Inquest

OK, it's not quite so bad that we need to call in Quincy to investigate, but last night was a stark reminder of what life was like under Megson: the wrong tactics and players who either underperformed or weren't good enough.

Smith: Did well
Centre-halves: Defended OK, distribution was awful (especially Wes)
Wing-backs: Rubbish. JC can't attack and Gino can't defend. They would have been OK if we had played 4-4-2
Midfield: Holt Sr did OK, Thommo kept losing the ball, Sammy was poor
Forwards: Chopper looked like a striker who needs a goal, Spencer looked out of his depth
Subs: Nicky Southall played more decent passes in 20 minutes than the rest of the team managed in the first 70. Holt Jr looked as strong and threatening as ever, without actually managing to get near the goal. Jack impressed, dropping slightly deeper to try and create some more chances

Manager: Should have gone 4-4-2, and only changed shape at the end when it was too late. Reminded me of Megson playing 6-3-1, as Thommo was a defender playing in midfield, and Holt Sr and Sammy failed to show any attacking prowess.

In mitigation: The Forest squad needed this game like a hole in the head - it was a lose-lose situation. Not really an excuse at this stage of the season, but it was also telling that Accrington had an extra day's rest after the weekend fixtures.

The lesson: These fixtures cannot be taken lightly. CC messed about too much with the team before the match, and not soon enough during. This also showed that while we have a squad rich in quantity, we still need more quality. SWD did not look good enough last night, and the full-backs proved that attacking and defending are much easier in a 4-4-2, when you have a midfielder helping you out.

BUT: Although Forest were below-par, congratulations to Accrington, for their work-rate and astonishing fitness levels. Given how well they closed down every Forest move, I suppose it would be ungracious to deny them the slice of luck they had with the goal. Well done.