Only a 'disastrous run of results' can halt Nottingham Forest's play-off charge

Reds legend and club ambassador John McGovern is positive about the Reds' impending return to action

Only a disastrous run of results would see Nottingham Forest miss out on the Championship’s top six, once the season resumes.

Sabri Lamouchi’s Reds are back in training at the Nigel Doughty Academy after a two-month break owing to the devastating coronavirus pandemic and preparing to step up their activity in the next few days.

It’s hoped that if progress continues to be made, then the season will restart next month, albeit without supporters present, and the club’s ambassador John McGovern expects the Reds to return with a bang and end the campaign in style, giving themselves a great shot of Premier League football next term.

“Forest have got a situation this season, if they can get it finished – I think they’ll make the play-offs, unless there’s a disaster happening regarding results and then anything can happen,” the double European Cup winner told Nottinghamshire Live.

“You’re talking about a one-off situation," he said of their play-off hopes.

Boss Sabri Lamouchi, unknown to many when appointed as Martin O’Neill’s successor last summer, has masterminded a campaign which has seen Forest top the Championship with their best shot at promotion in six years, and the Frenchman has been key to the upturn in results, McGovern says.

“The manager deserves a lot of credit for the attitude of the players because they’ve been excellent all season.”

Forest topped the table in September after a fine win at Stoke City, with some observers questioning whether they could sustain a challenge at the top, something they’ve been able to do comfortably thus far even despite that shock setback to the Lions in March.

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“Somebody asked me (about where Forest might finish) and I said I’d tell you at Christmas. I said at Christmas you will have a clear idea and understanding of how the season is going to go – any team will,” the 70-year-old Scot said.

“Not in the first few games, because somebody can have a magnificent start and fall away, you can get injuries, suspensions.

“Once all these things have been taking into consideration, at Christmas, you’ll have a great idea of what the final outcome is going to be for Nottingham Forest.

"I said to people, ‘listen, the commitment of the players so far has been magnificent. The number of times we’ve come back from one goal down," (as an example).

Their last outing before the enforced stoppage came in a surprise 3-0 home reverse to Gary Rowett’s Millwall, a second heavy home defeat of the campaign after a 4-0 thumping by Sheffield Wednesday, and it’s their displays at home which McGovern admits need to improve.

“The only little bit of inconsistency has been when a side comes to the City Ground, the team don’t realise the full importance, and it’s a slight thing, but you need to get at the opposition and you dictate the tempo of a game if you’re on your pitch,” he said.

“At times, we’ve played a couple of home games and we’ve been outplayed totally because we started the game, not hesitant, just not as positive as we might have been.

“We’ve let the opposition dictate the pace of the game. Cardiff last season did it to a tee, they came to the City Ground, we were favourites and they dictated the play, the tempo.

“It’s only a very slight thing and if we’d have improved on that one point, we would have been fighting for automatic promotion.

“We’re going to make the play-offs, unless there’s a tragic run of results but I can’t see that happening because of the attitude of the players.”

Lamouchi and Forest will hope that once the season gets underway, and Forest can play their next game at Sheffield Wednesday, McGovern’s words will prove to be correct come the campaign’s end.