Nottingham Forest last fixture saw them fall to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Barnsley on Monday afternoon.

Conor Hourihane’s spectacular strike late in the game meant Forest are without a win in their last six matches.

The two-time European Cup winners currently sit 20th in the Championship table, just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Philippe Montanier’s side are in desperate trouble this campaign and if their current poor form continues, they are at serious risk of being relegated this season.

The Reds have not played in the third-tier of English football since the 2007-08 season and fans of the Tricky Trees will not want that to change in May.

If Forest want to ensure safety they need to make serious changes all across the club.

Shoot! looks at five steps that Nottingham Forest need to take in order to stay up this season…

Sack Philippe Montanier

The Frenchman has struggled since becoming Nottingham Forest’s manager back in June 2016.

Montanier has only managed to pick up seven victories in his 25 league games so far, which has led to his side being involved in a relegation tussle this season.

The club are currently in the process of being taken over by John Jay Moores. The American is the former owner of the San Diego Padres baseball team.

Montanier revealed that, “I have had no contact with the new owners”. Surely this is a sign that Montanier is not part of the future vision at Nottingham Forest.

With the likes of Gary Rowett, Nigel Pearson and Mike Phelan currently without a job, this is the perfect opportunity for someone new to turn the club’s fortunes around while they still can.

Complete the takeover and remove the transfer embargo

With the club still in between owners, they are unable to buy players due to a transfer embargo.

Moores is set complete the takeover “within the coming days”, but for the time being, the club’s embargo means that they are unable to make any permanent signings until the embargo is lifted.

With the club in desperate need of some new recruitments, it is vital that Moores completes the take over as soon as possible.

If Forest are given enough time to acquire new players in January, fresh faces could be what it takes to keep them in the Championship next season.

Tighten up at the back

A huge downfall for the Reds this season has been their leaky defence.

Montanier’s men have only kept one clean sheet all season which came in their 2-0 win away at Ipswich Town back in November.

Forest have failed to keep a clean sheet at the City Ground since their 1-0 victory against Preston North End in March 2016.

Therefore, they need to become more solid at the back if they want any chance of survival in May.

Whether that involves a new combination at the back or a couple of new signings, the Reds are in desperate need of something different in their defence.

Stick to one formation

Another significant downfall in Montanier’s side is the amount of formations he has experimented with in this campaign.

The 52-year old has already used five formations this season, which has likely led to confusion amongst the squad.

Systems such as 3-5-1-1, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3 and 4-1-4-1 have all been used this season, with 3-5-1-1 and 4-3-3 being the most common formats used by the side.

Recently, Montanier has been operating in a 4-2-3-1 set-up. Returning striker Britt Assombalonga (Pictured) seemed to struggle in this formation against Barnsley as he looked both isolated and lacking energy.

If Montanier is to get the best out of his side, he needs to focus on one system that he is prepared to stick with.

The clean sheet against Ipswich in November saw Forest play as a 3-5-1-1 with Ben Osborn adopting the ‘number 10’ role, so why change something if it works?

Therefore, if Montanier continues to gamble on his various set-ups, he may as well say ‘hello’ to League One football next season.

Keep hold of Henri Lansbury

Star midfielder Lansbury has been all over the news recently with a lot of speculation surrounding his future.

Forest have already turned down a £2.5m bid from East Midlands rivals Derby County in this transfer window.

He has shone in his recent performances and it is obvious that his side struggle when he does not play.

The former Arsenal and West Ham United midfielder has scored six times and set up three more in his 17 league appearances this season.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is vital that Forest keep hold of their midfield maestro in order to avoid relegation.