Back to Back Defeats....But Two Very Different Performances

The common consensus amongst the Forest fans I spoke to before this pair of games is that we thought we could get something out of them. Some fans speculated 4 points as being good, many would have settled for 3. One of two suggested we would lose both.

The truth is I don' think anyone expecting two defeats would have expected the abject performance of last night, maybe expecting that to occur more against Cardiff. Away at a high flying team, we only lost narrowly, with many suggesting we were unlucky to not get more from it.

What a difference a few days made. Leeds absolutely destroyed us. Whether somewhat influenced by the need to give Gary Speed a rousing good bye, or whether they really were at the races, what cannot be disguised is that barely anyone can come out of the game with their head held even remotely high. Maybe Joel Lynch, but then he was part of a defence that conceded 4, so perhaps not.

The man most around at me least singled out, including myself on twitter was Guy Moussi. Moussi had one of those games whereby he just looks useless. Directly responsible for two of the goals at least, but usually around the others, who was particularly woeful. The problem seems to be he can't play that deep role by himself. We are missing Paul McKenna big time in that role.

Lewis McGugan got a lot of flack, after being moved to his "prime" role, he simply didn't how nearly the requisite qualities to justify his reputation. McGugan tried flicks that didn’t work, seemed to think that instead of looking for the ball, that the ball should merely come to him. It was the performance of someone who simply was going through the motions.

The game was getting that bad that Andy Reid decided enough was enough and he'd go and take an early shower. Being on a booking he was lucky to have avoided a second yellow a few minutes before a challenge that was simply just late. He wasn't even close to the ball, it was just bad. And so bad you simply can't help to think that there’s no way he must have thought he'd get the ball.

Many would have missed that because half the ground emptied after Becchio netted Leeds third, of course one of the goals had to come from a header from a cross. It wouldn’t be Forest without that kind of goal. Hell that’s how Cardiff beat us. But the difference was at Cardiff many of us expected to be maybe turned over. The Leeds match we should have at least been competitive. Findley I don’t think once controlled a ball first time. Tudgay had one shot so hopelessly off target that I had to be told by two people that it was a shot and not him miss controlling. Miller when he came on was fill of drive, but he seemed so obsessed with scoring himself he ignored others. Both fullbacks were frequently beaten. Snodgrass beat Cunningham so often and outmuscled him.

I will admit the Howson goals was a great finish, but he had the space and time to compose such a finish. I am sat here trying to recall a good effort. Miller had a free header close in he put straight at the keeper, and McGoldrick had a smart shot turned round the post, but that’s about it. It was simply awful.

And if we play that again for much longer we will go down. I take solace in hoping that it was a one off. However, it could easily turn the fortunes downward. Heads drop. Morale affects us.

We need help and fast. We need new bodies. The current players are simply not up to scratch. We need a central defender who can also distribute the ball, and not aimlessly punt it. We need cover in the midfield that Moussi simply cannot do, at least not do consistently.

Worrying times ahead.

Forest Players Contract Expiry Dates

After publishing yesterdays ponderings about whether we will have to sell in January I have looked into when various contracts are are due to expire. Most of these are done via a Google search so this isn't gospel, but most of them are reported in various news channels so these should be accurate. But if you do know different do let me know via Twitter or Facebook(links onside)

There are obvious alarm bells here in this list


2012
Luke Chambers
Wes Morgan
Paul Anderson
Lewis McGugan
Joel Lynch
Garath McCleary
Brendan Moloney
George Boateng
Paul Smith

2013
Chris Cohen
Lee Camp
Dexter Blackstock
Radoslaw Majewski
Robbie Findley
David McGoldrick
Andy Reid

2014
Chris Gunter
Marcus Tudgay
Ishmael Miller
Matt Derbyshire
Jonathan Greening
Guy Moussi


Of course there are very worrying contracts that will expire. Chambers, Morgan, Lynch, McGugan and Anderson would all be losses, and as discussed should we cash in on these guys whilst we can get decent fee's? It's certainly a large issue that the club will have to address. The likes of McGugan should surely look for pay increases,which with the financial situation may not be very likely.

Will Forest Have To Sell in January?

The dour financial news that was reported by Frank Clark and with the news Nigel Doughty is no longer bank rolling the club to the degree he has had begs the question whether or not in January we may be forced to sell in order to finance any new deals.

For instance, Lewis McGugan would be a prime contender. Would it be worth selling one man to finance a move for 3-4 improvements elsewhere? It is easy to argue so. However should we continue on the upward curve we are currently on we may well start to look like promotion contenders.



