A case of two extremes for Chambers and Forest

IN the space of seven days, Nottingham Forest experienced the two extremes of emotion that Championship football has to offer.

And nobody will have felt it more than Luke Chambers.

Sitting and watching the morale sapping defeat at the Walkers Stadium from the confines of the dug out, the defender might have been forgiven for wondering when his chance would come, having seen his role become increasingly more peripheral as the season went on.

A week later, Chambers found himself not only back in the starting line-up, but also grabbing the headlines, as his injury time header earned a vital 1-0 success over promotion rivals Swansea that transformed the mood all over again.

But, while the former Northampton Town man admits life at the club is something of a rollercoaster ride at the minute, Chambers insists the players are not allowing themselves to get either overly excited or too depressed.

"Last week, according to some people, we were out of it when we lost to Leicester. Now people will be saying that we are back in it again," said Chambers, who was restored to the team after Kelvin Wilson picked up an injury in training.

"We were always going to be a bit down after the Leicester match, but that was never a 3-0 defeat.

"It was a blip and people were talking about 'Forest this' and 'Forest that', but we know what we are capable of.

"We got another win at home, we are back in the top two and the pressure is on everyone else again now.

"All we can do in the dressing room is take it one game at a time. The finishing line is nearly in sight and we are in a great position.

"We keep talking about the position we are in and we just keep telling ourselves that we are going to take it one game at a time.

"It is all about character and personality, which is what the gaffer keeps telling us.

"We have shown that we have that on Saturday, in the way that we shut down Swansea.

"It will come down to that kind of mental strength, in the coming months.

"The gaffer has been there before and he keeps talking to us about it. He said before the game that, if anyone had told us we would be in this position now at the start of the season, we would have snapped their hands off.

"We have had a great season, everyone is happy with what we have done so far.

"The manager is right to tell us just to keep doing what we are doing. It will be all about personality and will power.

"I don't know about West Brom and whether they will continue to stutter. We can only worry about ourselves.

"We have to pick up our away form again. If we can do that, we will be there or there abouts."

Chambers admits that, from a personal point of view, he could not have envisaged the role he was to play in the game.

"I don't think I would have written that script before the game, to be honest," he said.

"I like to think I am normally a threat from set-plays. But I didn't imagine I would have scored the winner on the day I came back into the side having not played since the Birmingham game in the FA Cup.

"It has been difficult for me, I have had to be patient sitting on the sidelines.

"Unfortunately Kelvin has picked up an injury in training, he has been playing well this season. Thankfully I have had my chance and I got the winner in the end."

The key moment came as Lewis McGugan – another player who found himself thrust into the spotlight due to an injury, this time to skipper Paul McKenna – bent in a pacy corner to pick out Chambers at the far post.

"I know what kind of ball Lewis can whip in. He doesn't do it all the time – I am just giving him a bit of stick when I say that," he said.

"He has put in a great ball, the keeper has seen it late and it was on top of him before he knew it.

"He gave it a little flick to the back stick and thankfully I managed to lean back and cushion it in. If I had tried for the bullet header, it would probably have gone over the bar."

Wilson's knee and ankle injuries are likely to give Chambers another opportunity at Preston on Saturday.

And, with Robert Earnshaw (Achilles) and McKenna (knee ligaments) also sidelined, Chambers believes Forest are missing three key men.

"We lost three massive players, all three of them have been performing to the highest level this season," he said.

"McKenna in particular has been a revelation coming into the side this season and we will certainly miss him.

"Lewis was another player who has not played much football this season but I thought he came in and did an outstanding job.

"He showed what he is all about and what quality he can bring, if he can get his head in the game. He was making tackles and all sorts. I also don't think I have ever seen him run as fast or as far, when he came to celebrate the goal.

"Because he had put the ball in, he wanted to celebrate and ran the width of the pitch to get there.

"The lads are so happy, the best way to win a game is always in the last minute."

Certainly, if Forest can pull off another last-minute winner at Deepdale this weekend, then, for Chambers and his team mates, the mood will remain decidedly positive.

But, if they do not get the result they desire then Forest fans, at the very least, can also console themselves in the knowledge that this team has the mental strength to bounce back once again.