This was another painful performance and a woeful defensive display. It also looked like the angriest Marco Silva has ever appeared on the touchline during what have largely been good times since he took over as Fulham boss – and the Portuguese head coach admitted afterwards that he would have been tempted to make even more changes than the three he implemented after 33 minutes because the Whites had fallen so far below the standards he has set. You couldn’t disagree.

Bernd Leno: Just like Saturday at Sheffield United, there was little Leno could do for any of the Nottingham Forest goals. Three times he tried to come off his line to reduce the danger but the problems were elsewhere in a feeble Fulham defence. The German goalkeeper did make a fine reaction save when Callum Hudson-Odoi stormed through shortly after giving the home side the lead. It felt like that could give the defence some time to organise themselves, but that was a forlorn hope. 6

Kenny Tete: This certainly wasn’t the kind of performance the Dutch defender needed to earn his place back from Timothy Castagne. Tete’s first start for two months was dreadful. Not only was burned by the pace of Hudson-Odoi but he left the winger cut inside for his goal, making the finish across Leno so much easier. He could easily have been hooked around the half hour mark. Somehow survived and was unfortunate not to score with a late header from a corner that thumped the crossbar, but this was an night to forget. 5

Antonee Robinson: A disappointing night for the American largely because his crossing was erratic when he got into the final third. Robinson was the most reliable of Fulham’s back four – although after an error-strewn evening that’s definitely damning him with feint praise. Did well up against Anthony Elanga, who beat him a couple of times in a footrace, and Neco Williams but it felt like he was always fighting a losing battle – because he was. 6

Tosin Adarabioyo: Appalling abject. After the aberration that sparked Sheffield United into life at Bramall Lane over the weekend, Tosin might have been fortunate to keep his place but this was another shocking showing. He looked to be running in treacle and was regularly out of position as well as unable to intervene when Forest broke with what looked like blistering pace. Struggled to shackle Chris Wood as well as frequently hitting wayward passes. Scored a fine header in the second half – and would have another one but for a brilliant save from Mats Sels – but his primary duty is keeping balls out of the other net. 4

Calvin Bassey: Not the Nigerian’s best night. He was a bit better than Tosin and brought a bit more physicality to the battle with Wood and the mercurial Gibbs-White, although not when the New Zealander was ridiculously allowed to turn for the critical second goal. Utilised the ball well but was slow to react to situations in the penalty area and seemed paralysed by the speed of the home side’s counter attacks – especially in the first half. For someone so dominant in recent weeks, this was an alarming reprise of his early performances in a Fulham shirt. 5

Joao Palhinha: The Portuguese tough tackler was missing in action tonight. He was completely bossed by the brilliance of Gibbs-White, who set the tone by darting away from him in the opening minute and spun him inside out before setting up the opening goal for Callum Hudson-Odoi. Strangely subdued in the tackle and was nowhere to be seen as Forest worked one-twos through the middle of the pitch for the third goal that gave Fulham a mountain to climb at the end of the first half. It was a surprise he stayed on as long as he did. 5

Sasa Lukic: The Serbian looked rather like a rabbit lost in the headlights. The game passed him by in central midfield: there was little industry or endeavour and, like a number of Fulham players, a lack of challenges were tackles seemed to be required. Left Elanga completely free when the winger found space in the box before striking the outside of the post with a low shot. Had to be removed from the action in order for the Whites to get anything approaching a foothold in midfield. 4

Harry Wilson: Wilson’s withdrawal might have been the harshest of the three but that’s not to say it wasn’t without merit. The Welsh winger made little to no impression against former Fulham full back Ola Aina and hardly looked like a former Derby player out to prove a point at the City Ground. Aina easily won that battle hands down, dispossessing Wilson far too easily at a time when the visitors badly needed to hold the ball high up the pitch, and soon he was heading off early too. 4

Alex Iwobi: Iwobi was slow to get up to the pace of play, sloppy in possession and didn’t affect proceedings much from the left flank. He looked to be the target of Silva’s ire early on as one of the closest Fulham players to the dug out – and perhaps that counted against him when it came time for the head coach to weigh up how to change things. He’s never shirked a challenge but drastic intervention was needed or it could have been much, much worse. 4

Andreas Pereira: I felt this was one of Pereira’s strongest performances of the season – even if the playmaker had scraps to feed off for much of his time on the field. He battled hard, dropping deep into spaces that other team-mates had vacated to get Fulham on the ball, and tried to make things happen. Put in two sublime crosses from the flanks in the first half and tried a couple of shots from distance before delivering the corner that threatened to get Fulham back into it after the break. It wasn’t to be – but you couldn’t fault his desire. 7

Rodrigo Muniz: After his Bramall Lane brilliance, Forest had clearly got the memo about the need to shut down the Brazilian. He was hassled the harried by the home defence throughout and might have done better with two first half headers from Pereira crosses, but that rather summed up a pitiful first half. One brilliant touch in the penalty area set up a superb chance for Bobby De Cordova-Reid but the substitute snatched a shot that you felt an in-form Muniz would have gobbled up with glee. A tricky night, but he wasn’t the reason the Whites were in such a hole. 6

Substitutes:

Tom Cairney: Steadied the ship against his boyhood club and got Fulham playing some football again, but it felt a little too easy for the massed ranks of red shirts to defend in the second half. A couple of times when the ball broke to him outside the box seemed to begging for those lovely left-footed curlers that Cairney used to conjure up in the Championship seasons, but the captain was content to recycle the ball out wide for Robinson. 6

Willian: A strong substitute showing from the Brazilian veteran, who did well to shake off a knock early in the second half after falling awkwardly and kept the Forest defences on their toes throughout. Fulham’s most promising moments from open play followed the passing triangles worked between him, Robinson and Cairney and he found space inside the penalty area on a couple of occasions too. Should be in with a shout of starting against Newcastle. 7

Adama Traore: A cameo that promised much and delivered little in the final reckoning. Well marshalled by Aina on most occasions and it felt like Fulham didn’t give the space and time to run at the Forest back line – he was constantly having to try and beat two men to make something happen on his own. Whipped over a few crosses but most seemed overhit before he smacked the outside of the near post with a strike late on. 6

Bobby De Cordova-Reid: I felt De Cordova-Reid struggled to influence things in the way a tired Pereira had tried to do – and his disappointing display was hardly helped when he failed to make a clean contact on a gilt edged chance created by a brilliant bit of skill from Muniz. 5

Harrison Reed: Added a bit of bite into midfield but his introduction came far too late to turn the tide of a contest that had swung well against Fulham much earlier on. 6