Since Martin O’Neill has taken over at Forest, big money Portuguese starlet Joao Carvalho has been overlooked. 

The reasons for this are unknown, but the Forest fan base are bereft at their new manager's decision. 

While he has not been the best player in the league or even in Forest’s attacking trio or quartet, he has been missed.

In O’Neill’s debut, he used a 4-4-2 formation, which meant Carvalho wouldn’t fit in the team anyway. 

Since then, O’Neill has abandoned the flat formation and opted for more of a 4-2-3-1, which Carvalho would be perfect for. 

The creative midfielder could sit in between Lolley and Cash, in what would be a very dynamic midfield. 

One of Lewis Grabban, Daryl Murphy or Leo Bonatini would rub their hands at the thought of this trio, who could supply them with a plethora of chances.  

Martin O’Neill took over from Karanka just over a month ago now and has failed to get the best from his team, so it seems strange that he has not played one of his best players. 

Nottingham Forest are still well in the race for the play-offs, but are at risk of such hopes dwindling away if they are not careful in the coming weeks. 

If Martin O’Neill does opt to field Carvalho again, Forest could look much more creative and dimensional, so O’Neill should certainly consider it if the Reds are to fight for the top six.