Transfer Rumour Madness Roundup

Well with a new manager, and with the apparent abundant signings about to pour in, and because the transfer window is about to reopen, it’s time to evaluate my usual crazy sources on the net of rumoured transfers, from the sensible and believable, to the outright ridiculous. Here we go.

Given

Shay Given

As much to do with the act he is out of favour at Villa, and McLeish last job was Villa comes the clever association that we are signing Shay Given. Rumours differ on whether its loan or permanent, but I’d be guessing Villa want people off their books so it’d be permanent. Now Given isn’t the force he was, and may well be looking for a last challenge in his career. Whether he sees that as competing with Lee Camp is unclear. Camp hasn’t been bad lately, but fans still seem to not forgive him seeking a move 18 months ago. This though is believable. Managers like to have a keeper they know and trust.

N'Zogbia

Charles N’Zogbia

Again a Villa connection, people seem to have decided that because he hasn’t been in the team he must be out of favour and we are going to look to sign. This completely overlooks his recent injury problems where he has missed around 2 months with a knee injury. Also N’Zogbia is fairly well regarded by many a manager, has high opinion of himself, he really isn’t going to drop to the Championship. Not happening

McKay

Billy McKay
Inverness striker who has been bang in form this season.  Whether this is needed with our relatively decent striker options it’s unsure but it would potentially be a good signing for a not so high fee.  Hal the Championship has been linked with the Northern Ireland striker, so why not Forest too. And why not link us because we have money. Believable, but  needed?

McLaughlin

 Stephen McLaughlin

Speaking of Northern Irish players, it’s still unclear what status this transfer got to before the managerial change. McLeish did say that he will discuss targets with the existing back room staff that have a list of players. McLaughlin may feature. He may not.

Burke

Chris Burke
The right winger has been linked before and there are quite a number of people citing this rumour. It may well be true and it would be a handy signing, as I’ve always thought he’s a handy winger. A number of people seem to be confusing who signed him for Birmingham, he signed for them in June 2011. This was exactly the time McLeish was leaving the club via email. He may have been the one who set the ball rolling on it though.

McFadden

 James McFadden

Was always going to be linked due to past McLeish connections. He also has a short term contract with Sunderland that’s going to expire shortly so that would also tie in with him coming to the club. He may be a little similar to Reid though for this to work. Would be a good signing though.

Scott Sinclair
Not going to happen. People saying because he is not in first team that he is looking at a loan. Yes maybe he is, but it would be a 6 month loan to another Premiership team.

Some mentions to for players who simply not going to happen but I saw people on Twitter mention Ryan Bertrand, Wilfred Zaha, Joleon Lescott, Joe Cole

Only A Draw But Plenty of Positives For McLeish

Well despite what many were claiming when we were behind on Twitter and Facebook, this side and performance had little to do with Alex McLeish, the new Forest manager. The team had been chosen by Rob Kelly and Jimmy Hasselbaink, and although McLeish had attended training he’d left it largely to his existing backroom staff to look after the team as he evaluated what he had.

Formation and team v Palace

The team itself was largely what we played against Leeds. There was an enforced changed with Hutton being out ill, so Harding came in at left back, and Halford back to right back. Losing the marauding runs Hutton had made would be a loss, but the team as a whole was the same side and structure that had played so well particularly in that second half against Leeds.

But like versus Leeds we went behind, to a goal that was very similar to the goal Leeds had scored. Turning out to be a simple finish in the area after poor defensive work left the striker free and players committed. 

If that seemed to mimic the Leeds game so did the timing of our equaliser. Reid netting a wonderful 20 or so yarder that flew in. A wonderful goal. And similarly to Leeds we went in at the break after dominating a period of the match and looked on top. Silencing vocal away support in the process.

The second half though wouldn’t see such a persistent period of domination and most importantly goals like the Leeds game did. It had chances; yes we went close with a few chances. Closest came Collins with a header which was turned over by Speroni turning in his annual wonder appearance against Forest. I don’t see Speroni every week, but he can’t be this good every time otherwise Palace would be the Champions of the Universe if he was. He also made a very good save from a deflected shot, completely having to alter his position mid dive and turn the ball round the post. 

And because this game had been so finely poised and with Forest doing perhaps the slightly harder knocking on the door of course Palace went up the other end and scored what looked like it could be a winner. It had more than an element of luck. It seemed more a hopeful jab at a ball in midair that saw the ball come to him, but with decent invention from this chance Murray headed it high over Camp and into the back of the net.

