Nottingham Forest losing home mojo as Newcastle United defeat highlights concentration issue - verdict

It’s results like this which strike fear into the hearts of Nottingham Forest. Having come back from the World Cup break in a rich vein of form, it seemed at one point that Steve Cooper’s side were on the verge of pulling away from the intense Premier League relegation battle.

But following a poor run of form and a gut-wrenching 2-1 stoppage-time defeat to Newcastle United on Friday night, Forest find themselves just two points above the drop-zone with a number of their rivals still to play this weekend.

Losing is never easy, but when it comes from conceding goals in time added on in each half, it hurts that little bit more.

Before kick-off though, the team sheet provided Forest with reasons to be hopeful. Cooper pulled yet another rabbit out the injury-hat as Brennan Johnson miraculously made the starting XI despite sustaining a groin injury last weekend against Spurs.

Equally, Ryan Yates’ inclusion was a huge boost for a Forest midfield which, as of late, has lacked energy and drive. From minute one, Yates’ tenacity in midfield was a relief for those home fans in the stands, who were energised by his aggression and drive and Johnson’s pace caused Dan Burns some problems.

But this wasn’t enough to alleviate the pressure from Newcastle, who almost went ahead in the first 10 minutes after a scrappy free-kick deflected off Renan Lodi onto the crossbar.

Luckily for Forest, Cooper’s side grew into the game slightly and were rewarded for their high press. Andre Ayew chased down Sven Botman, forcing a poor pass back which Emmanuel Dennis capitalised on.

His cheeky dink into the top-left hand corner sent the City Ground into a frenzy and it felt that perhaps, yet again, magic was in the air as Forest sought to take points off a Premier League high-flyer, as they had done against Man City just a few weeks previously.

Unfortunately though, this wasn’t to be as Newcastle’s class shone through and Alexander Isak’s sublime finish in the second minute of first-half stoppage-time took the wind out of Forest’s sails.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first with Newcastle dominating and Forest struggling to create meaningful chances or have extended periods of possession.

If it wasn’t for a couple of fantastic saves from Keylor Navas, the game could have gotten away from them. Isak was again causing problems and had a brilliant assist chalked off after Elliot Anderson's first 'goal' for Newcastle was controversially ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

Deep into the fixture, a handball from Moussa Niakhaté saw Paul Tierney point to the spot and Isak made no mistake from 12 yards.

The last-minute penalty now makes it 15 points lost from winning positions for Nottingham Forest and something has to change quickly if Forest are to survive this season.

With Everton, Southampton and Bournemouth all experiencing somewhat a resurgence, Forest have to find a way to ensure Friday’s loss is no more than a blip as they hope to maintain their strong City Ground form.

Ultimately, this has been the key to Forest’s success this season and normal service must resume at their home by the river if they are to hold onto their Premier League status - although Cooper’s side cannot rely solely on home form to keep them up.

As ever Steve Cooper did not shy away from the challenge that faces his side for the remainder of the season, acknowledging the poor decision-making which lead to both goals.

He reflected: “The main talking points for me are just how we didn’t manage ourselves around the two goals. The timing of the goals are moments in the game where you have to see it out.

“For us to make those decisions in the build-up ourselves is something you will get punished for at this level and this is where my immediate frustration is,”

Thankfully for Forest, Cooper remains at the helm. Whilst other clubs around them in the league have opted to change managers in a desperate attempt to stay up, Nottingham Forest boast having one of the most highly-rated young coaches in the country.

Other than a few rogue outliers, the feeling in the Forest fanbase is one of trust that Cooper has the tools to see the club through this difficult period.

He has guided them through tough times before and with the support of the Garibaldi faithful, and the board, he can do it again.