Steve McClaren saw his side squander both an early lead and a man advantage against his former club to pile the pressure on after a poor start to the Championship season.
Refusing to blame the Rams for not stopping play for their equaliser, McClaren called Forest's defensive record a 'major problem' and a 'weakness'.
"We need to address that both on and off the field. We need clean sheets and we need to become hard to beat because at the moment we are not."
Opposite number Nigel Clough revelled in what he called a 'staggering' performance from his team to defy the early odds and take not just one but all three points.
"It was beyond what we could have expected. I would have taken a draw at any point during the game.
"Honesty, hard work, spirit and a lot of character - we are a close group and we have all that in abundance all the way through the team."