It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to write about victory on here! I hope there's more to come.
Admittedly, I didn't go to the game but did see it on the television. What a shame I had to watch the majority of it on mute due to the appalling punditry by Matt Holland and Leroy Rosenior. Could have been worse I suppose, had they employed Steve Claridge for the game. The BBC must be really struggling for cash or are simply inept by genuinely believing these 'pundits' know what they're on about. If they didn't have a sheet with all the information on and a practice run before they go on air, they'd be up shit creek without a paddle. But that's just a minor rant.
As for the game, I was ecstatic to see Lynch keep his place, albeit as a left wing back, following his performance in midweek. It would have been very easy to drop Lynch, bring Chambo back in and go back to a team that seemed 'correct'.
McClaren addressed the back four had been shipping goals and made it stronger by putting a 5th man in there. Honestly, I don't agree with the formation. We have far too many talented midfielders to only play three and I felt we were overran in the middle of the park at times, but as the gaffer keeps saying; 'you won't win games if you don't keep a clean sheet'. He's absolutely correct.
Again, I don't feel the performance was brilliant and we rode our luck. But that's the first time this season that 'luck' has gone in our favour. Times are changing? Still lots of hard work to be done. But maybe we've turned a corner.
Simple things seemed to make a difference. Campy controlled his box and performed a superb save to deny Garner and then to deny Forsyth when it seemed easier to score. Greening worked harder to shut down attacks. These little battles on the pitch all add to the bigger picture and can point to the fact that we collected three points.
Camp- As mentioned above, beginning to show glimpses of his form last season. Much improved, much more vocal. Needs to continue. 7/10
Gunter- Probably the worst game I've seen from Gunts for a while. Forsyth ran the show against him and the Welshman never got close. Caught ball watching a few times as well. Worked hard up and down the wing though. 5/10
Morgan- Strong, dominant, powerful. A superb performance from the major oak. Certainly fighting for his place and it's good to see. 7/10
Chambers- Again, it was improved. Won challenges and the odd aerial battle but still a bit off the pace at times. 6/10
Hill- For a debut, it was solid. Couple of nervous touches in the opening few moments but settled and got stuck in well. Bit of match fitness and practice and he could prove vital. 7/10
Lynch- Most would think it unthinkable but for the second time running, he's my man of the match. Caused many problems down the left flank, strong in the challenge and showed composure on the ball. Mr Reliable. 8/10
Greening- Had his fair amount of stick but yesterday was better. Stuck to his task and stopped Watford progressing. Struggled to keep up with the pace of play but never stopped trying. 7/10
Moussi- Similarly to Lynch, the effort from the French midfielder cannot be questioned. Such an intimidating presence in the middle, he worked tremendously hard to win the ball and then to move the ball forward to put Forest on the attack. 8/10
McGugan- Like Tuesday, he seemed up for it initially but quickly lost interest and forgot he was on the pitch as the first half drew to a close. Always has the ability to do something out of nothing though and that's key in a tight game. More effort needed. 6/10
Findley- As always, USA ran his socks off. Chasing down channels and trying to take defenders on. Some nice one touch passes as well. 7/10
Miller- I actually found the striker quite lazy on saturday. Didn't feel that he offered much presence up front and probably would have taken him off seconds before his goal. Shows how much I know! Did take his goal well. 7/10
Derbyshire- Can probably feel hard done that he's been left out of late. Came on and worked hard. Chased well and looked comfortable on the ball. Excited by the future if he can get a few goals under his belt. 7/10
Tudgay- Nice to see 'tuds' back in the set up. Always believe he can score goals at this level. Didn't have long enough to make an impact but unleashed a nice low shot which on another day, would skid away and hit the back of the net. 7/10
Reid- Similarly to Tudgay, didn't have long to make an impact but came on and added experience. Worked hard and hassled the opposition. Did what was asked of him. 7/10
So it wasn't great, it wasn't pretty, but it was a win. A vital three points that gives us a bit of breathing space and the beginning of foundations has potentially been set. Confidence will have increased and we can take in into Sunday's game against a Birmingham side who aren't exactly setting the division alight at the moment.
I just pray the protesters stay away.
Monday 26 September 2011
Wednesday 21 September 2011
NFFC vs Newcastle 20.09.11
What a difference a bit of effort makes.
After losing embarrassingly to Derby at the weekend, it was safe to say the mood around the City Ground was not a particularly buoyant one.
Yet come 10pm last night, there was a new buzz around the place.
From the outside view, most would ask why? Forest have lost. again. They've conceded 4 goals at home. again.
But the spirit of the performance was one that the Forest faithful have been craving all season.
