Furious Forest ready to channel their anger against the Bluebirds
SIMPLE anger will be Nottingham Forest’s biggest motivation as they head to Cardiff City today.
Ben Osborn says the Reds were furious with themselves for allowing Blackburn to escape the City Ground with three points on Friday – a result that dragged Mark Warburton’s side back into the relegation fray.
Midfielder Osborn says Forest were angered by their own failure to take the opportunity to pull themselves clear of danger in the Championship, following an afternoon when victory would have lifted them eight points clear of Rovers and the drop zone.
But amid Forest’s frustration, Osborn says there is also anger – and a fierce desire among the squad to secure three points that would immediately make the picture at the wrong end of the table look a little brighter.
“The motivation is there. The squad in the last couple of games has been really together. The motivation is there, the togetherness is there,” said Osborn. “Seeing Blackburn go away with three points has motivated us even more – it has angered us, in fact.
“We need a good performance and a good result in Cardiff. We have to do everything we can to make that happen.”
Osborn still believes Forest have the quality and character to beat the drop; to secure the results they need to pull them clear of danger.
But he is also aware that it is time to do their talking on the pitch, as they head to face a Cardiff side who have been in steady form on home soil in recent weeks.
Forest, in contrast, have still only won twice on the road all season – even if they did produce improved performance at Preston and Wolves, with the Reds particularly unlucky not to have won at Deepdale.
“Yes, I am still confident. Some of the football we have played under the new manager has increased our confidence levels,” said Osborn, who admits that Forest had failed to perform to the levels they were capable of, against a Blackburn side who efficiently quelled Forest’s attacking threat for the majority of a frustrating afternoon at the City Ground.
“I had an off day. Particularly in the first half. We need to ensure that does not happen again. We just need the belief to keep playing the right way.
“It would be a heck of a time to get another away win – we just need to stand up and be counted. This is bigger than ever for us, at this point.
“It would be a good time to get a win – we have to go there and do it.”