Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka watched his side play for over an hour but still leave Championship basement boys Burton Albion with a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon. 

Eric Lichaj's first-half dismissal for a reckless tackle made the task facing Forest - who went into the match with a makeshift back four anyway - even tougher but Karanka's men dug in and came away with a point.

Karanka is well-known for demanding a solid defence on which to build his teams and he was delighted with the efforts of his players but also laid down the gauntlet to his players between now and May.

He challenged his players to carry on with that level of team spirit and desire. He told the Nottingham Post: "I would be stupid if I stood here and said we played well, because we did not play but today was about fighting and working for each other and we have done that.

"Even in the 93rd and 94th minute, with 10 men on the pitch, they were dead on their feet but they were giving everything.”

"Now we need to take that team spirit into the future, because with that spirit, we will definitely win more games."

The Verdict

We all know that Karanka, much like his mentor Jose Mourinho, demands discipline and commitment from his entire side to the defensive side of the game.

That's why he will be so pleased with Saturday's performance but they had a cause and they had something to defend.

The key is to show that spirit every week and if they do that, I agree with Karanka that they will be safe but they need to become more prolific in front of goal.

Forest fans - what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below...