So in essence the question which player should we potentially let go if the need should arise. Certainly McGugan is the one that would bring in the sizeable fee necessary. Though the likes of Camp or Gunter would also be prime candidates for topflight moves for good money.

Not that I am condoning selling any of these players. In fact far from it, but the question is what if we had to? That’s certainly part of the equation of how our season will unfurl.

There is something else to fathom in as well. There will be a number of players contracts will be up in June, whose I am not sure. However, since do have dour financial concerns, can we afford not to agree a deal to get some kind of fee rather than let a player go for free like we did for Kelvin Wilson.

The Kelvin Wilson saga is a perfect example of missed chances to make some money. The guy barely got in the squad and though they cited that he was injured, it did have the feeling of treating the player with spite for having the temerity to sign for another club.

That is not a good option for us. We need to get money in help fund potential replacements. Yes, Doughty has said he will honour all existing contracts, but similarly many of the players we have signed will not likely agree new cut price deals. So therefore should we cash in? And sell vital players?

Well we did this before and it was a catalyst for a batch of youngsters to take us to the brink of promotion. Many players like Bart-Williams and Rogers were shipped out and we had to fast track youngsters to the first team. Admittedly a golden crop of youngsters, but all the same the circumstances of the time meant necessity.

We would all like to hold on to all our best players. And with them go on and succeed. But do we cash in on success whilst potentially losing fees? We could become like Watford have been. Selling players, but bringing in players on loan and signing up and coming players. We have been blessed for awhile in that we haven't had to sell any top players.

In essence I warn fans to expect to see maybe one big departure to finance potential incomings, especially after a change of manager. Fans won't be happy but that’s the state we are in. Fans demanded Doughty out, well the reality is without him we will be a selling club, and I hope that is what you wanted? His bankrolling and keeping the club on an even keel will end, and although he is lurking in the shadows and maintaining current contracts, there will have be a sense of financial self-control and if offers come in we will have to think long and hard about whether it is best for the club in the long term.

That Ridiculous Banner

Right, for a start I am going to state that I find this kind of stunt fairly embarrassing for any team to pulling off. But if you are going to do this, do it well


There are other reasons to mock this of course. For one the banner itself which was admittedly more visible than the picture suggests was amateurish at best. Grammatically a mess and looking like it was pieced together from two other banners, Or that they pilfered a Remembrance Day banner from somewhere (I refer to the Never Forgotten bit) and you get something that made Forest fans chuckle, more than the anger it could have curried.

Furthermore, two months later? Hardly a fresh wound your reopening is it? The manager and Chairman have both changed in that time, our form has picked up and Derby's has slumped. They couldn't really have timed it worse. Had it been the next game or two, then yes, it would have been an extra dig, more painful. Now it just seems desperate.

Finally, it isn’t even original. It’s been done before, Blackburn, Blackpool, QPR have all done similar stunts recently. And at £2000 you really have to laugh. Football may well be important to us, but to splash that amount of cash, hard earned cash in a recession on a banner to try and rile fans at a game that you aren't at to see the reaction? Yeah I don’t think MasterCard's new advert will be quoting this as priceless.

Bravo Derby, for completely messing up a golden opportunity. Worst Team in history, and now worst banner in history.

Forest Last Gasp Comeback

At that point we had a team that withered and died in games (except against Leicester and we can frankly still thank Schmeichel for that) Now we have a team that does not want to lose. And will keep going. And then grab three points in injury time.

Ipswich had a team with a number of high paid players who have had success higher up the leagues. Chopra, Bowyer and Bullard are all well-known names, and with Stockdale (a keeper around the England squad) Jay Emmanuel Thomas (who was highly regarded at Arsenal) they aren’t short of players who look dangerous.

I just read a blog entry of an Ipswich site where they have suggested that these players are mere mercenaries and do not care, but Ipswich for periods looked handy. What they do probably lack is a certain amount of togetherness and spirit, as they bought in a large number of players.

That said, a number of our players are recent import, Greening, Reid, Cunningham all involved yesterday. But the core has been together for awhile and that breeds a certain amount of unity in the dressing room.

And that unity it seems to ebb and flow. Under Cotterill we have grasped it again, and use to go till the end. Under McClaren it seems that unity had the payers all against the manager, and they didn’t want to play for him, and that shows.

None of the goals yesterday were exactly classics. It was header central by and large, save for Findleys close range stab. Classically for Forest headers from set pieces were what we conceded. It sees to have been the same for all eternity. We never look comfortable.

But up the other end we grabbed headers too, and the points. Tudgay's winner seems a little lucky with how the ricochet landed exactly for him to no d home, but Lynch’s was a good strong header (and I for one am glad to see the lad started to get the plaudits he deserves.)