McClaren made five changes which included dropping captain Chambers as his wife was giving birth. It may have been a blessing in disguise.
We all know Lynch has had his fair amount of stick since arriving, but he has always been asked to play in bit parts and in a position that isn't his favourite. Last night, the ex Brighton defender played centre back and he was superb.
There was still the odd mistake creeping in, mainly from an aerial route, Newcastle's first goal saw Lovenkrands ghost in between the two centre backs due to a lack of communication and Coloccini winning the game at the death as he waited back post, unmarked.
But there was a general feeling that if we tightened up just a tad, that defence would be tough to beat at championship level.
Up front, Marcus Tudgay was given a run out and he ran his socks off for 120 minutes. Although it was never confirmed, rumours spread that Tuds, McGoldrick and Garner were all transfer listed. If true, it appears the ex Sheffield Wednesday man was the only one who couldn't find a club. Similarly to Chambers, that could be the best result. His continuous effort, aerial ability and a striker's instinct to score goals at this level could prove pivitol to us this season.
The key thing last night was the team unity. There was no desire to lie down and be walked over, three times we came back against Premiership opposition. Goal scoring does not appear to be a problem this season. We could of and probably should have won in right at the end of normal time. Then Simpson popped up with the flukiest of goals and it proves that luck isn't going our way at the moment. But that'll change. We just need to keep plugging away.
I imagine some critics will say 'well Newcastle didn't have a full strength side out.' Granted, they made a fair few changes from the weekend. But there was still plenty of experience out there and I'm very confident that most will appear in Pardew's PL campaign at some point this season, most notably Danny Guthrie who ran midfield all night. Disappointed that he was rumoured to be on his way to the Reds not long ago, he looks like he would have been a superb acquistion.
Camp- In parts, looked like the old Campy. Shaky first half but as the match drove on, he began to dominate his box and move the ball out quickly. Hopefully it's the start of things to come. 7/10
Moloney- Tough night for the young Irish lad as Marveoux was magnificent but worked hard and defended well, caught out a couple of times. 7/10
Morgan- May be fearing for his place and appeared to know it. Strong, dominant, much better performance. Still a bit nervous at times but confidence is low so it's understandable. 7/10
Lynch- My man of the match. He was fantastic. Strong on the floor, strong in the air. Covering all areas of the back four. Would be very hard to drop him. 9/10
Gunter- Again, isn't a left back. But still worked incredibly hard. He defended well but also got forward to offer an option down the left side. 7/10
Findley- 'USA' is becoming a bit of a cult hero at the CG. Didn't offer much first half as a winger but when moved forward as a striker, looked very dangerous. Caused havoc every time he went forward and is bordering on first name on the team sheet. Nice goal as well. 8/10
Greening- Wasn't an inspiring performance once again but he seemed to be communicating more and attempting to dominate in midfield a bit more. Still needs to work harder though. 6/10
Moussi- If Findley needs a role model for how to become an instant hero in Nottingham, just look towards the 'Mousse'. Big, strong, powerful and a constant desire to never give up. Tends to give the ball away but the shocked silence around the ground when he was substituted said it all. 8/10
McGugan- Was one of his best performances for 80 minutes. Always wanting to get on the ball and be direct. Fantastic delivery from dead ball situations as well. Then, something changed. Not sure whether he got a niggle or just fatigued, but his head completely dropped and he just looked disinterested. 7/10
Tudgay- Excellent performance from Marcus. Worked hard and constantly roving around the back line, looking for that chance. Deserved his goal which shouldn't be forgotten that he had to gamble in the first place to be there. Certainly thrown himself into the mix. 8/10
Derbyshire- Another one who ran all night. First couple of games, thought he looked a bit of a pushover but as match sharpness has improved, he could become one of the best strikers in the division. Fantastic movement and always a step ahead. Great, clinical finish for his goal as well. 8/10
Majewski- Worked hard when he came on. Battled and moved the ball around well. Just not sure where we can fit him in at the moment. Certainly deserves to be involved though. 7/10
Miller- Can go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Always must have the ball on his left foot, otherwise it can become comical. However, when it is on his left, he can cause havoc. Saw it last night as he set up Tudgay through pure strength and persistance. Another one that is tough to leave out. 7/10
Reid- Had a twenty minute run out and worked hard. He likes to come and get the ball, which is good, but consistently leaves us with no wide option. Played the playmaker role well though and worked hard, closing down and pressuring. 7/10
In the post match interview, McClaren said he was looking for balance and went on to suggest that he may have found it in the 4-3-3 formation. As much as I love the attacking intent, we have far too many midfielders to try and suggest we are only going to play 3 each week. But that's McClaren's headache to sort out. How nice is it to have competition for places?!
