Chris Hughton says that there has been more focus on the attacking side of the game in training this week as Nottingham Forest look to put their goalscoring woes to bed sooner rather than later.

The Reds host Reading at the City Ground this weekend hoping to bounce back from two successive 1-0 defeats to Luton Town and Watford last week.

One aspect of the game which has been lacking in quality since the beginning of the season is Forest's ability to score goals on a consistent basis.

The Reds have netted 28 times in 35 Championship outings this season, and have managed to score only three goals in their last seven games.

Whilst Hughton's side are now beginning to carve out chances more regularly, the manager recognises the need to apply the killer touch to those opportunities, and says his side have been focusing on doing so in training this week.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's home clash with the Royals, Hughton said: "We have used this week to do some more offensive work.

"Sometimes that can work, but I've also been around long enough to know that sometimes, for whatever reason, you get that fortunate couple of goals and it just carries on from there.

"That's all we can do as coaches and managers. We need to see where we can do better in whichever area of the pitch that may be, and work as much as we can.

"Fortunately for us, we have had a full week to be able to work on the training field, but what you can't do is cram everything you would like to do into one week.

"The fact we are creating chances is a plus and it would be more worrying if weren't creating either."

Forest have recently had a run of three defeats in 16 matches put to bed thanks to two successive defeats - a run which was very much testament to the Reds' defensive performances and solidarity at the back.

But whilst Forest have become more solid defensively and are beginning to create chances in the final third, Hughton realises that to become the finished article, this needs to happen on a consistent basis.

"There's still more we need to work on. To be the complete article, you need that consistency of doing it week in, week out.

"A reason why the top two are the top two and the top six are the top six is because those teams have done it more occasions than not.

"It's all about that consistency. There isn't a week that goes past or a game which goes past where we don't think we can do better in a certain area, so we will continue to do our best."

The Verdict

There has been a clear improvement over the last few months in terms of Forest creating chances, and the January recruits have helped them do so.

But for whatever reason, they just cannot seem to get that final pass or that final touch right, and it has been a frustrating run for them.

Forest fans will be hoping that it is a case of when one goes on, two or three will follow, as they certainly have the kind of players to help them go on a run.