Nottingham Forest can have no time for negativity as they look to secure a positive finale to their Championship season, says Matty Cash.
Cash says there is no value in focusing on the negatives while Martin O’Neill’s side still have a chance of securing a place in the top six with seven games of the season remaining.
There was some criticism of the manner of Forest’s performance as they fought back from behind to claim a 2-1 win over Swansea at the City Ground.
But, as the Reds prepare to head to Rotherham this weekend, Cash says there is only room for positivity in the dressing room as they look to gatecrash the play-off party.
“You have to be positive. There will be negative people out there who say we cannot do it – but we are the ones who have to go out and do it, aren’t we?” said Cash.
“And they are the ones who can help us along the way.
“We have to be positive, because we are so close. There is no point in being negative.
“People are making negative comments about our games, but we are picking up points, aren’t we? And that is what we need to do.”
Forest required late headers from Daryl Murphy and Molla Wague to secure three points against a Swansea side that dominated possession.
But Cash says his only concern is that Forest found a way to win – and says that is their only priority in the remaining games.
“You cannot play to the best of your ability in every game. We all try to do that, of course; we all try our best,” he said. “But you cannot do it every week, you cannot always be your best – that is just football.
“Some people understand that, some people do not. All we focus on is finding a way to put three points on the board.
“In a few weeks we might look back on these as being the three points that got us into the play-offs. Who knows?
“That is all that matters. It is annoying sometimes and you try not to listen to all of the comments. This is just what football is about.
“If you are going to moan, that’s fine. But if the three points get us into the play-offs, that is what matters most to me.”
Cash insists there is a genuine belief in the Reds' ranks that they can still achieve something special, as they sit two points off the top six (at the time of writing).
And he takes encouragement from O’Neill’s previous track record of having won five of his last seven games when manager of Leicester, to sneak them into the play-offs – where they eventually won a place in the Premier League at Wembley.
“We are two points off it now, even if Bristol have a few games in hand. There is still everything to play for,” said Cash. “There will be teams who go on a run and there will be teams who do not manage to do that.
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“We just have to focus on ourselves and on doing everything we can to pick up as many points as possible, in those remaining games.
"The manager does have that record with Leicester and, funnily enough, I said to the gaffer the other day that it is written in the stars for us.
“A new gaffer comes in, we are two points off the play-offs – and we go and do it. I think the plot is written.
“We just need to go out and do it.
“It is really nice to be up there challenging. We have a great squad, but now we just need to stick together and grind out as many results as we can.”
And Cash believes the manner in which Forest ground out three points against Swansea is something to be positive about, rather than criticise.
“It was good to get the three points, which was the most important thing. It was a tough game, because they are a good side and we knew they were going to be,” he said.
“We set out with a plan to press them high and keep them on the back foot and I thought we did that. Yes, they got out a few times, but we got the three points and that is all that matters.”