It looked like it might beat us, and as fans started to trickle out the ground it looked like being one of those days. A lot of toil for no result, but lo and behold up stepped the new King Billy. After a looping ball up was flicked on by Blackstock, Sharp got in, and put his first effort against the post, but was able to score at the second attempt and give Forest what they deserved for their efforts.

I think a win for either team may have been harsh. So to claim the share of the spoils was certainly as I say fair. Palace have said they could and should have won according to Holloway, but I think that’s overlooking the evenness of the game with most of it perched on a knife edge.

All in all though there was a lot to please. For one we didn’t roll over accept a late defeat, we kept going to the end and got the goal. Furthermore we created a wide variety of chances with efforts coming from all over the team. The usual defensive lapses were there but there was some quality blocking at the back as well. We are definitely one or two key signings from a complete unit. And if McLeish can get those signings then we will be in an extremely good position. 

A word for the much maligned Dan Harding as well who I also think marshalled Wilfried Zaha very well, and eventually saw the highly rated winger off and replaced.

Keep Calm and Carry On Supporting Forest

Many of you from Twitter and Facebook and the forums have been like myself, angry and can’t understand the reasons for O’Driscolls dismissal, but then even more angry about appointing a manager that many including myself perceive as negative. Had we replaced O’Driscoll with a big named manager, or someone with excellent pedigree we may have understood.


With an extra day to think about this, and I needed to get down my feelings yesterday as they were raw and fresh, I am not as angry as what I was.

For two main reasons. Firstly the realisation that this has happened and nothing can be done about it by me directly. So essentially it becomes a case of get on with it, accept it. Make the best. I may not be happy, and feel the shabby way Sean was treated makes me feel less happy about my club. But there is nothing I can do to change this. Hence the Carry on supporting Forest section of the headline. What will be key for the players at this stage will be the support of the fans.

In terms of keep clam, well that’s just what I mean. Getting irate and tweeting at Fawaz about this appointment isn’t going to help. On Boxing Day night, me like many replied to Fawaz’s tweet about sacking O’Driscoll unhappily. It is the first time I have ever done such a thing, as usually I cringe at those tweeting Fawaz, but I was moved to make my opinion known.

McLeish is our manager now whether you like it or not, and so we have to move on and get behind them. Carrying on some campaign to undermine him and the team will not help whatsoever. It will hinder the progress of the team.

It is also a clear marker that the goalposts have been moved on expectation. Promotion is wanted this year. Clearly the al-Hasawi family believe O’Driscoll wasn’t going to deliver. I am certain the remit given to McLeish is getting us up. And so they have employed a man who has done exactly that before. So in that essence it’s easy to see why he was chosen.

Other managers who have gotten teams promoted are either employed elsewhere or fell back off the popular bandwagon long ago. Names like Phil Brown, Paul Jewell, and Owen Coyle have all had their stars dimmed by subsequent performance.

And to be honest would we rather be Stoke, or would we rather be a well regarded by perennial also rans in the Championships. Ok they don’t play pretty football, but they are being successful.

What does irk me is that one critique of O’Driscoll was his tendency to be conservative with team set ups, and this is something McLeish has done before. As others has said if it gets results so what? Well true in part, but when we just scored 4 goals at home and looked unstoppable in an attacking context and you bring in a man known for defensive rigidity, its nice going from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Maybe McLeish will temper his usual style. Maybe his time off has changed his mind set. Let’s be honest the defence does need work, so good in that regard. But what it may well reign in is our midfield flowing play.

A lot of people worry it may change Billy Sharps mind about his time here. That might well be, but it’s a lot of the rapport with fans that Billy has as much as anything.

I have probably merely echoed a lot of what I said last night, but I think some of those points need reiterating. We may well be angry and up in arms. But we also need to move on with this sorry debacle, and see if there can be good that comes from it. Money may well be spent in January, and maybe McLeish will build on the foundations laid. There’s a lot of expectation going to come now. We made this change to get promotion. If we don’t go up, then and only then can we really openly question this decision. If it gets us up, then it might have been a right decision.

I called Huddersfield into question when they sacked Clark last year, but Huddersfield gets promoted. They made a right call that too many looked like it was questionable. Sometimes hard and unpopular decisions need to be taken. Perhaps this was one.

O'Driscoll Out, McLeish Comes In

So around this time yesterday I found out the news about O'Driscoll being removed from the manager’s role. I was in the pub, at the time and to be honest most people, who I was with, fans of different clubs, simply couldn't understand why we had made this decision.

