An abject performance saw Nottingham Forest fail to secure the point they needed to guarantee a play-off spot in their penultimate game of the season.
A draw would have made absolutely sure of a top six finish for the Reds, but they were beaten 1-0 by struggling Barnsley thanks to Patrick Schmidt’s injury time winner.
It means they remain in fifth spot, with a three-point gap between themselves and seventh-placed Swansea City ahead of Wednesday night’s final match at home to Stoke City.
Here’s what head coach Sabri Lamouchi had to say after full-time at Oakwell.
What are your thoughts on the game?
“It is a big disappointment and a big frustration. It was the worst scenario.
“The desire of Barnsley players was important and they deserved to win. They deserved to win because they wanted this win more than us.
“They ran more, they fought more and they won the duels. In football, if you don’t win the duels and you don’t run, it is difficult.
“But it is not a surprise for me, like it was not a surprise for the players, because we saw the game Barnsley played against Leeds - they were so aggressive, so positive.
“The desire today was on Barnsley’s side and not on Forest’s side.
“It is one more goal in extra-time. I don’t know how many we have conceded in extra-time this year, but it is too many, for sure.
“The spirit in the dressing room (afterwards) was absolutely terrible. Down.
“My job is to talk with them honestly and say to them, it was a wrong performance - to try to know if it is the manager, if it is the players, if it is this one or this one.
“It’s always the manager, first. The manager needs to take all the responsibility.
“The system was different because of different situations - (Joe) Lolley’s condition and Sammy Ameobi’s condition.
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“It was system against system, but the desire from the Barnsley players was higher than us.
“We didn’t play well.
“Congratulations for Barnsley, because they deserve it and they played much better than us. This was the problem.
“I just said to the players in the dressing room, the next one is the last one. It is the final.
“If we want to play in the play-offs, it is in our hands. One point or win and we will play the play-offs.”
How much was the change in formation a factor?
“We can talk about the system - we changed the system many times this year.
“But I can also talk about the animation, about the spirit.
“If you don’t run, you don’t fight and you don’t win the duels, challenge the long balls and win the second balls, in any system it is difficult.
“Look how many defenders we had at the end of the game. We conceded a goal from a cross, challenge, second ball, in our small box.
“It’s always the manager. I will take my responsibility, like I always have this year.
“My players deserve to play in the play-offs and they will do everything in the next game to do it.
How impressed were you with Jordan Smith’s performance?
“I liked the performance from Jordan Smith.
“It was a perfect game from him. A perfect performance from Jordan.
“There was not one mistake.
“Nobody expected this change. Unfortunately it happened, but Jordan played the perfect game.
“If he plays like that in the next one, we have a chance to play the play-offs.
“I have nothing to complain about him, nothing. Absolutely, 100 percent the perfect game from Jordan Smith.”
What is the latest with Brice Samba?
“He felt something in his legs and he was out.
“We need to check him tomorrow and to see if he can play the next one. Or if not the next one - if we do everything to get the right result - we will see after.”
Do you think conceding late goals has become a mentality issue?
“For the whole year I have talked about mentality and the single details.
“I know we have conceded a lot of goals in injury time, but to find a solution tonight or before Stoke is not my priority.
“My priority is just to focus on this game, to put the best team, to get the best result and to play the play-offs - because Forest deserve to play the play-offs, my dressing room deserve to play the play-offs and we need to do everything we can to play the play-offs.”
