No good ever came from a premature obituary, but the same might be said of taking two wins from five games when possibilities are so rich.
It is to Nuno Espirito Santo's great credit that Nottingham Forest's place in the top four can withstand a few wobbles, and yet doubts about their staying power are creeping in.
All indicators from Saturday's defeat at Fulham, where they were pummelled mercilessly off either wing by Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore, pointed to a side losing their legs at an inopportune moment.