This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Two second half goals from Rubin Colwill confined Nottingham Forest to their fifth defeat of the new Championship season.

Lewis Grabban opened the scoring for the hosts in the 23rd minute, but the 19-year-old netted in the 58th and 73rd minutes to earn Cardiff City all three points. 

In what has been Forest's worst start to a season in over a century, fears that a relegation battle could be on the club's hand is increasingly becoming a possibility. 

Forest remain without a single point from home games this season, but they will be striving to eliminate that worrying statistic when Middlesbrough visit The City Ground on Wednesday - a team like Forest who are struggling for form. 

Forest are now four points adrift of Championship safety, and with that in mind, we asked three of our writers here at FLW whether now is the right time for Forest to sack Chris Hughton...

Ben Wignall 

I think it would be the right time for Forest to sack Hughton but for some reason I can't see it happening just yet.

However a loss to Middlesbrough at the City Ground on Wednesday night would surely seal his fate with fan unrest already growing.

Hughton is a manager with much experience of getting out of the Championship via promotion so it's worrying to see that after nearly a year in charge of Forest there hasn't been much progress at the club.

The likes of Brennan Johnson and Alex Mighten are getting game-time and academy graduates are what supporters want to see, but it's the experience of the likes of Lyle Taylor and co that don't seem to be pulling their weight.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis must surely be considering making a decision because something has to change soon before the Tricky Trees have a full-blown crisis.

Adam Jones

It's getting harder to justify why Nottingham Forest should keep Hughton after winning one point out of a possible 18 this term - but who could come in an make and immediate impact with new signings still to settle in?

It's a difficult one for the Irishman because Forest recruited the vast majority of their signings very late on in the window, leaving him with a lack of quality at the start of the campaign and now several signings to bed in.

The international break should have helped with that, but the fact they didn't sign an orthodox centre-forward is also perplexing.

I would be furious with the timing and manner of recruitment if I was the Nottingham Forest manager, especially with about five right-backs at their disposal and only two options in Lewis Grabban and Lyle Taylor up top.

The question we need to ask is: are they already in too much trouble not to get rid of him? A few losses at the start of the campaign wasn't the end of the world because they know they have the calibre of players to get them out of their current situation.

But they now sit rock bottom of the table and three points off 23rd, a shocking state of affairs.

Hughton has been a fantastic manager elsewhere but if they can get someone like Chris Wilder in and they suffer another loss against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, he's got to go. There's no other option.

George Dagless

It really could well be.

It just doesn't seem to be working now and I would have thought that if after the international break we have just had that results were not going to improve it would be time for something new to come in.

I think Hughton is still a good manager and I don't think you can write him off because of what's happened but, unfortunately, Forest are in a position now where they once again find themselves seemingly needing new motivation.

Whether that means a look at other aspects of the club is needed too is another conversation to be had but I think the fans are turning and when that happens it's usually Goodnight Vienna.