I’ll move on to the embarrassing banner later in another article, but of course Derby flew what can be described as an embarrassment over the City Ground for further entertainment.

All in all very good for the Feds to comeback. At 2-1 down I was more than a little concerned. But that’s because of the earlier start of the season when we would rollover. Now we don’t and it should breed confidence. Under Cotterill I doubt we would blow that lead against Derby. The players seem re-motiviated.

Onwards and upwards. Points wise we are as close to the playoffs as relegation. A good Decemeber and Christmas might even see us up in the playoff mix.

The Future of Football and Forest

Now this seems somewhat maybe a broad and sweeping subject to tackle for a mere Forest blog, but it’s been a quiet period with the international week, and it’s been an interesting day possibly in the future of football.

With Sandro Rosell the Barcelona President has spoke on a subject that could have huge long term ramifications for the future for our fair club.

He spoke about how basically he would like to move closer to a European Super League and how the top divisions should move down to 16 team leagues, and basically how it have a larger Champions League, with weekend games.

Basically the target is that rather than every so often games between the huge European super powers of football, we should instead see those far more regularly.

Now on the one hand I am not surprised, nor do I care overly too much on the outside, we as a club are so far removed from that world of football that they can frankly do whatever they want. We won’t get there anymore and if greed so drives them into eventually killing the game, so be it. These games get a lot of attention due to the rarity of them. And so maybe people in China, Brazil and other emerging markets want them more? Do these new fans really have to change what the old hardened fans of old want to see? Well the bank manager certainly thinks so.

For one, the fact that Manchester United v Barcelona or suchlike holds a vast interest when it’s on is because it is that, a rarity. They want to dilute and pollute market more than ever.

But the fact that if this happened, it would by a stroke be much harder to get in the Premier League, it would become more a closed club, and would likely see a step closer to abandoning relegation.

This would see the rung beneath that become like the minor leagues in US sport. Which almost sounds a disaster and no way forward, but a great many clubs forge a decent history that way. Problem is those clubs have never had the highs that a club like ours has had. Now I usually am one to rally against us always harking on about the past, but for this I think it points to how such a move would be a disaster. Most realists know we will never be atop club again. I would still like to retain a league whereby we can dream of making it to the topflight, and with that is always the chance of a few good years, but even that is something UEFA would gladly take away from us, and that as a former double European Cup winner would be tragic.

Unfortunately those people running our sport from the very highest (yes, Mr Blatter) are driven not by the love of the game, the romance the passion, the fans, but purely by profit. By axing out how much every one of them can squeeze every penny from the game.

No doubt with us all being football fans as well as merely Forest fans it will mean higher costs in terms of Sky Deals, and other knocks ons whereby they try and squeeze more out of us more than ever.

So although it is still all conjecture, the decisions made by presidents and chairmen of the biggest clubs in other world football might one day put us in a situation whereby we are forever stuck in a second or third tier of the game, unable to escape.

Latest Transfer Rumours

Ok so as we near the reopening of the January transfer window, and as Cotterill has had an excellent opportunity to survey his squad, the transfer rumours are starting to creep out the wood work again.


And unsurprisingly, those start at the club Cotterill recently departed. And even more unsurprisingly they start with Liam Lawrence. Lawrence is of course a local; he was born in Retford, and as a youngster was on the Forest books. I have heard in the past, though I have nothing to corroborate this, is that he was always resentful to Forest for this, and as a consequence doesn't like the club. As I Say, I do not know if this is true. He however would not be cheap, and for that I raise severe question marks over this potential deal. It just feels like lazy journalism

Equally is the vague rumour connecting Erik Huseklepp, a Cotterill signing for Portsmouth in the summer. That alone suggests to me it is unlikely, as does the fact Pompey paid a princely £1.5mill for him, and Forest recently announced we do not have much cash.


Chris Martin, not the one in Coldplay, but the Norwich striker has also been linked, and with a host of other Championship clubs too. Maybe more likely, but we don’t exactly have a dearth of strikers at the club (what with Blackstock impending return) Palace look to be the front runners to sign him on loan. Martin has a checkered past, being barred from many bars in Suffolk after a fight in a pub in Beccles.

There are strong rumours suggesting that George Boateng will be let go in January. These have appeared on numerous sites, and may have credence with that Boateng really was a McClaren man in the Forest camp.

Finally, there are very non-committal rumours about there having to be departures in January to fund any arrivals. The names mentioned are unsurprisingly Lewis McGugan and Lee Camp. It remains to be seen how much truth there is in this.