On a sidenote, it was announced Chris Cohen would likely to be out for the season with the injury he sustained against Derby. It's a huge shame. His engine and willingness for the cause will be greatly missed. However, the blow was softened by the imminent arrival of Clint Hill.
I have to be honest, I don't know him very well. I do know that he played in QPR's first PL game and had he not been sent off and Warnock hadn't had a sudden cash injection, he would probably still be involved in their campaign. He comes with experience and knowledge of what it takes to win at this level and, wait for it...HE CAN PLAY LEFT BACK.
A good signing most definitely.
Finally, I heard that a protest against the board was being planned before the Birmingham game. If by any chance, anyone thinking of taking part will be reading this, please take on board the following advice....DON'T DO IT.
A protest shows unrest which is understandable. But McClaren's job is hard enough as it is without a handful of 'supporters' kicking off because we're not sitting top of the league. Last night was a huge performance and we need to kick on in the league now. I fully believe we will.
But protest oozing negativity could undo all last night's hard work.
After losing embarrassingly to Derby at the weekend, it was safe to say the mood around the City Ground was not a particularly buoyant one.
Yet come 10pm last night, there was a new buzz around the place.
From the outside view, most would ask why? Forest have lost. again. They've conceded 4 goals at home. again.
But the spirit of the performance was one that the Forest faithful have been craving all season.
McClaren made five changes which included dropping captain Chambers as his wife was giving birth. It may have been a blessing in disguise.
We all know Lynch has had his fair amount of stick since arriving, but he has always been asked to play in bit parts and in a position that isn't his favourite. Last night, the ex Brighton defender played centre back and he was superb.
There was still the odd mistake creeping in, mainly from an aerial route, Newcastle's first goal saw Lovenkrands ghost in between the two centre backs due to a lack of communication and Coloccini winning the game at the death as he waited back post, unmarked.
But there was a general feeling that if we tightened up just a tad, that defence would be tough to beat at championship level.
Up front, Marcus Tudgay was given a run out and he ran his socks off for 120 minutes. Although it was never confirmed, rumours spread that Tuds, McGoldrick and Garner were all transfer listed. If true, it appears the ex Sheffield Wednesday man was the only one who couldn't find a club. Similarly to Chambers, that could be the best result. His continuous effort, aerial ability and a striker's instinct to score goals at this level could prove pivitol to us this season.
The key thing last night was the team unity. There was no desire to lie down and be walked over, three times we came back against Premiership opposition. Goal scoring does not appear to be a problem this season. We could of and probably should have won in right at the end of normal time. Then Simpson popped up with the flukiest of goals and it proves that luck isn't going our way at the moment. But that'll change. We just need to keep plugging away.
I imagine some critics will say 'well Newcastle didn't have a full strength side out.' Granted, they made a fair few changes from the weekend. But there was still plenty of experience out there and I'm very confident that most will appear in Pardew's PL campaign at some point this season, most notably Danny Guthrie who ran midfield all night. Disappointed that he was rumoured to be on his way to the Reds not long ago, he looks like he would have been a superb acquistion.
Camp- In parts, looked like the old Campy. Shaky first half but as the match drove on, he began to dominate his box and move the ball out quickly. Hopefully it's the start of things to come. 7/10
Moloney- Tough night for the young Irish lad as Marveoux was magnificent but worked hard and defended well, caught out a couple of times. 7/10
Morgan- May be fearing for his place and appeared to know it. Strong, dominant, much better performance. Still a bit nervous at times but confidence is low so it's understandable. 7/10
Lynch- My man of the match. He was fantastic. Strong on the floor, strong in the air. Covering all areas of the back four. Would be very hard to drop him. 9/10
Gunter- Again, isn't a left back. But still worked incredibly hard. He defended well but also got forward to offer an option down the left side. 7/10
Findley- 'USA' is becoming a bit of a cult hero at the CG. Didn't offer much first half as a winger but when moved forward as a striker, looked very dangerous. Caused havoc every time he went forward and is bordering on first name on the team sheet. Nice goal as well. 8/10
Greening- Wasn't an inspiring performance once again but he seemed to be communicating more and attempting to dominate in midfield a bit more. Still needs to work harder though. 6/10
Moussi- If Findley needs a role model for how to become an instant hero in Nottingham, just look towards the 'Mousse'. Big, strong, powerful and a constant desire to never give up. Tends to give the ball away but the shocked silence around the ground when he was substituted said it all. 8/10
McGugan- Was one of his best performances for 80 minutes. Always wanting to get on the ball and be direct. Fantastic delivery from dead ball situations as well. Then, something changed. Not sure whether he got a niggle or just fatigued, but his head completely dropped and he just looked disinterested. 7/10
