Burns: It was QPR's men against Forest's boys
At times it seemed like men against boys on Saturday, such was QPR's superiority.
They looked like they could score at any minute, but, to their credit, Forest's youngsters stuck in there and might even have nicked it.
At 2-1 down, so soon after taking the lead, you had to wonder how Billy's boys would get back into it. But they stuck at it and scored a cracking equaliser. That's how youth can work for you sometimes. At 2-1 they remained vibrant and had a go.
Before kick-off, if you'd offered me a point I would have snapped your hand off. Rangers have been on a good run, and have quality all across the park. Their forwards were a real handful and they looked assured at the back. So to emerge with that point is a good result, and I'm sure Billy Davies will agree,
But it could have been even better if they'd had the know how, and nous, to protect the lead given to them by Lewis McGugan's penalty at the start of first-half injury time. To concede straight away would have infuriated the manager. That is where the naivety of the team showed.
At the moment they lack a leader, a real talker who would have told them just to keep the ball, put it in row Z when necessary, and see it out until half time. That's what happens with such a young team. I know Ian Breckin was on the bench but I don't know if he would have done that even if he had been on the pitch.
No, we didn't have to look far to see the type of player Forest are crying out for. Gavin Mahon bossed the midfield all afternoon for the visitors.
He leads by examples, putting in tackles when necessary, while shouting and pointing to his team-mates how he wants them to play. Forest have no one like that at the moment, so Davies has to do it all from the touchline. There's little wonder he's so animated, he's having to direct play all match.
I don't want to talk about Derby, but Robbie Savage's display at the City Ground last week also showed what Forest are lacking, and James Perch and McGugan had no answer to it.
Lee Carsley, at Birmingham, is another great example of how a player near the end of his career can bring so much to a team with his experience and intelligence in the middle of the park.
That's why I think Davies has got to fully utilise the loan market now. I believe Forest are five players short at the moment - a centre half, two midfielders and possibly two strikers. But one of those - ideally a midfielder - needs to be a real leader, someone who can do what the manager wants on the pitch and take charge of such a young squad.
That's how Forest will start turning draws into crucial wins.