But we had. We really had just sacked our manager after a glorious win over Leeds. Ok now in the previous games things hadn’t gone right, but it looked to me at the time they had someone clearly lined up. And the speed we have got to this point suggests to me this was all in place.

It is a great shame,I had a lot of time for O'Driscoll and what he was trying to do. The football was good, the players seemed to like him and everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. Now that direction has changed

So Alex McLeish, Big Eck, is our manager.

Let’s look at the positives. He has succeeded at this level with Birmingham before. He won many trophies with Rangers, and has top flight, European and International managing pedigree.

That said he does play extremely agricultural football, took Birmingham down twice and narrowly missed relegation whilst at Villa. There are some extremely bad signings he has made in the past, but then every manager has that.

It's the quality of football for some that will be the issue. He plays a more pragmatic game rather than O'Driscoll's fluid football approach. The more direct approach of course as we all know is not what we ideally like to see at City Ground, more so because of the blessed Brian Clough years. When we have tried to play a direct game in the past we don’t succeed. Whether this is because we never take to the manager or whether it’s simply we haven’t had a decent manager for that game isn't even for debate. Cotterill & Kinnear will not be on any City Ground hall of fame.

McLeish sets teams up to not lose, which is a critique some had of SoD in his few games we played 1 up front. McLeish sides don’t score many goals. Both his Birmingham and Villa teams were fairly goal shy in the last few seasons, so this doesn’t' exist excite me.

Couple the lack of goals, and the direct football it doesn't bode well for an instant rapport with fans. There have been people already bemoaning the appointment and even some on Twitter trying to start a virtual lynch mob with the aim of forcing him out as soon as possible. Now that is just silly and being very anti the club. I don’t approve of the last 24 hours or so at our club, but I will get behind them as I do every Saturday. In 2 or 3 weeks when this has all blown over I guess not too many will be fussed if we start with wins. Furthermore at the end of the day none of us really have a say. the al-Hasawi's for whatever reasons have decided this is what needed to happen and that they hopefully know what they are doing., 

That said this move worries me that we may have owners who are too trigger happy. It speaks volumes that most fans have been in complete surprise and even anger at this.

But I think what we really do is dust ourselves off and move on for the good of the team. Dwelling on the dismissal and bringing a negative force to the ground won’t do anyone any good. 

SOD Leaves

In the past few minutes, Forest have announced Sean O'Driscoll has left his post as manager of the club.

The Fawaz Al-Hasawi has released the following statement:

"We cannot speak highly enough of Sean as a man. He was appointed at an extremely difficult time for the Club and can count himself unlucky to have lost his job with the team just one point away from the top six.

“But we have a responsibility to look to the future for this great Club because we have huge ambitions for it.

“We knew when we bought the Club in the summer that it would take time for the players we bought in to settle but that process has taken longer than we anticipated.

“We feel we have developed a really strong squad of players but are still searching for consistency in terms of team performance, underlined by the fact that we have not won more than two games in succession in the Championship this season.

“And with the January transfer window approaching, we feel it’s the right time to make a change.

“We are looking to bring in an ambitious manager with Premier League experience.”

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An Odd Weekend of News

So I was busy for most of Sunday or all of yester not giving me a chance to contribute to the debate and gossip about the chairmanship. And now that all seems to have settled down I don’t really have much new to add to the equation.

The al-Hasawi's

But with Fawaz becoming the main man after the recent financial scandals, it does make you wonder what the actual reasons behind the moves were. There is mixed debate on this subject. Fawaz was embarrassed by the mishandling of accounts and bills being paid and wants to take direct control.

Or the other that this move was always planned for the New Year, with Omar having more expertise in the British world of business, and therefore business law etc, it would be better for a bedding in period before Fawaz took full control of what is essentially his baby.

I have no qualms with either reasoning. It isn’t to have the club splashed across the papers for being stranded without a working club credit card. Or for that matter the rumours of unpaid wages and agent fee’s, which on the surface looks appalling, but is actually quite common practice in most business for a lot of bills to have gone unpaid for a while (well everyone I’ve ever worked for anyway) But it makes good copy, especially for owners we still know relatively little about. We still aren’t sure just how wealthy they are after all.

Anyway, in the midst of all this, Fawaz announced when 24-7 had already speculated about the new big screens coming to the ground. It was a badly kept secret that these would be in for Boxing Day, all but confirmed anyway when the seats were missing in the Bridgford End last week, and pictures of cabling reading to be connected up.