Tudgay- Excellent performance from Marcus. Worked hard and constantly roving around the back line, looking for that chance. Deserved his goal which shouldn't be forgotten that he had to gamble in the first place to be there. Certainly thrown himself into the mix. 8/10
Derbyshire- Another one who ran all night. First couple of games, thought he looked a bit of a pushover but as match sharpness has improved, he could become one of the best strikers in the division. Fantastic movement and always a step ahead. Great, clinical finish for his goal as well. 8/10
Majewski- Worked hard when he came on. Battled and moved the ball around well. Just not sure where we can fit him in at the moment. Certainly deserves to be involved though. 7/10
Miller- Can go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Always must have the ball on his left foot, otherwise it can become comical. However, when it is on his left, he can cause havoc. Saw it last night as he set up Tudgay through pure strength and persistance. Another one that is tough to leave out. 7/10
Reid- Had a twenty minute run out and worked hard. He likes to come and get the ball, which is good, but consistently leaves us with no wide option. Played the playmaker role well though and worked hard, closing down and pressuring. 7/10
In the post match interview, McClaren said he was looking for balance and went on to suggest that he may have found it in the 4-3-3 formation. As much as I love the attacking intent, we have far too many midfielders to try and suggest we are only going to play 3 each week. But that's McClaren's headache to sort out. How nice is it to have competition for places?!
On a sidenote, it was announced Chris Cohen would likely to be out for the season with the injury he sustained against Derby. It's a huge shame. His engine and willingness for the cause will be greatly missed. However, the blow was softened by the imminent arrival of Clint Hill.
I have to be honest, I don't know him very well. I do know that he played in QPR's first PL game and had he not been sent off and Warnock hadn't had a sudden cash injection, he would probably still be involved in their campaign. He comes with experience and knowledge of what it takes to win at this level and, wait for it...HE CAN PLAY LEFT BACK.
A good signing most definitely.
Finally, I heard that a protest against the board was being planned before the Birmingham game. If by any chance, anyone thinking of taking part will be reading this, please take on board the following advice....DON'T DO IT.
A protest shows unrest which is understandable. But McClaren's job is hard enough as it is without a handful of 'supporters' kicking off because we're not sitting top of the league. Last night was a huge performance and we need to kick on in the league now. I fully believe we will.
But protest oozing negativity could undo all last night's hard work.
Saturday 17 September 2011
NFFC vs Derby County 17.09.11
'Fingers crossed I'm this optimistic come 3pm Saturday.'
That's how I ended my previous blog. It's safe to say that I am nowhere near that particular emotion following the debacle that took place this afternoon.
As a fan of any team, it is hard to take a defeat.
It is even harder to lose to your local rivals.
But to lose to your rivals who had ten men for 88 minutes? That is simply unforgivable.
So the game that every Forest fan looks forward to has come and gone and it's the red side of the A52 that feels dour this evening.
The worse bit about it is, we didn't even try. Or at least we didn't seem to.
We were beaten by a team who wanted it more, had more team spirit and a fight to win. As much as it's painful, you have to give credit to Derby.
There's a lot of talk about how it's harder to play against ten men, which can be true in many cases. However in this one, it is not.
Eleven players will tire over 90 minutes, let alone ten. So, why have we been taught a fitness level in all areas of the pitch?
Probably because the opposition weren't tired at all. We didn't do anything to make them fatigued. The simple fact is, with a man is sent off, the remaining nine outfield players must work harder than they would in normal circumstances. So, let's exploit that and play football on the floor to get them to run about.
OR in Forest's case, let's lump the ball forward to Miller, who granted, is good in the air and make Derby's afternoon, very, very easy.
There's a bit of controversry over Derby's equaliser. It's bang out of order of them and against anyone else, they would have put the ball out.
But it doesn't excuse us. The defence should have stayed alert and played to the whistle. Another sloppy goal to concede.
The most worrying part is, I can't see a solution. I'm desperate for McClaren to succeed here and I've seem glimpses of his work beginning to pay off, but I'm not even sure transfers and loan signings could fix this mess.
Where has the team unity gone? No desire to win. No desire to fight. A lack of pride to be wearing the shirt which is inexcusable to every fan who paid £33 to go and watch them today.
The problem is, McClaren needs to send a message out, to prove he isn't messing about. But who can he drop? There's no-one there to fill in. It's the same old, vicious circle.
The talk of transfers brings me nicely on to the board. There was quite a clear protest at the end of the game as the fans voiced their opinions.
It appears, that for the first time in a long time, the fans are preferring to back the manager over the board.