Progress Report

In the first real look at this season progress there is a huge amount to get in, and no real conclusions. Just thought I'd get that out there first. Basically I say that because we are very much a work in progress and it's still hard to tell if we will explode up the league, or merely meander around the lower half.

I think we all agree that those first initial fears of relegation we had with McClaren are somewhat starting to evaporate. Though a number of bad results would result in us slumping back, and although we are on better form, it's easy to suggest we are two or defeats in a row away from crisis again.

However, the swagger and belief seems to back in a number of the more flair players, and with Anderson and Blackstock approaching fitness (although in Dexter's case that will still be a long way off)

Any team might have somewhat struggled without the likes of Cohen, Blackstock and Anderson, and with capable reserve Garath McCleary also missing, there has been real no natural width to the team. It's easy to see why we chased Verhoek, even if ultimately that failed.

The damage McClaren could have done seems to have been nipped in the bud. I admit I for one would have given him more time, but the resurgence shown in the period since his departure really underlines how wrong I was. He really must have lost the dressing room.

If we went behind under McClaren, we really looked lost, the players seemed de-motivated, and under Cotterill that does seem different. Even though Portsmouth tonked us, we played well and could and should have gotten more out of a game that the score line defied, but then when you star chasing a game at 2 down you leave yourself open to that.


Joel Lynch for me this season has been a real revelation. I always thought he looked talented, and he had a lot of hype about him before he came here (I certainly signed him a few times on Football Manager) Especially in his preferred centre back role, it seems like Chambers that he looked capable in his full back slot, but at centre back he looks accomplished. I thought we might see Lascelles come through more, but with Lynch now blossoming there that is more unlikely.

Up front we do seem to have a number of options that we may have lacked. Miller is the big direct threat, who is powerful and quick; Findley is the nippy striker to use late on, Tudgay the aerial threat, and Derbyshire the man for finishing, although they aren't quite firing as a unit yet. Blackstock will be the one to come in and change this. Miller and Blackstock might see a more aerial threat, both handy in the air, and both good finishers. Derbyshire has disappointed for me a little. I always liked him at Blackburn.

Midfield wise, it’s hard to tell, under McClaren it looked clueless, and we still once again have issues surrounding Moussi's consistency. McGugan is again looking his confident self and Majewski has at times impressed me under Cotterill. Under McClaren this was all somewhat staid and dull in midfield. Boateng had a role as an enforcer, yet he doesn't have mobility to get around. Greening I so want to do well, and I think the crowd need to give him a little slack. I think he is seen as the face of McClaren signings (despite rumours being he was signed before Stcheve came in.)

And then there is the board. Where are we going? Well it is unclear still just what Doughty will put in, but it seems he has decided that enough is enough, and that he has staked all he can and should in this venture. Every gambler should have a limit, Doughty may have reached his. Whether this was something he was mulling over anyway, and decided by the protests or whether it really was unrelated, maybe he'll, and he did it because of the opposition to him solely. I know he said it’s down to McClarens appointment, but I think it is in part to alleviating pressure.


McClaren was very much a mistake and that I know now. We went for a flashy name when we should have for a man who knows this division.Many will say we shouldn't have got rid of Billy, but the problem there was that Billy had burned all of his bridges. As well as that, it seems he had tried his hardest to forge away out the club, as he had every where else he went. He still hasn't got a job now despite his great record. McClaren really had no idea what to do when it went wrong. It seems like his Wolfsburg period. Taking over a club that had done well, and being unable to replicate that. Wrong club,at wrong time.

Frank Clarks reign is still very much a long work in progress. The fans are onside. Let’s see how it goes

All in all I have hopes we can reached the playoff promised land again. Here's to seeing if we can.

One Step Back After Steps Forward

Well after all the euphoria of the hard fought win on Tuesday, Forest fans were bought back to earth with a bump with what looks in result as a thrashing by Portsmouth, 3-0 at Fratton Park,that no doubt will have hurt Steve Cotterill as much if not more than Forest fans.

The scoreline of course doesn't always tell the full story,and had chances fallen differently we might have seen more out of this game , like the late points we have snatched against Pompey before.

Steve summed it best post match when he said "How on earth did we lose 3-0? We've dominated and lost 3-0. I'm lost for words." Although maybe not fully accurate the truth is that we were not 3 goals worse.

But how many times have we seen Forest do the same? These games exist, remember Doncaster in League One walking all over us and losing 4-1? Jonathan Forte was majestic that day, yet they got thumped, well it looked like they did. History remembers the result not the performance.

Also an irony is that one of Cotterill's last signings got both goals. Erik Huseklepp netted two goals to help defeat the Reds. Dave Kitson in between netted in between for Portsmouth.

