For the third time this season Sabri Lamouchi took a gamble with his team selection, having seen it fail miserably, surely, he must now realise that it can’t happen again if Forest are serious about promotion.

It’s been quite a week for the club when all’s said and done, aptly described as sublime to the ridiculous.

Having comprehensively beaten Championship heavyweights Leeds United last Saturday, the Reds certainty gave their supporters plenty to cheer about. It was the industry and collective guile of every man in the team that really shone through in the 2-0 victory, setting a benchmark in the process.

People found themselves replaying the goals all weekend long as they relished the visit of struggling Charlton Athletic on the Tuesday. The general consensus was as follows; the momentum from the Leeds game would manifest itself against the Addicks and propel the club into a table topping fixture at West Bromwich Albion this coming Saturday.

However, as witnessed at Birmingham and on countless occasions during the last twenty-one years, Forest went and did, well, a Forest.

When the side was announced prior to kick off against Charlton, not even the most astute footballing brain in the world could have predicted five changes to the starting line-up. Immediately, flashbacks from Wigan and Millwall appeared in the minds of Reds supporters, who were left scratching their heads in utter disbelief.

What unfolded on the pitch was a polar opposite of the wonder show  four days earlier. My mate summed it up perfectly after the twenty-minute mark, saying that it had all the hallmarks of a Carabao Cup first round tie against lower league opposition. Despite another bumper crowd, the atmosphere all around the City Ground was deflated and sombre. You could sense the disappointment and distain at the team selection in every seat at this famous old stadium. And, I include myself within that collective.

Players who’d barely kicked a ball all season were thrown into the fray and expected to gel at the drop of a hat. Even though there were several questionable, and quite frankly, poor performances on the evening, I’m going to refrain from singling out individuals for criticism. The timing of their introduction to the Championship at Forest was woefully wrong. That said, you expect new faces to show willing and do the basics well. Sadly, even the simplest of tasks like short passing and control were nowhere to be seen.

On the flip side, Charlton were very good, they smelled blood and went for the kill. It would be grossly remis to ignore the many positives they provided on the night. Much was said about the excellence of Lyle Taylor but Oztumer and Sarr also shone very brightly. Naby Sarr’s brilliant interception, powerful run and exquisite cross for the goal was as good as I’ve seen in the division all season.

Hats off to Lee Bowyer and his side, despite not having won away since early season, they successfully dominated Nottingham Forest for the second time and I believe they will beat the drop without a doubt.

Sabri Lamouchi’s post match interview allowed him to explain the omissions of Lewis Grabban, Sammy Ameobi and Samba Sow, all of whom he said were injured. I have my doubts that not even one of them was fit enough to start that game, but I suppose we must believe the manager. If, and only if, one or more was secretly being rested it’s nothing more than an oversight. Lamouchi did however, apologise for resting both full backs. Given what he claimed about the injured trio, it’s  inconceivable to then rest the likes of Cash and Ribeiro. I perceived this as utter contempt and disrespect for the opposition, which makes the whole situation indefensible from a managerial perspective.

Next up is the trip to the Hawthorns against WBA, where a draw would have been very useful, had we taken Charlton seriously and beaten them. Now, the odds are heavily stacked against Forest to topple the Baggies if any hope of automatic promotion exists, especially, if the likes of Grabban, Sow and Ameobi aren’t fit to return.

I cannot accept players being rested, especially when you consider the fact that we’ve exited both cup competitions in the early stages. In contrast, Crawley Town (2011) and Lincoln City (2017) won the Conference and reached the FA Cup 5th and 6^th rounds respectively. Both of those clubs amassed over fifty games during the periods stated, at a more physically demanding level of football too.

I still love Sabri and honestly believe we’ll make the play offs, but the gambling must stop if this is to be achieved.

*Article provided by Steve Corry (Nottingham Forest Correspondent).

*Main image @NFFC If Forest are to have the best chance of promotion Head Coach Sabri Lamouchi must not tinker with his side again.