I've heard rumours on the grapevine that Doughty is looking to sell.
If true, I hope he keeps the club's best interests at heart and sells to an owner with a complete financial background.
It's all very well selling to a foreign billionaire, but once the City Ground has been renamed after some business that nobody has ever heard of and we've brought big named players in whose wages we can't afford combined with the team now being full of 11 individuals rather than united and it's these players who must get promoted or we face serious financial problems, then I think people will realise that although it's immensely frustrating, it's still better to have a club to be angry with rather than no club at all.
One positive is the result of Reading this afternoon. One win saw them jump nine places. Due to the season still being in it's early stages, the table is still quite tight and a win can change things. But that isn't going to last when October approaches.
As for the future, I'm not really sure. McClaren has got his work cut out. Big time. I just never thought we'd be in a relegation battle this season. For the first time since beginning this blog, I now am contemplating that possibility.
Maybe a nice midweek cup tie can take our minds off things? Ahh, we can dream.
That's how I ended my previous blog. It's safe to say that I am nowhere near that particular emotion following the debacle that took place this afternoon.
As a fan of any team, it is hard to take a defeat.
It is even harder to lose to your local rivals.
But to lose to your rivals who had ten men for 88 minutes? That is simply unforgivable.
So the game that every Forest fan looks forward to has come and gone and it's the red side of the A52 that feels dour this evening.
The worse bit about it is, we didn't even try. Or at least we didn't seem to.
We were beaten by a team who wanted it more, had more team spirit and a fight to win. As much as it's painful, you have to give credit to Derby.
There's a lot of talk about how it's harder to play against ten men, which can be true in many cases. However in this one, it is not.
Eleven players will tire over 90 minutes, let alone ten. So, why have we been taught a fitness level in all areas of the pitch?
Probably because the opposition weren't tired at all. We didn't do anything to make them fatigued. The simple fact is, with a man is sent off, the remaining nine outfield players must work harder than they would in normal circumstances. So, let's exploit that and play football on the floor to get them to run about.
OR in Forest's case, let's lump the ball forward to Miller, who granted, is good in the air and make Derby's afternoon, very, very easy.
There's a bit of controversry over Derby's equaliser. It's bang out of order of them and against anyone else, they would have put the ball out.
But it doesn't excuse us. The defence should have stayed alert and played to the whistle. Another sloppy goal to concede.
The most worrying part is, I can't see a solution. I'm desperate for McClaren to succeed here and I've seem glimpses of his work beginning to pay off, but I'm not even sure transfers and loan signings could fix this mess.
Where has the team unity gone? No desire to win. No desire to fight. A lack of pride to be wearing the shirt which is inexcusable to every fan who paid £33 to go and watch them today.
The problem is, McClaren needs to send a message out, to prove he isn't messing about. But who can he drop? There's no-one there to fill in. It's the same old, vicious circle.
The talk of transfers brings me nicely on to the board. There was quite a clear protest at the end of the game as the fans voiced their opinions.
It appears, that for the first time in a long time, the fans are preferring to back the manager over the board.
I've heard rumours on the grapevine that Doughty is looking to sell.
If true, I hope he keeps the club's best interests at heart and sells to an owner with a complete financial background.
It's all very well selling to a foreign billionaire, but once the City Ground has been renamed after some business that nobody has ever heard of and we've brought big named players in whose wages we can't afford combined with the team now being full of 11 individuals rather than united and it's these players who must get promoted or we face serious financial problems, then I think people will realise that although it's immensely frustrating, it's still better to have a club to be angry with rather than no club at all.
One positive is the result of Reading this afternoon. One win saw them jump nine places. Due to the season still being in it's early stages, the table is still quite tight and a win can change things. But that isn't going to last when October approaches.
As for the future, I'm not really sure. McClaren has got his work cut out. Big time. I just never thought we'd be in a relegation battle this season. For the first time since beginning this blog, I now am contemplating that possibility.
Maybe a nice midweek cup tie can take our minds off things? Ahh, we can dream.
Monday 12 September 2011
NFFC vs Southampton
Another Monday morning. Another defeat to reflect on.
Despite the table not looking particulary pleasant at this moment in time, I still believe it doesn't reflect the bigger picture.
When was the last time Forest had a good start to the season? It's going back a few years.
I wasn't at the game so I'm only able to go on highlights and close people's views but unfortunately it sounds like the same old story, brilliant going forward but awful at the back. How many times have we said that this season and we're only in September?
First and foremost, let's not forget that we have gone to a club, who are in fine form and backed by a tremendous fan base and very nearly, and probably should have, taken points off them.
