Nottingham Forest face a huge game in their fight for survival in The Championship as they take on Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The Reds put in their worst performance seen under the management of Mark Warburton so far on Good Friday as they were beaten 1-0 late on by fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers

Neil Warnock has done a superb job at Cardiff City since he took over from Paul Trollope as the Bluebirds found themselves in the relegation zone. 

How they've fared so far

Forest fans were beginning to feel a lot more positive about their chances of staying in The Championship following the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town. However, the dismal 1-0 defeat to Blackburn last time out has dragged them right back into contention for relegation. 

This game against the Bluebirds is the first of four huge games for Forest which include Reading at home, Queens Park Rangers away and Ipswich Town at home on the final day. 

The outcome of these games will very much depend on which Forest turns up on the day. The difference in performance from the win against Huddersfield and the defeat against Rovers was huge and one which must be a concern to supporters.

The defeat against Blackburn was a killer blow for Forest. (picture: Getty Images / Rachel Holbom - CameraSport)
The defeat against Blackburn was a killer blow for Forest. (picture: Getty Images / Rachel Holbom - CameraSport)

Most will expect Forest to lose to Cardiff on Monday due to their dismal away record which could be good news for the Reds who usually perform better with no expectation or pressure. 

As for Cardiff, they have absolutely nothing whatsoever to play for apart from pride for the remainder of this season. Warnock will very much be planning for next season and a potential play-off push.

In his 31 league games in charge so far, Warnock has picked up 13 wins, 8 draws and 10 defeats. This record has seen them rise to 14th in the league table, 12 points clear of the relegation zone they found themselves in when he took over.

Their most recent result was a 1-0 defeat to play-off hopefuls Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. A late Fernando Forestieri was enough to secure all three points for the Owls. However, they will view Monday's game as the perfect opportunity to bounce back. 

Last time they met

Forest last played Cardiff City earlier on in the season in a 2-1 defeat at The City Ground in October. Aron Gunnarsson and Joe Ralls both scored in the first-half as the Bluebirds raced into a two goal lead in one of Warnock's first games in charge.

Thomas Lam got sent off for the hosts in the second-half before Henri Lansbury pulled a goal back late on from the penalty spot but Cardiff hung on to secure the three points. 

Team news

Warburton may be tempted to make some changes to his Forest team as there appeared to be some tiredness amongst his team in Friday's 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

The likes of Chris Cohen and David Vaughan have been ever present for Warburton so far, but their previous injury issues may mean they are rested on Monday afternoon. The likes of Aaron Tshibola, Matty Cash and Mustapha Carayol are all available to freshen things up. 

Warnock felt his team was rarely troubled by Sheffield Wednesday on Friday afternoon and is unlikely to make too many changes. Former Forest player Greg Halford could feature against the Reds and Kenneth Zohore will be looking to add to his goal tally. 

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About the author
Sam Straw
VAVEL Championship Editor. Journalism Student at The University of Sheffield. Nottingham Forest Season-Ticket Holder. Contributing to VAVEL UK since October 2016.