This and the unconfirmed gossip about the fact we are now aiming for promotion not next season or the year after but immediately this campaign. Not sure why the change of focus. It could be they see the division as wide open and this is a good chance as any. Or it could be the much worse fact that yes, they aren’t as wealthy as we thought and it’s do or die now. If we don’t get up, we’re doomed. Which the doom merchants on Twitter love as a theory. Which is true? I don’t know. Good old conjecture though, never stops the Forest Twitter timeline churning; I don’t know the answer, let's make something up and treat it as gospel.

Stephen McLaughlin - apparently about to sign

And after all this comes the news of a signing near enough tied up. Derry City winger Stephen McLaughlin has all but been agreed it seems. The 20 year old was James McClean at Sunderland’s replacement, and he was at times a revelation last year. If this guy can do anywhere near that we may be laughing (even if McCleans form has dropped considerably) we need natural width, and if he comes it may well spell the end of Coppinger. He could, and I stress could, be our new McCleary. And by that I also mean he might take a while to bed in and get up to speed.

On that note, Coppinger, after his comments (I wanted to put outburst but it really wasn’t) that he is not enjoying his stay as he has always played 40 games a season. Well newsflash James, you just made a step up, and in terms of that you have to expect to maybe not always play. If you want to lack ambition and play every week at a lesser club then go on. Go back to Donny.

Matt Derbyshire has also said he wants to leave, which isn’t a shock in the slightest. The proof in the pudding will be if he does, where he goes. As surely it would mean a hefty drop in wages. Those trips to the Cinema don’t pay for themselves. Neither does his wife’s endless shopping trips.

There is a bit of talk around David McGoldrick too, seeing as McGoaldrought has found his scoring boots again, and is firing them in for Coventry. Another 2 this weekend, and in perfect time foe the transfer window. Surely a player isn’t improving in time for the shop window? How very cynical. If he does go, we can probably sneak a fee now as before I assumed he’d leave on a free this January. Again taking a pay cut maybe an issue, but goal shy Championship clubs might now be sniffing around. Barnsley love our ex players, why not them?

Oh and actual news where it matters, on the pitch, we drew 0-0 with Brighton. Good result on the face of it. Although apparently he performance was lacking somewhat

Jermaine Jenas - To Sign or Not to Sign

So as January starts looming into view on the horizon I think it’s time to start looking at what business we may or may not be doing. I shall be concentrating on the loan signings we currently have and whether we could look at longer deals, or permanent deals.

Jenas back at Forest

Starting with Jermaine Jenas is as good a place as any seeing as he is fairly high profile in terms of our signings.

Initially on a month and then extended his return to the Reds has been blighted by injuries. Or “injuries” if some are to be believed with their conspiracy theories.

The main problem with Jenas and questioning a permanent deal is the very fact we were amazed to get him. He is a Premiership player, and whether he would take a big step in making his stay at this level a permanent one instead of a brief fitness & form seeking trip.

Another huge stumbling block would be the wage issue. Believed to be on £45k a week at Spurs, of which we are (again rumoured) paying £15k a week, this would be too much for a club on a Championship budget. Ok, we still aren’t sure how deep the al-Hasawi pockets go, but it would be as big a statement of intent if we did make it a new signing. However, imagine the dismay in the dressing room this would cause whereby we’d have a player, who’s prone to be injured and potentially not playing on a great deal more than those playing week in week out.

But personally I feel it was a nice little piece of nostalgia. But we need to look forward to long term fixes. Jenas although a good player will no doubt have an eye on trying to keep his Premier Career going maybe at least another 2-3 years. To look at a long term deal might not be best. With the potential signing of these Irish wingers from Derry City, it would mean less scope for strength in depth in the middle of midfield. Therefore less chances.

Also does Jenas want to come back permanently? I mean he’s said he’s happy to be back and enjoying his time, BUT, he is saying that knowing its short term. His mindset might be entirely different in a long term deal. He might begrudge having to drop down a division.

All in all, i wouldn’t rule it our nor would I say no, but neither would I want the club to particularly chase this signing.

Where Are They Now? The Class of 2002-03

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This season marks the tenth anniversary of Forest’s first ever venture into the Play-Offs. While it all ended in a now all too familiar flood of tears, we can not forget some of the fantastic games this team treat us to over the course of the season, most notably the 3-0 thumping of Derby County on a cold March night at the City Ground.

While Andy Reid returned for a second stint at the club, playing just as important a role for us now as he did in 2002-03, I wondered what became of everyone else.

Let's start shall we?

Darren Ward

A decent goalkeeper during his time at Forest, Ward remained at the club for the 2003-04 season before losing his place to loanee, Paul Gerrard.

