Caldwell: We need to learn from basic errors

Three times Latics managed to claw their way back into the game, thanks to goals from Michael Jacobs and Will Grigg (2), only for Thomas Lam to score another cheap goal in stoppage-time to deny them a point.

It’s not the first time Latics have lost points in added time this term, with Bristol City having forced a last-gasp winner on the opening day.

But Caldwell was fuming at the ease in which Forest were able to score their goals - and says there’s only one way to put things right.

“We do a lot of work defensively, and I thought we were looking a lot tighter this season,” Caldwell told the Evening Post.

“But it’s basic errors that have cost us today.

“The first goal is ridiculous, and the other goals stemmed from players running off us.

“That has to be unacceptable from now on.

“It happened at Oldham and it cost us, and it’s happened again today.

“It’s once too often, and people need to realise and learn their lesson.

“Jake (Buxton) will come back into the thinking this week after suspension, and we’ll obviously do some work defensively and try to improve from this.

“He’ll definitely bring that communication and leadership that perhaps we needed towards the end of the game.”

Despite seeing his side play well for the majority of the encounter, Caldwell wasn’t clinging to much in the way of positives after the game.

“I’m very disappointed, and very angry,” he revealed.

“I thought we played well again, but it’s not good enough to just play well.

“We’re here to win games, and ultimately we didn’t get anything again.

“There’s not many positives to be honest.

“I thought we played well, we created opportunities, but you’ve also got to dig in at some points in a game as well.

“And you can’t concede the goals we conceded.”

It would have been worse had Adam Bogdan not saved a penalty at 2-1 - his third spot-kick stop since his arrival from Liverpool last month.

“I thought Adam was outstanding the whole game,” Caldwell recognised.

“His distribution, his saves that kept us in the game at moments, were fantastic.

“But it was far too easy to shoot at our goal today, and we have to do something about that.”

Caldwell also praised Will Grigg, whose third and fourth goals of the season were not enough to win even a point.

“I think Will will score goals at any level,” Caldwell opined.

“He’s a penalty-box striker who is a great finisher, and he worked extremely hard again.

“He must be so disappointed that he’s got a couple of goals, the team’s got three, but ultimately the team’s come away with nothing.”

Also impressive was Shaun MacDonald, making his full debut in midfield having arrived from Bournemouth last weekend.

“Shaun was excellent, he showed his quality, and controlled the game in the first half,” Caldwell

added.

“When we took him off, and the game opened up a bit, you could see we lost a little bit of that control in midfield.

“But we had to do that because we had to keep chasing the game.

“I thought Michael Jacobs was fantastic, back to his best form last year, playing between lines, causing teams problems, in and around the box.

“He’s also be disappointed, with the team playing so well at times only to concede four goals and lose the game. It’s crazy.”