A good away point, but why be so negative?

I don't know about you, but I was thrilled we got a point at Oldham. This game had heavy defeat written all over it, so the fact that we managed to get a clean sheet at a ground where we have not had much luck in recent years, least of all last New Year's Day when we were thrashed 5-0, is quite a surprise.

I had been convinced that defeat was on the cards, but not long into the first half, a strange feeling suddenly hit me like a giant wave. We were not going to lose! I really can't explain how I knew this, but having experienced this on many occasions this season, and ALWAYS been 100% correct, I felt extremely confident that I was going to be proved right again.

I remember I had exactly the same feeling before the Cheltenham match a few months ago, so I was half celebrating the result before we'd even turned up at the ground! And before the Northampton game, which on paper was a home banker, I had a sense of foreboding that it was going to go wrong, and sure enough we only managed to steal a point with a last-minute equaliser.

Saying all that, though, it's little wonder we escaped with a point with so many defenders on the pitch. We started the game with three central midfielders and no wingers as Arron Davies and Kris Commons were once again left on the bench. The strangest decision of them all was to play James Perch at left back in place of Matt Lockwood. Now, if all our other options were exhausted, maybe it was understandable, but Lockwood was not injured. He was on the bench, and although he hasn't really done well since he returned to the side, playing Perch ahead of him must have been quite an insult.

This is just typical of Calderwood playing players out of position. After nearly two years in the job, he still doesn't know what his best side is. He chops and changes the team every week. It's no wonder it looks like the players don't know whether they're coming or going half the time. He seems to be clueless tactically, and when he gets it right, it's just down to luck.

Another thing that really annoys me is that when a key player gets injured or suspended, he can't get back into the team. Our top scorer Junior Agogo went on international duty with Ghana, and until very recently, he had to be content with a place on the bench. And yesterday, Kelvin Wilson, by far the best defender we have at this Club, and the very reason why we have managed to get so many clean sheets this season, was only a substitute after missing his first League match on Saturday with injury. If the reason for this was that he wasn't match fit, then why even have him on the bench?

From a defensive point of view, it was a good performance. We really frustrated Oldham and stopped them from playing, but if we hadn't been so negative, we could have won that match and kept our place at the top of the table. As it was, we didn't manage to fashion one shot on target all afternoon. What must have former Reds goalkeeping legend Mark Crossley have made of our performance in front of goal? For him, 0-0 was just about the perfect result. I very much doubt he would have been elated if he had played a part in causing Forest to lose, as we all know he loves the Club, and would surely jump at the chance to return in the twilight of his career.

I did say that six points out of nine would be a good return from our Christmas games, so we're still on course to achieve that with games against Gillingham and a home date with Huddersfield to come. Gillingham will be a tough place to go as well, as although they are struggling near the bottom, their home form is pretty good. We thrashed them back at the City Ground earlier this season, but the Gills will give a better account of themselves this time, and we will have to be at our best to beat them, I think.

Rather inevitably, we've lost our place at the top of the League to Swansea, and fallen into second. Leeds are right behind us breathing down our necks. They are remarkable as they keep scoring in the last minute. It's so annoying, but you just kind of expect it. The same thing happened to us at the City Ground back in August, and I've no doubt it will happen when we visit them in February. I only hope that by the time that match comes around that they haven't run away with the League by then and that we are still within a shout of automatic promotion ourselves.