When Gerrard made his loan move permanent in the summer of 2004, Ward was faced with the possibility of spending the final year of his contract on the bench. Fortunately for Ward, newly promoted Norwich City identified him as the perfect candidate to compete with a young Rob Green - in turn giving him his first opportunity of Premier league football.

In his two years at Norwich, Ward only made one appearance for the club and was released at the end of his contract in 2006.

From here, Ward joined Roy Keane’s Sunderland revolution in and established himself as their first choice goalkeeper over the course of the 2006-07 season. Sunderland went on to be promoted as Champions giving Ward another bite at the Premier League cherry.

But Keane splashed £9m on Craig Gordon, forcing Ward to become an understudy once more.

Having rejected the chance to join Glasgow Rangers in 2008, Ward eventually went on loan to Wolves in March 2009. Unfortunately, Ward did not feature and had his loan cut short due to injury.

He was released by Sunderland in the summer of 2009, where he immediately announced his retirement at the age of 35.

A coaching role shortly followed for Ward at Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough before departing in February 2010.

Matthieu Louis Jean

A fantastic full back for Forest in his prime, Louis Jean went on to amass 200 appearances for the club.

Louis Jean stayed with the club until our relegation to league 1 in the 2004-05 season. 

With Louis Jean too good to be stuck in League 1, the time seemed right for him to put an end to his 7 year stint at the club.

From here, Megson agreed a swap deal which saw Louis Jean join Norwich City and Gary Holt coming in the other direction. Nicky Eaden was signed on a bosman to replace Matthieu – I agree, looking back there was so much facepalm surrounding his replacements. 

Matthieu only went on to play twice for Norwich due to injuries and was released in 2007.

Sadly, he never signed for another club and was on the footballing scrap heap aged 31.

Today, Louis Jean is back working at the City Ground as a scout.

Jim Brennan

Following his initial struggle to settle in when he first joined the club in 1999, Brennan was our ever consistent left back during this campaign, playing a key part in our defence.

It was the Play-Off defeat to Sheffield United that would also bring an end to Jim’s 4 year stint at the club, as he joined Norwich on a bosman in the summer of 2003. Yes, it would seem Norwich signed most of our defence in the years after.

Injuries restricted Jim during his first season at Norwich, as he was restricted to just 9 games as they clinched promotion to the Premier League.

Brennan managed to make 10 apperances in his second season and became the Premier Leagues first ever Canadian born outfield player.

During the winter of 2006, Brennan signed for Southampton until the end of the season where he became first choice left back to help keep the Saints in the Championship.

At the end of the season, Brennan returned to Canada to join newly formed Toronto FC. It was here where Brennan became affectionately known as the ‘Iron Man’ and the club he ended his career with in 2010.

Jim remains at Toronto today, currently working as their assistant general manager.

Des Walker

A club legend and captain of the 2002-03 side, who repeated a similar feat to the 1991 cup final in the second leg of the Play-Off game when he put the ball in the back of his own net.

Walker stayed at the club as a player until August 2004, when persistent injuries finally caught up with him at the age of 38.

He became a first team coach at Forest following his retirement before leaving the club completely in January 2005, due to the arrival of Gary Megson.

Des was honoured with a testimonial in the summer of 2005, which sadly ended in shame as Walker was arrested later that evening for being drunk and disorderly.

These days, Des Walker earns a good honest profession as a lorry driver.

Michael Dawson

Dawson established himself as one of the hottest prospects outside the Premiership having formed a watertight partnership with Des Walker during the 2002-03 season.  Sadly, he was sent off in the first leg of the Play-Off clash.

He was hit with glandular fever shortly after the Play-Offs, which did not see him hit the same levels of performance until his departure in January 2005.

Michael joined Spurs for £8m with fellow Red, Andy Reid, where he has been a prominent figure ever since.

Having formed a great partnership with Ledley King during over the years and 'Daws' has firmly established himself as a fans favourite.

His excellent form for Spurs, resulted in Carlos Tevez labeling him as ‘the best English defender I’ve ever played against’ and in 2010, he received his first, long overdue England cap.

Not bad for a product of the Forest academy, eh?

Riccardo Scimeca

An outstanding holding midfielder for the club, who could also operate in defence. I always felt he was never truly replaced until the arrival of Paul McKenna in 2009.

Scimeca joined Leicester, who had just won promotion to the Premier League, in the summer of 2003 having failed to agree a new deal with the club. He only stayed with the Foxes for one season, as he triggered a get out clause in his contract following their swift relegation back to Division One.