But, our back five were caught out again. Two of them being crosses swung into the box. I'm dumbfounded over where Chambers and Morgan's aerial dominance has gone. I have suggested the captaincy is adding extra pressure for Chambers, but as a mate of mine rightly pointed out, it shouldn't make a difference. If you're a born leader, you'll do the job of a captain whether you're wearing the armband or not. Maybe Chambers wasn't the right decision after all.
Camp is a tough one. His head clearly isn't in the right place. He dropped a clanger in midweek for his country and just isn't dominating his box like he used to.
Suprise suprise, I think it comes down to the same old problem; lack of squad depth. Both with Chambers and Camp, there is no-one challenging or pressurising them. Realistically, we know Camp is a much better all round keeper than Smith and only Lynch could fill in at centre back but isn't as good as Morgan or the skipper. The decision to drop either of the current players would be a massive risk and at this particular moment, I can't see McClaren doing it. He'll just hope that it comes good in the end.
Which, to be fair, I don't think will be very long. I've said in past entries, that the midfield and strikers are beginning to really gel and we showed it again on Saturday as we scored two excellent goals. Nice to see Derbyshire open his account. He showed a real striker's instinct to gamble on Miller's low cross and a nice sign of intelligence as he layed on Majewski instead of shooting himself, which would have been tempting.
The injury to Miller is a real shame, especially as his Forest career was gathering pace. Already a fan favourite, it's a big blow with Derby in town soon.
I know I'm repeating myself, but as soon as the defence has a solid display and the team are able to achieve a solid win, which they deserve, we will start rapidly climbing up the table and come christmas, I'm quite sure we'll be hovering around the top 8.
We need players without a doubt, and I was annoyed to see we'd missed out on Collins. I can only think it's a money issue and with the sale of Connor Wickham, we were unable to match what Ipswich were offering.
But we just need one result. One game where the City Ground is lifted once more.
What better occassion that this Saturday when our rivals roll into town?
Fingers crossed I'm this optimistic come 3pm Saturday.
Despite the table not looking particulary pleasant at this moment in time, I still believe it doesn't reflect the bigger picture.
When was the last time Forest had a good start to the season? It's going back a few years.
I wasn't at the game so I'm only able to go on highlights and close people's views but unfortunately it sounds like the same old story, brilliant going forward but awful at the back. How many times have we said that this season and we're only in September?
First and foremost, let's not forget that we have gone to a club, who are in fine form and backed by a tremendous fan base and very nearly, and probably should have, taken points off them.
But, our back five were caught out again. Two of them being crosses swung into the box. I'm dumbfounded over where Chambers and Morgan's aerial dominance has gone. I have suggested the captaincy is adding extra pressure for Chambers, but as a mate of mine rightly pointed out, it shouldn't make a difference. If you're a born leader, you'll do the job of a captain whether you're wearing the armband or not. Maybe Chambers wasn't the right decision after all.
Camp is a tough one. His head clearly isn't in the right place. He dropped a clanger in midweek for his country and just isn't dominating his box like he used to.
Suprise suprise, I think it comes down to the same old problem; lack of squad depth. Both with Chambers and Camp, there is no-one challenging or pressurising them. Realistically, we know Camp is a much better all round keeper than Smith and only Lynch could fill in at centre back but isn't as good as Morgan or the skipper. The decision to drop either of the current players would be a massive risk and at this particular moment, I can't see McClaren doing it. He'll just hope that it comes good in the end.
Which, to be fair, I don't think will be very long. I've said in past entries, that the midfield and strikers are beginning to really gel and we showed it again on Saturday as we scored two excellent goals. Nice to see Derbyshire open his account. He showed a real striker's instinct to gamble on Miller's low cross and a nice sign of intelligence as he layed on Majewski instead of shooting himself, which would have been tempting.
The injury to Miller is a real shame, especially as his Forest career was gathering pace. Already a fan favourite, it's a big blow with Derby in town soon.
I know I'm repeating myself, but as soon as the defence has a solid display and the team are able to achieve a solid win, which they deserve, we will start rapidly climbing up the table and come christmas, I'm quite sure we'll be hovering around the top 8.
We need players without a doubt, and I was annoyed to see we'd missed out on Collins. I can only think it's a money issue and with the sale of Connor Wickham, we were unable to match what Ipswich were offering.
But we just need one result. One game where the City Ground is lifted once more.
What better occassion that this Saturday when our rivals roll into town?
Fingers crossed I'm this optimistic come 3pm Saturday.
Tuesday 6 September 2011
NFFC and the International Break
Following the defeat to West Ham, I thought the international break had come at a relatively good time. McClaren could spent the upcoming couple of weeks, working really hard with the lads making sure a repeat of the Bank Holiday debacle didn't happen again. Combine this with a couple of new faces to arrive before the transfer window deadline and there was still that feeling of positivity around the place.
