'Sums up the season' - Supporters groups react as Nottingham Forest lose out on play-offs

'It is a tough one to take but it has been coming for the last few games'

Leading members of supporters trusts at Nottingham Forest have said there needs to be reflection after the club lost out on the chance of playing in the play-offs.

The Reds were defeated 4-1 by Stoke City at the City Ground on the final game of the season, missing out on the play-offs to Swansea on goal difference.

The Welsh outfit managed their own 4-1 victory away at Reading, helping them climb above Forest into sixth - taking the final spot and the chance of promotion to the Premier League.

Forest could have secured the final play-off spot by scoring an injury time winner, but an own-goal by Forest forward Nuno da Costa in the 96th minute took away all hope for Sabri Lamouchi's men.

Speaking following the "deflating" loss on Wednesday night, leading Forest fans called for an inquest into the last few games - with the Reds winning just two of their nine matches after lockdown.

Kevin George, organiser of the LGBT+ Trickies supporters' group, says the result "sums up the season".

"To be honest I didn't expect that but I hoped we could do it today", he told Nottinghamshire Live.

"I was really hopeful tonight that we were going to get that injury time goal and we did - it was just in the wrong end.

"It sums up the season really that we could only get the last minute goal in the wrong end of the pitch. It's Forest all over.

"But tonight's drama is typical Championship, it is one of the best leagues in the world and there was so much drama up and down the table tonight."

Mr George adds that he hopes there will be a full reflection period into tonight's performance and the results since football returned after lockdown.

"There has to be an inquest into this somewhere down the line", he said.

"What that means I have no idea, whether that means a clear out or getting those one or two players that will make us a better team.

"It's one of those things where, if we had been on a run and got to seventh from lower down I would have accepted it. But we have been there all season.

"We should have been winning a lot more of our home games, that's a big one and it's something we need to improve on next year.

"All we have to do now is prepare for next season, as we do every year."

Elliott Stanley, chairman of the Nottingham Forest Supporters' Trust, adds that he fears speculation over Lamouchi's future could cause tensions at the club next season.

"What do you even say after that? It is a tough one to take but it has been coming for the last few games", he told Nottinghamshire Live.

"It's not all on tonight, but the manner of tonight is worrying when you look at next season and the reaction of players like [Joe] Worrall.

"We're looking at a big rebuild I think. There is going to be a lot of speculation over the manager's future and my worry is not what you think about his future, but that it will dominate the start of next season if we start off badly.

"We should have taken the opportunity that came to us, it was a huge opportunity today in front of us.

"I think it's been quite an equal Championship this season, the problem is we finished on plus eight goal difference.

"If we want to be winning the league next season, and I think that should be our ambition, we need to turn that into plus 45.

"You can't win the league simply by defending, so we need to improve that part of our game before we do anything.

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"In a sense I think we have overachieved this season, but we've only got six or so weeks to prepare for the next one so it will be tough."

Forest now have around six weeks to prepare before the next season of the Championship returns in September.

In the play-offs, Brentford will face Swansea City while Fulham will go up against Cardiff City for a chance to play at Wembley for promotion.

West Bromwich Albion also secured promotion to the Premier League tonight, drawing 2-2 at home to Queen's Park Rangers.

They will join Leeds United in the top division, with Marcelo Bielsa's men lifting the Championship trophy after a 4-0 win at home to Charlton Athletic.