He opted to join another newly promoted team in West Brom, to help them in their quest for Premier League survival.

Scimeca stayed with West Brom for two years before settling down in Cardiff in 2006. Scimeca was deemed pivotal to the team by Dave Jones but in his final two seasons at the club, Riccardo became rather prone to injury.

In the December of 2009, a recurring groin injury forced Scimeca to call time on his career at the age of 34.

Scimeca is keen to get back into football as a coach but has had no luck since his retirement.

David Prutton

A product of the Forest academy, Prutton left Forest for Southampton half way through the 2002-03 season. His contribution was significant in establishing us for the first part of that season, while his departure helped fund our most important loan signing, Darren Huckerby.

Prutton’s time at Southampton started brightly as he adapted to life in the top flight with relative ease. Things stayed this way until February 2005, where he shamed himself following a red card against Arsenal. Prutton refused to leave the pitch and threatened the linesman as he was being lead away by his team mates. The moment of madness resulted in a 10 match ban and a fine of £6k.

Southampton was relegated that season and Prutton never returned to being the same player. This saw first team opportunities dry up and in January 2007, David returned for a second spell at Forest – remarkably his time at Southampton was like going through the doors on Stars in their Eyes, when he came back as a Jonathan Greening lookalike.

Sadly, Prutton’s return was far from great and ended in bitter disappointment as he was sent off in the second leg of Forest’s infamous Play-Off shambles against Yeovil Town.

Prutton left Southampton in the summer of 2007 before joining Leeds. Since then he has been a journey man within League One, playing for Colchester, Swindon and Sheffield Wednesday.

Currently, he is currently on loan at lowly Scunthorpe United.

Darren Huckerby

The infamous signing which transformed our season and made the difference in helping us solidify a sixth place finish.

Huckerby was brilliant and every Forest fan was bitterly disappointed we did not make the signing permenant in the summer of 2003.

While we did not offer enough, our loss was Norwich's gain and the rest, as they say, is history.

Norwich was promoted in his first season at the club, with Huckerby quickly becoming a real fans favourite.

In his first four seasons at the club, Darren won two player of the season awards and was runner up on the other two occasions.

His time at Norwich came to an end in 2008, where he joined the San Jose Earthquakes.

In September 2009, Huckerby retired through a persistent hip injury.

These days, Huckerby resides in Norfolk with the Darren Huckerby trust taking a large portion of his time. 

The trust is designed to raise money for local charities and schemes and to give something back to those who supported him during his time at Norwich.

If I remember rightly from a trip to Carrow Road in 2011, Huckerby also has a suite named after him within the ground.

Gareth Williams

Another product of the Forest academy, Williams excellent passing and vision made a big difference to the midfield during 2002-03.

Williams remained with Forest for one more season before leaving on a bosman for Leicester in 2004, under controversial circumstances. Forest managed to pick up £1m from the resulting tribunal but the hole he left in the side was plain for all to see, as we were relegated the following season.

He spent almost two and a half years at the Foxes before moving to Watford in January 2007 to try his hand at Premier League football.

Sadly, Gareth made just three appearances before a training ground accident resulted in cruciate ligament damage. 

Williams went on to never feature for Watford again and despite attempted comebacks, Gareth announced his retirement from the football in 2010.

David Johnson

Johno was our top goalscorer during 2002-03 and to this day remains a firm fans favourite.

Following the play off season, Johno continued his goalscoring exploits in the 2003-04 season before breaking his leg against Sheffield United, an injury which could have ended his career. He returned later in the season and got back to form, scoring an absolute pearler against WBA in the final away game of the season.

Johnson's importance to the club was recognised by Joe Kinnear in the Summer of 2004 when he was handed the captaincy. Sadly, his previous injury caught up with him and his renowned sharpness in front of goal disappeared.

The appointment of Gary Megson in January 2005, saw Johnson placed on the transfer list. Unlike Andy Impey, Marlon King and Alan Rogers, Johno managed to force his way back into Megson’s plans following the clubs relegation but a back problem transpired which eventually forced his retirement in 2007.

Following his retirement, he tried his hands at non-league football with Hucknall Town.

He has also worked for Umbro, managed Dunkirk and tried his hand at scouting for Forest.

Marlon Harewood

The perfect foil to Johnson, Harewood had his best season as a Forest player during 2002-03.

With money tight, Harewood left Forest in November 2003 for West Ham at a cost of £500k. Marlon stayed with West Ham until 2007, departing with many good memories including promotion to the top flight and the winner in an FA Cup semi final.