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure neither of these things happened.
I was shocked to wake up to the news on Thursday morning that Steve McClaren had flown to Europe to be with his family and was 'considering his future'. I appreciate the defeat must have been hard to take and everyone associated with the club were disappointed but it takes longer than seven games to stamp your authority on the team.
Then more hearsay began to escape and the bigger picture became apparent.
It appeared McClaren was dreadfully unhappy at the lack of signings made in the transfer window. Yet again, a deadline day had passed with no new arrivals. Max Gradel flew to France while Wade Elliott chose rivals Birmingham City.
The only fans who I'll allow to be more frustrated than us fellow reds in a transfer window would be those who follow Everton. What a horrible time they've had this summer.
But following McClaren's post match interview in which he stressed, almost begged, that new signings must be made, we actually lost a player as Joe Garner moved to Watford. Disappointed to see him go, I always liked his tenacity and he never had a decent run in the team. I have no doubts he'll score a fair few for the Hornets this season.
Now I appreciate football is a business and in the economic state this country is in, money is tight. This, combined with the financial fair play rules that are coming in next season has resulted in chairman being a little less keen to spend.
I also will never say a bad word about Nigel Doughty. He has pumped millions of pounds of his own money to keep this club going, especially in the awful Platt era and always has the club's best interests at heart.
But to go out and appoint one of the best coaches in the game today and let's be honest, McClaren is going to be on a decent wage, to then have the gaffer 'thinking' about his future is hugely worrying.
We all know the saga's that used to occur under Davies, but now the same messages are occuring from McClaren. Something has to give.
Of course, none of us know what goes on behind closed doors. The board may have worked frantically hard on deadline day as we aimed to secure someone but it simply wasn't enough. The message is simple, we must back McClaren.
It appears the board have realised this and if press talk is to be believed, funds have been made available to sign three players in the loan window. Ryan Bertrand is expected to arrive, although Newcastle are rumoured to be interested. If true, the left back will obviously stay in the PL. Who can blame him? Andros Townsend is another rumour that's gathering pace. If true, it would be a superb signing. I've seen the odd appearance from the winger, most recently against Hearts and he looked superb. Direct, confident, skillful, a player with a real future at the highest level but where does that leave Andy Reid? Simon Cox has also been mentioned but a press release this morning suggested he's going to fight for his place at the Hawthorns. Not massively fussed, I believe Findley and Miller have the potential to be our top two this season, with Derbyshire and Tudgay waiting in the wings. Blackstock is also making great progress from injury so there's five strikers. I haven't forgotten McGoldrick, I just don't class him as a striker. Finally, we are reportedly interested in Standard Liege midfielder Reginal Goreux.
While I appreciate the board and McClaren are trying to send out a message that new signings will be made and competition for places will be key, am I the only one who is extremely sceptical over the fact no centre back has been rumoured?
Against West Ham, Leicester, Notts County and Wycombe, our attacking play wasn't the issue. We conceded sloppy goals.
Yet, we are trying to sign a left back who will face no competition as he slots straight in and despite their recent mistakes, Chambers and Morgan will know their place is secure as well?! It makes no sense.
It wasn't long ago that Anthony Gardner was training with us after turning down an offer from Crystal Palace. Rumour has it that we were happy to sign him following a pre season appearance against Lincoln. So why does he then sign a contract with Palace?
This is the frustration. Clearly, wage demands have gone up and while I don't expect Forest to become a welcome mat, we may need to address the times and realise more money needs to be offered to secure these players.
Don't think I'm suggesting we spend like Leicester, if they don't get promoted this season, they are in serious trouble. I'm just suggesting that IF (and I appreciate it's a massive if) the funds are available to be a little bit more daring, then we have to take that risk.
We employed McClaren because of his knowledge and experience. The board now has to trust his advice and aim to work with him as he aims to improve this squad.
As Saturday rolls round and a very tough trip to Southampton awaits, I hope there will be a few new faces on the team bus. I also hope the current set of lads have been working bloody hard on the training pitch. If they haven't, I dread to think what the scoreline will be at 5pm on Saturday evening against a free flowing Saints side.
Also, just a quick mention for the England team. Nice to see some new faces in there and settling in so well. Capello appears to have adapated his managerial technique and it's reaping the rewards. I hope it continues tonight against Wales.
If it does and we dispose of a good Welsh team in the same manner as we did in the tricky test in Bulgaria then Capello will soon be a shining light once more. But as he appears to finally be making progress as England manager, will it not completely defeat the point by asking him to leave and appointing someone else with new ideas? Back to square one?
