Steve Cooper was left disappointed that his side weren't able to play with their usual intensity as they were held to a goalless draw at third place West Bromwich Albion on Friday night.
The Reds stretched their unbeaten run away from home to eight games and have lost only one of their last 13 matches in the Championship.
Forest played the final 20 minutes at The Hawthorns with an extra man, after Jayson Molumby was shown a second yellow card in the 70th minute.
But despite dominating large spells of possession in the second half, The Reds were unable to find a late winner, returning to The City Ground with a point.
"It was an average game, I thought we were average at best particularly in the first half," Cooper said."
"We've got to play with more belief, we've got to play with more intensity, got to be braver on the ball, got to make more passes and take the game to the opposition.
"I never really that felt we were ever under any threat. They had some good moments, but we're a better team than that.
"We played better in the second half, played a lot higher up the pitch, made some more passes and looked a bit more threatening, but I'm disappointed really.
"I said to them at half-time that we needed to play with the ball, make passes, switch play and move it around. If you do that, then spaces would arrive so we could go and be the team that we can be with our attacking threat.
"We just didn't do it well enough."