Harewood joined Aston Villa where he became a super sub for Martin O’Neill. First team chances remained few and far between and by 2009, Marlon had been loaned to both Wolves and Newcastle.

He left Villa at the end of his contract in 2010 before signing for Blackpool. Marlon made an immediate impact on his debut scoring 2 goals as Blackpool thumped Wigan 4-0 in their first ever game in the Premier League. He did not feature much after and found himself on loan at Barnsley before the end of the 2010-11 season.

Harewood left Blackpool and had a small stint at Guangzhou before returning back to Forest for a second spell in December 2011. The return was ill fated with Marlon looking well off the boil and frozen out by the end of January.

He was released at the end of the 2011-12 season before re-joining Barnsley permanently, where he scored his one and only goal against us in our 4-1 win at Oakwell in October.

Financial Issues? Or More Bad Journalism?

It was reported in some gutter press this week that we hadn’t paid our players or some agent fees. This was left alluding to a financial cash flow problem at the club but not confirmed.

One report is it’s a glitch with the BAC’s payment system at the club. Whether this is the case as with most of this article is speculation at best.

There are mixed rumours on the net surrounding whether we had or hadn’t paid these wages. One person suggested on the forum it was a definite fact without actually providing anything other than hearsay, whilst another forum member (IntotheForest) cited he has a friend employed by the club in the shop, and that any issue affected paying the wages of players would surely also affect retail staff.

That is a distinct possibility. Whether there is a separation or demarcation between different divisions of the club and how wages are paid I have no idea. One thing I do know is that other clubs when in trouble generally don’t pay admin, retail or playing staff all at the same time. SO this would probably indicate it’s bollocks.

But that ascribes the same structure at other clubs to Forest. There might be a separate division or part of the “company” that pays the non essential non playing staff.

This is all pure conjecture mind you. And I tend to think it’s something that isn’t a problem. If it was why would be in the process of spending large sums on sprucing up the stadium? And up to a reported £1million on big screens and rolling adverts. This is all an expense that if there was a problem would definitely be shelved.

The only other thing was potentially a delay in transferring Kuwaiti funds over to the UK if this is true. That may have seen some arranged payments missed, but again this is all guesswork and potentially all smoke and mirrors.

The main part for me is that there hasn’t been mass hysteria about this like we would have seen last week. Seems like an attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill and make issues with our new owners again by the press.

I think we all remember the ridiculousness of the Daily Mail piece that suggested after a week of the new regime that we’d be only signing Arabic players and that because we hadn’t spent big our new owners were penniless. People just seem to want to create issues with the al-Hasawi's, thankfully its people with no bearing on matters and not the Nottingham press, but ill informed nationals.

However thanks to our friends over the river, everyone starts muttering “Munto” and thinking it could all be that. It isn’t. But it still plays into opposing fans and detractors hands.

Everything is fine

The Forest Boo Boys Exist, But They Do At Every Passionate Club

Forum Member Forest7 in his first article for the site, of hopefully many. He leaves his twitter details at the bottom should you like what you read and wish to follow.

The defeat to Hull City was not a pleasurable experience. Against a well organised side Forest toiled and eventually succumbed 2-1 to the visitors. The dissenters made themselves heard in greater numbers than at any point since Sean O’Driscoll took over the reins at the City Ground.


There are a small number of very unpleasant people who attend Forest matches who have directed abuse in the past at rather odd targets. These have ranged from our excellent former skipper Paul McKenna to our late chairman and owner Nigel Doughty who ploughed in millions of pounds in a sustained attempt to bring success to the City Ground. Last season Steve Cotterill took a lot of stick despite keeping us up and eventually got the team playing as well, if not better, than O’Driscoll has managed so far. But even a 7-3 at Leeds wasn’t enough to deter often vicious criticism amidst a difficult set of circumstances.


These elements of the fanbase do not help the club move forward. But I think some articles and tweets this week have lumped this sort of kneejerk criticism into the general dismay at the mediocre display against Hull. You can be a reasonable fan and still speak out against the negative tactics and lack of ambition that resulted in the defeat. O’Driscoll may point out that the game has changed regarding two strikers, but Forest actually have a very poor record with this formation at home, both this season and last. We all knew at 2pm what would happen with Billy Sharp isolated up front, yet the manager did not and compounded the situation by stubbornly refusing to bring on a quality striker in Dexter Blackstock. To me that was the root of the discontent in the ground – a wasted afternoon for all concerned. O’Driscoll then unwisely lauded the performance and suggested the fans had forced players to play the ball long, which won’t wash with many people who don’t understand why we were so scared of an average side like Hull.


