Swansea City suffered their third consecutive Championship defeat as Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest beat Russell Martin's men 4-1 in south Wales.
Here are the key talking points to emerge from the contest at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Defensive issues cause concern
Swansea were once again the creators of their own downfall as they shipped four goals against Forest.
They failed to clear their lines as Philip Zinckernagel lashed home the opener while Ben Cabango was twice caught out on the left side of the back three either side of Ben Hamer's howler for Brennan Johnson's effort.
It came after Swansea altered their trio in front of Hamer for the fifth game running.
Not since the games against Coventry City and Bournemouth has Martin been able to name the same back three.
Swansea rose up the table up to that triumph over the Sky Blues after embarking on a run of four wins in five matches. Ryan Manning, Kyle Naughton and Ryan Bennett formed the back three in five out of six outings around that period, which shows that continuity has worked for the Swans under the current regime.
"It's not helped us. We've had to shuffle the pack around a lot. We got into a really good rhythm in terms of the team selection and the results we were having," said head coach Martin.
"At this minute in time, we don't possess the depth we'd probably like. That is what it is. Players have a chance and an opportunity to come in.
"I thought Flynn [Downes] was outstanding today, but Kyle coming out today, we lose a really important member of our team, not just in terms of what he can do with the ball, but his mentality and the way he helps his team-mates.
"It is what it is. That'll be addressed at some point."
Swansea boasted the best defensive record in the Championship earlier on in the campaign, although a run of just one clean sheet in their last seven fixtures - with 14 goals conceded in that time - has seen them dramatically fall down the pecking order in that category.
READ MORE: Swansea City player ratings as woeful defence sums up Nottingham Forest loss
Laird and Naughton latest
Martin has revealed Ethan Laird was withdrawn as a precautionary measure in the loss to Forest.
The Manchester United loanee hit the deck due to a thigh problem shortly before half-time in the 4-1 defeat and had to be replaced by Joel Latibeaudiere.
But Martin does not believe the injury is serious.
"It's a bit too early to tell. I think it's more of a precautionary one rather than it being a really bad one," said the head coach.
"I think he felt something so he wanted to make sure it was OK.
Naughton was unavailable after being forced to isolate due to a member of his family testing positive for Covid-19.
In a boost to the Swans, Martin confirmed that the 33-year-old is due to return to training well ahead of next weekend's trip to Queens Park Rangers.
Cooper coy on Fulton links
Steve Cooper refused to be drawn on whether or not his Nottingham Forest side are keen on a January swoop for Swansea midfielder Jay Fulton.
Fulton has been unable to nail down a regular place in Martin's first team this season, with the 27-year-old featuring just six times in all competitions for the Swans so far this term.
WalesOnline understands Fulton is expected to move on in the upcoming transfer window - with Forest among those who have explored the option of signing the versatile Scot.
But Cooper remained coy when asked about a potential swoop for the man who moved to south Wales from Falkirk in 2014.
"We've got a lot of midfield players here. I'm fond of all the players here. I don't want to talk too much about someone else's player," said the Forest head coach.
And when asked if he's surprised that Fulton isn't a first-team regular at present, Cooper simply responded: "I haven't really got an opinion on that, publicly."
Silverstein's eyes opened
Jake Silverstein was among the 17,659-strong crowd as Martin's men were put to the sword by their former manager Cooper.
The defensive crumble will no doubt have concerned the American, in addition to giving Martin, sporting director Mark Allen and chief executive Julian Winter plenty of food for thought.
Silverstein is expected to stay with the Swans until mid-January in a bid to oversee all day-to-day activities at the club.
With the January transfer window just around the corner, it's clear to see that Swansea's squad needs some surgery.
Plans have long been in place to strengthen the squad while some players will need to be shipped out to help balance the books.
And Silverstein will now fully understand why those who have permanently been on the ground in SA1 will be badgering majority owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien over the course of the next seven weeks or so.
For the latest Swansea City news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
