Steve a defeat on Saturday, was there a bit of a lack of imagination up front?
I don't know, as far as I'm concerned it was a game of two halves, we played really well in the first half, we created a number of really good opportunities which we didn't take and once again we had a lot of potential situations. Maybe our final ball wasn't as effective as it's meant to have been. At half time I thought there was only going to be one winner, but the second half I think we got jittery early doors and it didn't make us any more effective. It didn't materialise in the second half, I am going to look into something different, a whole new defensive shape to try and do something differently. In the end it was a massively disappointing result.
Is this a crisis?
I don't know, I haven't got a clue, this is not a crisis, that's when you're faced with big issues in life, this is football, it's a game.
Your team likes to play with a flow, it's fair to say there wasn't much flow to the game for one reason or another? The second half shall we say the time wasting from Forest really bit in, do you need a referee to take hold of that situation?
We flowed in the first half! I don't want to distract from the situation but Forest's substitutions and all the delays must have lost about five minutes. People are very suspicious of the multi ball, they think the home team have practised positions for the ball boys and all this. I am aware that you can be conceived as abusing the system but you can abuse it the other way as well, multiball means you use any ball that comes to you.
You did look a different team second half, did heads drop you think?
Oh I think so yes, undoubtedly. On the break a couple of times they looked dangerous and the goal gave them something to keep hold of and it was hard for us to recapture it after that.
Having said all that, two great chances, Kebe in the second minute and Gunnarsson in the fifth, they would have made all of that irrelevant?
At the moment obviously we need a goal to break our drought. At the beginning of the season we had loads, there were some games when afterwards we were thinking how did we manage to score that amount? Sometimes we didn't really deserve it and at the moment I think we deserve something from these games. We have 13 games to go, it's obviously not going the way we intended but we are still in there with a shout.
The changes with Jay Tabb and other substitutions to change the formation, what was the plan?
When you are 1-0 down you have to do something to get more men forward. I brought Leroy on and we played a more lopsided formation, Cisse came on as well up the right side. I didn't think their left back would hurt us so i was looking at Doyle playing in a little bit deeper with two wide men and a right back coming forward. I was just trying to get as many potential goalscorers on the pitch as i could.
Most of the games left are away rather then home, is that of concern?
No. At the beginning of the month you looked at the fixtures, we had three home games and given our home form before then it was a really good chance to pick up some points. As it has turned out, we have picked up one point from those three games so it may well be more of a comfort away from home at the moment. The expectations at home can be hard and I don't think any team is perfect at home at the moment. It is a very competitive league but the dog eat dog mentality means it's not predictable.
As you say it's not just you at the moment, Wolves lost, Birmingham have been losing, does that just show that a touch of nerves kicks in?
It's a 46-game season and that means that you can have a rubbish run and recover to do well. Other teams look to be so strong at some stages, then others watch and analyse and do their homework and have nothing to lose. So the pressure sometimes is when you are expected to win, pressure is a big thing and it comes with playing well. Maybe it will be better to go to away games and play where nothing is expected.
Is Leroy your best bet, he gets into good positions and looked dangerous when he came on?
Well you expect a substitute to come on and look dangerous. I am just looking at gut feelings, you look at Hunt and Doyle this season, the goals they have scored and created. They looked to be before the game the best combination. Leroy's performances and goals, and the results when he has started games, don't make a strong case for him to start.
You have managed to keep hold of all your players in January, and you have brought in two reinforcements as well. Could there subconsciously be amongst the players that it's too easy and they almost just have to turn up to get their results?
No way. I can't explain this recent run and if I knew the root I would have done something about it. I think it's just the swings of the season, in this division you look back over the last ten years and most of the teams who get promoted lose ten games in a season. That's one in four you lose and you're still successful. The longevity of the season is demanding and at the moment it is there for somebody to be forceful and get promoted. It's not for anyone to lie back, but to even suspect given our recent form that we lie back is massively off the mark. The energy of the players, their intent and desire is unquestioned, we are going through a real nervous patch with us not scoring
As a manager, if something is technically wrong or tactically wrong it's easy to iron out isn't it, but when it's about mentality and nerves it's a lot more difficult.
It has proven to be that way. I always say I do my job and when it works great but when it doesn't I will just keep doing it. Everyone works hard and when they work hard you get a return from it. We are still in a really potential position, I keep using the word potential, but we have a potential about us this season and I'm not sure whether it has been realised yet. We have a big three weeks coming up, loads of games. Looking back at home games it's been a disaster and it might be a relief to go away from home.
And to nick a goal at Sheffield Wednesday, everything could turn around and it could be a pivotal moment?
Well we have nothing to be frightened of. We are in this situation, it's not one to be conservative, we have to be positive and try to go forward. I would like us to keep playing our way and not to cower and sink into our shell. I think I have good enough players to win games and I would like to give them the opportunity to do that. I said to the players after the game there are 13 to go and I still wouldn't change places with any other manager and I certainly would change any of my players.
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