Forests bright points came from a great effort by Findley that was very well saved. Morgan too went close when it was still a one goal arrears.

To believe the BBC highlights it all looked Pompey, but it just seems lazy editing.

The truth is Forest are a changed team under Cotterill. Confidence appears to be back. The game against Reading for instance, under McClaren we'd have lost our way and probably lot it.

Interesting comments have surfaced this week about players being frozen out, like Marcus Tudgay,told he had no future and then dragged in to play. It hardly inspires a player to play well when he knows the manager doesn't rate him, and maybe this was half the problem. Players really not being focused on anything because McClaren frankly wanted to replace them come what may after proving themselves before.

I've said it once, I'll say it again, I bore all the hall marks of Roy Hodgeson at Liverpool.

Calderwood Sacked

Considering how vociferously they held on to him over the summer when both ourselves and Birmingham were linked with the Scotsman, it's somewhat surprising and a little amusing to see Hibernian sack Calderwood.

The past few months have seen a great many changes between where we could have been and where we are now, and Calderwood wasn't able to be part of McClarens revolution.

It does occur to me what with eh back room staff all staying on that he could well have ended up taking charge of the Reds again when Steve was got rid of. That would have been a great irony really.

The flip side of this is of course that Billy Davies is a very high profile Scottish manager out of work and therefore has been linked now with this job. This is hardly surprising news.

Whats also sort of fascination,going back to Calderwood is that Hibs essentially passed up around £250,000 or whatever we offered in compensation, only to then sack a manager that was highly unpopular there anyway. In researching what Hibs fans thought of him, all I saw was Hearts fan completely mocking at how he had led Hibs to be a laughing stock, with Thornehill and Agogo as two of his signings, neither of them doing anything much beyond League One, and with Agogo essentially sitting the last two years out by playing in two bob leagues for two bob teams.

On the other hand I always wished Calderwood the best. Some fans just never warmed to him, and the guy was genuine and a nice bloke to boot, but it might be seen that he is not a capable Number One and might just be a capable assistant

Forest Rise to Beat Royals After Hull Slip

I have been fairly busy these past few days and have barely had a chance to be able to collect my thoughts, let alone put them down on page, so for that I am sorry and only now I can begin to talk about two very dour games. This should be easy, because there isn't that much to talk about.

The Hull game could have gone either way to be honest. Both teams not exactly playing at their best. Hull had a game plan to strangle the game and that they did. The chances were few are far between.

Hull of course ended our unbeaten run last season, and with two members of that squad on their bench in Adebola and McKenna it was possibly unsurprising that it was them that ended Cotterills admittedly short but pleasurable unbeaten start to Forest managership.

When of course those two came off the bench for the second half the fear is that either will score. In fact McKenna would set up the goal for Hull, after a particular unpleasurable bout of head tennis he nodded through for McLean to score for Hull, not long someone near me said that how rubbish he is compared to how he was at Peterborough, thanks for jinxing it.

That came after our best effort of the game which was a medium range left footed Majewski drive which the keeper saved. Probably our best effort of the game.

All in all not a classic but I have seen far worse games.

Which leads neatly on to Tuesdays night events, which really push that mantle of worst game ever close (which goes to Forest v Stoke on New Year’s Day a few years ago) it just had a feel of the both sides, both fans and even the officials not really being arsed to try. It would explain the ref’s inability to punish Reading for taking so long over throw ins early on.

Miller had of course mad way through injury for Findley to make a start, I hoped to see more use of his supposed pace, but I have yet to really see him outpace any defender in the way that Tyson and Darcheville used to.

This game as said was largely horrendous, with bad passing, especially from Moussi being a key component of both teams abject performance. We did have the ball in the net early through Tudgay, which was disallowed for offside, and McAnuff had a dipping cross that hit the bar, and that was largely that, with the crowd fairly disgruntled but no unhappy enough to boo at half time.

The second half saw Reid replace Majewski and it created new options, for one the ability of someone to cross which had been missing. Tudgay had one shot on target from range in the second half of note, and not else much else sticks out till Tudgay scored. McGugan fed Chambers, who crossed for Tudgay to take it down swivel and finish.

Reading at the death, and let’s remember that Reading and at the death are phrases that nearly haunted us last season when they came back and nicked a game last season in that particularly ropey run in early spring when our playoff hopes looked to be imploding) Hunt had a close range header which Camp parried well away from goal to maintain our win. Three wins in four is a commendable record regardless for any manager, but when we were so poor before it speaks volumes for the way Cotterill has silenced early critics.

All in all two forgettable games, but progress is visible for all to see.