Head coach Sabri Lamouchi has backed Lewis Grabban to quickly get back among the goals for Nottingham Forest.
But he has urged the Reds striker to “keep it simple” as he looks to end a run of five games without scoring.
Grabban has found the net 16 times this season, making him joint-third top scorer in the Championship, behind Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic (22) and Brentford’s Ollie Watkins (21).
He is a slight doubt for tonight’s trip to Cardiff City due to a knee problem, though Lamouchi has reiterated his importance to Forest’s promotion charge.
“I spoke with him and felt he was a little bit tired and worried about his knee,” said the Reds boss. “But he is very focused and very determined.
“I am so surprised about the performances from Lewis - but not now; from the beginning of the season. He is working hard, he is always in sessions, he is positive with the group and he is very determined.
“He wants to do something for the club and probably for himself, because he can be the best striker in this league.
“But he doesn’t have the same number of chances as Watkins or Mitrovic, probably.
“For us, he is a very important player.
“He just needs to play simple.
“I ask him to play more simple than he is doing now - don’t try something very difficult. One touch or two touch, maximum. Give and move. Play simple inside the box, like you know, because you are a killer. You are our striker, and without you it is more difficult for us to score.”
Forest have scored the fewest goals out of the current top six, having bagged 45 so far, and drew a blank in Saturday’s stalemate at home to QPR.
Lamouchi is keen for some of his attacking players to provide more support for Grabban as they look to create more chances.
“I am so happy with the players. I cannot complain about them. They have given me the maximum they have - all of them,” the Frenchman said.
“Lewis Grabban is one example. He is a little bit in doubt now, but I remember in my time, the best strikers after two or three games (without scoring) were in doubt.
“He is working hard and without him - without the 16 goals from Lewis Grabban and without the hard work from him - we would not be here to talk about promotion or the play-offs.
“He is so important for us. But not only him. Sammy Ameobi is an important player, too.
“I am just talking about the offensive players. Why? Because the most important thing in football is to score. If you want to score, you have to make the difference. To make the difference you can be more determined or physically better than the opponent. You need to create more chances.
“With less chances, you need to be a killer.
“Before Saturday I spoke about efficiency in the two boxes. In our box, we were so efficient. But not in theirs.”
Lamouchi added: “We have Adama Diakhaby, who has just arrived, but Sammy Ameobi and Joe Lolley, Tiago Silva and Joao Carvalho, they need to help us to find the offensive solution, with the last pass or the last touch.
“We need to score. We need to score more.
“We finished on Saturday with one point, but the positive aspect was the clean-sheet - if we want to find something positive.
“But one goal could change the game. For me, it was a possibility and would have changed the game.
“Fans, club, players, staff, manager, everybody, we need to be calm and very positive.
“It is my job to show the players the right way, and we are in the right way. It is tough and difficult to say that, but I know them. After eight months, nobody knows my players more than me.
“They can’t give more than what they are giving me now; it is just impossible. But I am behind them because they need to give the same again.”
The weekend’s draw made it three games without victory for Lamouchi’s men and left them fifth in the table, six points adrift of the top two.
Tonight they take on a Cardiff side six points behind them and who triumphed 1-0 at the City Ground in the reverse fixture back in November.
“It will be a very tough game,” Lamouchi said. “Against Cardiff at home, it was a difficult game with a lot of chances, and we lost.
“They were very compact, very aggressive and very strong.
“It will be a similar game. Probably more tough.
“Physically, we need to refresh the players because it is just two days since the last game.
“They (the players) just have to focus on what they have done until now.
“They have made a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of effort until now.
“They need to be strong - probably more strong now than before, because it is not yet the money time, but we are so close to the money time.
“We want to be part of the race, and we need to put in the effort and make some more sacrifices again.”
