Nottingham Forest are moving forward in every sense of the term. I’ve had countless nosebleeds this season looking at how high up we are in the league. It’s been an absolute pleasure looking out for the results of Leeds and West Brom – hoping they will slip-up – rather than the likes of Rotherham and, oh, I don’t know, the Renford Rejects, praying that they aren’t creeping-up on us.

It’s a feeling of euphoria that can only be matched by finding a tenner in an old coat pocket. And off the pitch, the City Ground itself is preparing for a tasteful revolution. Rather than following in the footsteps of those who relocate their new flat-pack stadiums to retail parks in the arse end of nowhere, Forest are standing firm by the banks of the Trent:

If these walls could talk, they would regale us with improbable stories of champions born from mediocrity. We’d hear about the frenetic genius that elevated this club into immortality. We’d also get to hear how Jean-Claude Darcheville once hit a penalty into the upper tier of the Trent End. It’s a rich tapestry that no other institution in Britain could dream of matching.

We’re getting a redeveloped Main Stand, a commercial facelift and the modernisation that refuses to compromise our tradition. It is the perfect way to renovate the place by the river we call home.

But, there’s just one little thing we should evict from our fancy new digs: And it’s the spectre of overt negativity in the stands – something that’s been noticed by Forest players, past and present.

Forest at home: What’s the deal?

Three of our four losses – and hell, some of our most uninspiring performances – have come at home this season. Now, I’ve done some *really* detailed research, and found that there are many more of us at home games than away games… who knew?

Now, don’t get it twisted. I’m not asking for people to start coming to games with their own pom-poms. And I certainly don’t want us become a budget version of those Palace fans who pretend to be ultras twice a month. But it is getting harder and harder to watch a home game and ignore some of the bizarre, over-the-top complaints you hear from some fans.

I’ve had this argument a couple of times before – as a home crowd, we’re capable of rising to the occasion… but that’s only really when things are going our way. I’m just as guilty as the rest, and this is more introspection than it is criticism. I sit there on my fat arse, try and get a few songs going in Upper Bridgford, and usually give up before half-time. If I was in charge of those 300 Spartan warriors, we’d have been mullered good and proper.

But you only have to look at Saturday’s loss to Cardiff to realise that still, even at this incredible time for the club, we aren’t all on the same hymn sheet.

Matty Cash is “a waste of space”, one fella claimed. That’ll be the £15 million-rated full-back who is a frequent feature in the EFL’s “Best Team of the Week”. Lewis Grabban is “useless”, another supporter bellowed. Again, our top scorer and one of the best strikers in the Championship over the past five years has all his talent debased because he couldn’t latch on to one particular through-ball.

Are Forest fans too negative at home?

These shouts continued relentlessly in my neck of the woods last weekend, and after consulting Twitter – the bastion of rational debate and fact-based opinions – it would seem a fair few other fans in attendance agreed that there was too much doom and gloom floating about. But these niggling doubters are nothing new.

We are a grumpy lot. That’s the nice way of putting it. It’s definitely the best way I can say what I want to say without fear of getting my head kicked-in before Boro at home on Tuesday. We’re at our worst when we concede early doors. If we go 1-0 down in the first 30 minutes, it’s not the players dropping their heads we should be worrying about. It’s us. We’re the first to make things easier for the opposition.

Most misplaced passes are met with moans, groans and individual criticism. A slow start immediately saps the energy from the ground. We’ll give it the odd roar for a corner, but those brief bursts of positivity seem to be offset by our inherent desire to show our disdain.

I thought I was going a bit mad, but the last home game really triggered something for me. We’ve played that game against Cardiff a hundred times this century. We start well, get caught out, and end up chasing the game. It doesn’t usually go our way, everyone leaves upset. But can we, the fans, genuinely take a bit of responsibility for what happens on the pitch?

Forest players past and present discuss “home atmospheres”

Well, on the condition of anonymity, I’ve spoken with current and former Forest players this week on this issue. I know, I’m one step away from saying “Sky Sources” here. But let’s be honest, it’s a dangerous game of roulette for anyone who has donned the Garibaldi – past or present – to come out give an honest reflection of the fans who essentially pay their wages.

The player currently on our books pointed to the fact that fans can be quite quick to leave games, despite still being within one goal of a positive result. Even accounting for traffic-dodgers and wife-pleasers, the number seems disproportionate. For him, it’s these passive signs of displeasure which have the largest impact.

“I noticed the ‘mass exit’ before the end of the Cardiff game – that was strange to me, I don’t think we’ve really been out of a game this season, and we could have nicked a point at the death.”

