Nottingham Forest will use the remaining five games as an opportunity to experiment, with the play-offs now looking beyond their reach.
Martin O’Neill says he will take the chance to ensure he knows the abilities of every single member of his squad, as he begins planning for next season.
A painful defeat at Sheffield Wednesday left Forest six points off the play-off places with only five games left to play.
It is still mathematically possible for the Reds to challenge but, with their run of away games without a win now stretched to 13, O’Neill knows that ‘talking’ about winning games is fruitless, when the side are not delivering results on the road.
Martin O'Neill yet to consider Sam Byram's future at Nottingham Forest
“I will have a look at things again; I think that we will experiment between now and the end of the season,” said O’Neill.
“If the gap is six points; if that is the case, we would have to win these games and it is all very well talking about winning games.
“If we are going to start making plans for the future, I have to find out what people can do at this football club.
“The only way I am really going to find out is by looking at the way they train, which gives you a chance, but also really in the big games.
“It takes time for people to get to know you and get to know what you want. We have had to go through a tough time, to find out.
“If you want the honest truth, I knew this was going to be really difficult.
“I knew it was going to be difficult, but that is the task ahead. That is it. Maybe that is the reason why we have had so many managers in not so many years.
“At the end of it all, it is my job to change it and change it I will.”
Forest made five changes at Hillsborough, with Luke Steele, Sam Byram, Jack Robinson, Ryan Yates and Arvin Appiah all coming into the starting XI, following the defeat at Rotherham.
“I wanted to try something different, to freshen things up. We had disappointment from the game on Saturday,” said O’Neill.
“I don’t think you could have faulted anyone in the first half, but when we conceded the first goal, another one quickly followed and it felt as though it was game over at that stage.”
One player to miss out was Ben Osborn, who was left out of the squad for the first time since early in the 2016/17 season.
Five talking points after Nottingham Forest crumble at Sheffield Wednesday
“Ben’s running stats are very high, they are up there all the time. He has played left back, he has played on the left of midfield and he has played wide on the left,” said O’Neill. “He has done as much work and yardage as anyone in games.
“But we just wanted him to sit it out and have a look at things. At the end of the day, you can only choose 18.”
Forest made a flurry of changes as they looked to claw their way back into the game, with midfielder Jack Colback among those withdrawn.
But O’Neill confirmed that it was his disciplinary position, rather than his performance levels, that inspired that change, with Colback sat on 14 bookings and facing a three-match ban when he collects one more caution.
“I think it was exactly that,” said O’Neill. “The game was effectively over in the last 15 minutes and I was concerned.
“But I should not have to be concerned; you should not be concerned about somebody picking up a booking, in a game of football, that might cost us a three match ban.
“It is ridiculous.”
