According to The Nottingham Post, Lewis Grabban will regret a number of spurned chances for Nottingham Forest at the weekend in their goalless draw with Stoke. 

The striker, who already has nine goals this season in the Championship, wasted a number of second half opportunities as his side slipped out of the top six.

Grabban has been in marvellous form for The Reds so far this season, but his shortcomings on Saturday typify what is happening to Nottingham Forest so far this campaign. In the last eight games, Forest have picked up more points against Middlesbrough, Leeds and Sheffield United (three of the top four), than they have against Millwall, Blackburn and Stoke- two of which are in the bottom half of the table.

This sums up the inconsistency of Aitor Karanka’s men so far this season, or their potential complacency when it comes to the minnows of the league. The team are effectively wasting points when they slip up to teams like Stoke at The City Ground, something that they cannot afford to do in the race for promotion. Grabban’s performance on Saturday perhaps embodied that attitude more than anyone else. He is possibly the most lethal striker in the league when on song, which he has shown on a number of occasions so far this season, but he can’t go missing, otherwise Forest will pay the price.

After the international break, two of Forest’s next three games are against strugglers Preston and Ipswich. These are games that the club must win, and Grabban must show up.