“For me, individual abuse doesn’t make a difference – we don’t hear much of it – but the collective groans and hums surround the stadium. It’s counter-productive, and it forces players to stray from the game plan to try and force things and excite the crowd.”

Forest’s best-laid plans of drawing Cardiff out wide and running at their full-backs eventually disintegrated – and it’s ever-so-slightly possible that the reaction from the crowd helped influence a few questionable decisions.

I also had a quick conversation with a player who was with us in the 2013/14 season. In the miserable depths of the Fawaz years, crowds were dwindling and sentiment towards the players in the squad were reaching new lows. It’s almost bizarre how the “hangover” from that era still hasn’t really left the City Ground.

“As soon Forest go 1-0 down at home you do feel the atmosphere change, but I suppose that’s the same most places. The expectations are big at home, where fans expect them to dominate. Last year, I watched Forest travel to Leeds. The home side were dominating and the place was absolutely rocking, which ultimately drove them on to an equaliser. That’s a good example of how its done.”

Has the 12th man been sent off?

The testimonies are fascinating: Although supporters being the “12th man” is seen as cliche, a little bit of support goes a long way – and that’s coming from the professionals themselves. Even if you don’t subscribe to the idea that fans can help teams win games, it’s difficult to dispute that they have the ability to unsettle the players they’re meant to be backing.

Is it possible to find a quick fix? Well, we decided to ask the guys who have been trying to do something about it for the last few years. Forza Garibaldi – responsible for displays that could outclass Selfridges’ shop window Christmas – are often lumped with the blame for flat atmospheres. Then again, people like to blame them for their half-time pies going cold – a subject we’re extremely passionate about in this part of the country.

FG representative Greg Mitchell is the first to admit that the group aren’t “the perfect fans”. Nor does he seek to tell anyone how to support their team. He suggests that the fan malaise can be linked to certain stewarding policies, but also praised Forest for what they’ve done to try and liven things up a bit – even if we aren’t 100% there yet:

“We have had decades now of being told to ‘sit down and behave’. However, clubs in the UK are now seeing they need the atmospheres some of these European teams get. To their credit, Forest have actively tried to help with this over the last few years. They’ve relaxed the no standing rules in A Block and given half of Lower Bridgford to home fans,

“It has definitely helped. We have a small group that’s very slowly growing in Lower Bridgford that want to give that 90 minutes of vocal support but it’s hard, we don’t have enough people willing to keep a song going, and when one does sweep around the gound,  it’s incredible.”

“But whether it’s a culture thing, a ‘too cool to sing’ thing or whatever, we can’t deny there’s not a single one of us who actively get the atmosphere pounding for every minute of every game. I’m as guilty as the rest of us. We have such an opportunity this season to create something special on and off the pitch – there’s no better place to do it than the City Ground.”

As the stadium refurbishment plans now have the green-light, one idea to crank up the volume is to introduce a designated singing section. If you’re in there, it’s your job to get things going and dictate the atmosphere as if you were part of our incredible away following. It’s either that, or we get a drum – this is how far down the rabbit hole we are.

What can we do?

But whatever the solution is, it’s shouldn’t be a case of policing your fellow fans. Nor should we deny someone their right to an opinion. As much as it pains me to say it, the miserable old git calling Lewis Grabban “useless” is entitled to his freedom of opinion. It’s daft, unhelpful and very flipping annoying. But it’s time we stopped worrying about the behaviour of others and thought about what we can do ourselves instead.

If you find yourself in a sea of criticism, there’s nothing stopping you from being a positive voice. It doesn’t take much to be the first to stand-up and appreciate the effort, even if the final delivery is lacking. By all means, there have been occasions over the past 25 years where players have deserved nothing more than a fierce rollocking. A genuine lack of talent, application and effort has blighted Nottingham Forest in the 21st-century.

But sustaining a culture of negativity towards an exciting, relatively-young squad who are clearly getting a lot of things right this year isn’t something we should endorse. We are moving into our “new house” pretty soon – let’s not turn it into an even worse version of that Ikea advert where the decorations are getting slated.

Indeed, we can “silence the critics”. We just need to find an extra 10% or so in the stands. And, for the love of God, let’s avoid putting flags on seats and getting the stadium PA announcer to tell each stand when it’s their turn to “make some noise”. We might have an issue to resolve, but really, we’ll never be as tinpot as that lot down the road.

*Article provided by Tom Head (Nottingham Forest Correspondent).

*Main image @NFFC are Forest fans to blame for home struggles?