{"id":559254,"date":"2020-07-22T18:25:40","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T22:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=559254"},"modified":"2020-07-22T19:13:09","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T23:13:09","slug":"nottingham-forest-sabri-lamouchi-apology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/07\/22\/nottingham-forest-sabri-lamouchi-apology\/","title":{"rendered":"Nottingham Forest Boss Sabri Lamouchi Offers Apology to Fans After Reds’ Play-Off Catastrophe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nottingham Forest<\/a> boss Sabri Lamouchi<\/a> provided a heartfelt apology to the fans after his side crashed out the play-offs.<\/p>\n

Sabri Lamouchi Offers Apology to Fans After Crashing Out of Play-Offs on Final Day<\/h2>\n

Lamouchi: I Am So Sorry. It Was a Disaster<\/h3>\n

The Reds required just a point from their final few matches to seal their play-off spot.<\/p>\n

A late defeat to Barnsley on Saturday meant their chances remained in their own hands; however, a 4-1 home defeat to Stoke City<\/a>, and Swansea City<\/a>‘s 4-1 win at Reading, was enough to condemn Forest to the Championship.<\/p>\n

The Swans were leading 3-1 as the game headed towards its conclusion but, in the 91st minute, Wayne Routledge<\/a> netted the fourth goal. It meant the Welsh side had crept above Forest on goal-difference in the most extraordinary of ways.<\/p>\n

It meant Swansea City overturned a five-goal deficit on a dramatic final day of action to steal the final play-off spot from Forest.<\/p>\n

And boss Lamouchi offered his full apologies to supporters after the heavy defeat.<\/p>\n

“I don’t have any words,” he said. “I can’t explain what’s happened tonight or what’s happened for the last five games – how it is possible to not secure the play-offs before, with just one point.<\/p>\n

“I can’t explain what’s happened tonight – when you come back in the ame and then 20 minutes before the end we lost control.<\/p>\n

“I don’t have words in my mind now. I just have disaster. Unacceptable.<\/p>\n

“I am so sorry for the Forest community – the fans and all the people who have followed us all season.<\/p>\n

“It is just unacceptable to lose what we lost today. It is just unacceptable what’s happened tonight.<\/p>\n

“It is just unacceptable after what we have done for 12 or 13 months, to be out like that. The worst scenario.<\/p>\n

“It is just unacceptable and I can’t explain it.<\/p>\n

“I am so sorry.”<\/p>\n

Where Did It Go Wrong<\/h3>\n

Forest finish the campaign seventh. Just one goal is what separates them from having the chance to fight for promotion.<\/p>\n

It seems a cruel, harsh way to conclude the season but, in reality, it was always coming.<\/p>\n

The Reds came into the final day with a winless run of five matches; in three of their matches since the break, Forest have conceded in second-half stoppage-time.<\/p>\n

On this occasion, Danny Bathh’s goal was enough for the visitors to take a lead into half-time before Tobias Figueiredo<\/a> struck back after the break.<\/p>\n

James McClean<\/a>, Lee Gregory<\/a> and a Nuno da Costa<\/a> own goal combined to leave the Reds three-goals behind; a deficit that submitted the Reds to another season of Championship football.<\/p>\n

Forest fans will be desperate for a post-mortem into their dramatic downfall – many, even, are beginning to call for Lamouchi to depart.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>