimed seven points.
Lolley does concede that he and his team-mates must do better against the so-called lesser teams in the Championship.
He continued: “The last two games have shown that we need to be a little bit better; a little bit more ruthless in the games we’re expected to take three points and expected to dominate.
“That’s something we’ve got to look at and improve on.”
Seat Pitch Says…
Lolley is spot on with these comments and supporters would be wise to take note of his approach; not only regarding current form but also to the nature of the beast in the Championship.
Forest have played 13 games this season and lost just three of them. Two defeats have come during the last couple of games but there is still no need to panic.
The Reds have games against Luton and Derby before the international break and when they return the games begin to come thick and fast.
Lolley knows the importance of staying focused and his relaxed approach is refreshing.
The 27-year-old has come under fire for his own form this season and that has been incredibly harsh. On his day the ex-Huddersfield man is among the best in the division at what he does.
Lolley is a confidence player and a rare blip in form certainly hasn’t had an impact on his work-rate.
If his team-mates follow suit and continue working hard, then a resurgence is surely just around the corner for Forest.
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