Anyway, one mangerial headache at a time!
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure neither of these things happened.
I was shocked to wake up to the news on Thursday morning that Steve McClaren had flown to Europe to be with his family and was 'considering his future'. I appreciate the defeat must have been hard to take and everyone associated with the club were disappointed but it takes longer than seven games to stamp your authority on the team.
Then more hearsay began to escape and the bigger picture became apparent.
It appeared McClaren was dreadfully unhappy at the lack of signings made in the transfer window. Yet again, a deadline day had passed with no new arrivals. Max Gradel flew to France while Wade Elliott chose rivals Birmingham City.
The only fans who I'll allow to be more frustrated than us fellow reds in a transfer window would be those who follow Everton. What a horrible time they've had this summer.
But following McClaren's post match interview in which he stressed, almost begged, that new signings must be made, we actually lost a player as Joe Garner moved to Watford. Disappointed to see him go, I always liked his tenacity and he never had a decent run in the team. I have no doubts he'll score a fair few for the Hornets this season.
Now I appreciate football is a business and in the economic state this country is in, money is tight. This, combined with the financial fair play rules that are coming in next season has resulted in chairman being a little less keen to spend.
I also will never say a bad word about Nigel Doughty. He has pumped millions of pounds of his own money to keep this club going, especially in the awful Platt era and always has the club's best interests at heart.
But to go out and appoint one of the best coaches in the game today and let's be honest, McClaren is going to be on a decent wage, to then have the gaffer 'thinking' about his future is hugely worrying.
We all know the saga's that used to occur under Davies, but now the same messages are occuring from McClaren. Something has to give.
Of course, none of us know what goes on behind closed doors. The board may have worked frantically hard on deadline day as we aimed to secure someone but it simply wasn't enough. The message is simple, we must back McClaren.
It appears the board have realised this and if press talk is to be believed, funds have been made available to sign three players in the loan window. Ryan Bertrand is expected to arrive, although Newcastle are rumoured to be interested. If true, the left back will obviously stay in the PL. Who can blame him? Andros Townsend is another rumour that's gathering pace. If true, it would be a superb signing. I've seen the odd appearance from the winger, most recently against Hearts and he looked superb. Direct, confident, skillful, a player with a real future at the highest level but where does that leave Andy Reid? Simon Cox has also been mentioned but a press release this morning suggested he's going to fight for his place at the Hawthorns. Not massively fussed, I believe Findley and Miller have the potential to be our top two this season, with Derbyshire and Tudgay waiting in the wings. Blackstock is also making great progress from injury so there's five strikers. I haven't forgotten McGoldrick, I just don't class him as a striker. Finally, we are reportedly interested in Standard Liege midfielder Reginal Goreux.
While I appreciate the board and McClaren are trying to send out a message that new signings will be made and competition for places will be key, am I the only one who is extremely sceptical over the fact no centre back has been rumoured?
Against West Ham, Leicester, Notts County and Wycombe, our attacking play wasn't the issue. We conceded sloppy goals.
Yet, we are trying to sign a left back who will face no competition as he slots straight in and despite their recent mistakes, Chambers and Morgan will know their place is secure as well?! It makes no sense.
It wasn't long ago that Anthony Gardner was training with us after turning down an offer from Crystal Palace. Rumour has it that we were happy to sign him following a pre season appearance against Lincoln. So why does he then sign a contract with Palace?
This is the frustration. Clearly, wage demands have gone up and while I don't expect Forest to become a welcome mat, we may need to address the times and realise more money needs to be offered to secure these players.
Don't think I'm suggesting we spend like Leicester, if they don't get promoted this season, they are in serious trouble. I'm just suggesting that IF (and I appreciate it's a massive if) the funds are available to be a little bit more daring, then we have to take that risk.
We employed McClaren because of his knowledge and experience. The board now has to trust his advice and aim to work with him as he aims to improve this squad.
As Saturday rolls round and a very tough trip to Southampton awaits, I hope there will be a few new faces on the team bus. I also hope the current set of lads have been working bloody hard on the training pitch. If they haven't, I dread to think what the scoreline will be at 5pm on Saturday evening against a free flowing Saints side.
Also, just a quick mention for the England team. Nice to see some new faces in there and settling in so well. Capello appears to have adapated his managerial technique and it's reaping the rewards. I hope it continues tonight against Wales.
If it does and we dispose of a good Welsh team in the same manner as we did in the tricky test in Bulgaria then Capello will soon be a shining light once more. But as he appears to finally be making progress as England manager, will it not completely defeat the point by asking him to leave and appointing someone else with new ideas? Back to square one?
Anyway, one mangerial headache at a time!
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