Samba Sow issues passionate Nottingham Forest rallying cry | OneFootball

Samba Sow insists that Nottingham Forest cannot afford to dwell on last season’s capitulation in the Sky Bet Championship.

Forest went into the final game of the campaign needing only a point against Stoke City to secure a place in the play-offs.

But a 4-1 home defeat to the Potters – coupled up with a 4-1 win for Swansea at Reading – saw Forest miraculous slip out of the play-offs on goal difference.

It was a heartbreaking end to the season for the Reds, who had occupied a top-six spot for well over 75% of the campaign.

This season has been a difficult one for the Reds thus far. They sit 20th in the Championship, only one point clear of the relegation zone.

Samba Sow was a key player in the Forest side which came agonisingly close to finishing in the play-off places last season, and the midfielder has insisted that the club now need to face reality.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, he said: “What happened last season is done. It’s finished. We can’t keep coming back to it.

“For sure it was frustrating and unbelievable. That’s last season. This season we didn’t start well and all the games are difficult. We keep going and keep working.

“If we start winning everyone will enjoy it because there are so many games to play. It’s human to think about if we don’t concede against Derby (a 1-1 draw at Pride Park in July) or something else happens, that’s normal.

“But the reality is we’re in the Championship and we have to fight again.”

The Verdict

Forest were a busy club in the summer, adding plenty of experienced, reputable players to the squad as they looked to get over last season’s play-off hangover.

Their end to the season was inexplicable and quite remarkable, but Sow is right, that’s the past, and right now, Forest are in a relegation scrap.

Rotherham and Derby, who are both below them in the table, have a game in hand, so if one of those sides win that game in hand, then Forest will slip closer towards the bottom three.