The situation with Twitter, with fake the tweets, closed accounts and fansites might be sparked partly by Saturday, but to me social media is a separate sphere to what happens at a ground. There are all sorts of ongoing problems with Twitter that are unrelated to football and less so Forest. Everyone from Darron Gibson to Sally Bercow have had issues with the site so we can too easily link booing to social media misuse. Footballers are public figures and will get targeted on Twitter win, lose or draw.


Going back to what’s happening in the ground, I don’t think Forest fans are much worse than anyone else. Luke Chambers attempted to suggest the contary after a win against Coventry, but how would any other club’s fans react to watching game after game at home without a goal, never mind a win? I know Blackburn would not have accepted that after the way they treated Steve Kean. Other examples of critical fans are easy bring up – Arsenal questioning Arsene Wenger, Aston Villa slaughtering Alex McLeish and most recently the “welcome” given to new Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez. So are we that bad after all?

In my own experience of going to other grounds, I don’t find Forest that peculiar. I went to watch Luton Town recently who were in a play off spot at the time and discontent poured from the stands until they scored a late goal. To be fair to them, failure to beat Nuneaton Town at home was not acceptable - especially at £18 a ticket.


Booing of dire displays is a fact of life at all clubs with any expectations. The alternative is grim. Anyone who has visited the Ricoh Arena will know what happens when the passion is sucked out of football. The game only has itself to blame with daft wages and clubs charging fans extortionate ticket prices. Paying fans will feel they have a right to air their views, however daft they might seem to others.

I do think there is a line that can be crossed, like with Nigel Doughty, however, I don’t think many fans will start jumping up and down and cheering for no reason. The City Ground can be an intimidating place when good football is being played. But unlike on Saturday, a spark also has to come from the players – just like at every other ground in the country.

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The Ghost of Billy Davies

His name has once again appeared from nowhere following the shocking run of two games (note a heavily sarcastic lilt to this, I do not think it is shocking) without a win, coming 7 days after the best win of the season which had us all but promoted in these same fans eyes.

And now, and I trust it is down to Matchtalk last night which due to tech issues I was unable to listen to, that the usual array of nutjobs, cranks and attention seekers all called for Davies to be back. I entirely presume this from what I saw on both Facebook and Twitter using the usual refrain of we want our Billy back.

I even saw someone suggest the vast majority want him back in tweeting at Fawaz, although luckily, summarising these types intelligence it was a to a fake account (bravo)

I’m not one for questioning various people’s intellects and whatnot, but the majority (to use their vast sweeping statements they use too) are invariably people who don’t have the first fucking clue about this game. They just see he had success, and that this must mean he would again.

There is one reason I would ever want Davies back and that would be closure. Just as if he messed it up and failed you could finally put these to bed, and if he is the great prodigal son coming back to glory, then fine, we succeed. What I would expect is to be EXACTLY IN THE SAME POSITION WE ARE NOW. (Caps intended)

If Davies was in charge right now, in the top half a few points off the playoffs, would these same people be calling him into question the same way they do with SoD? Of course not.

I don’t even understand why I have to keep writing these pieces that explore a crisis that in my eyes doesn’t exist, doesn’t exist in the al-Hasawi’s eyes, not in the player’s eyes and in Sod’s eyes. But because some people aren’t happy unless we are 12 points clear at the top, here we are again, with people wanting to change a manager that hasn’t really failed. Yeah I agree we’ve hardly set the world alight. But we had no players in August, bar a few that mis-fired last season.

Frank Clark is lauded as a hero for what he did that team he took up struggled through the first few months. Because it was a new team that had been melded together with many new stars.

If you were to bring in Davies, who people proclaim to be the master and wouldn’t make the apparently questionable signings SoD has (I disagree entirely here by the way) can I remind you this is the man who signed McGoldrick and Adebola, and in the loan market saddled us with the expensive Konchesky and Boyd who were much maligned? Or are we just glossing over these facts. Under Davies we invariably limped through the first few months of seasons before cresting around now on a decent run leading to a late January slump.

Case in point is the same guy I referenced in a blog the other day. A guy I work with who goes to a handful of games at best and doesn’t listen to game. He wants Davies back. People cite the West Broom game time and time again about how good it was. One game. One game. Shall we over look how he ballsed up the playoff twice, made questionable selection decisions, (sound familiar) and kept choosing a defensive midfielder people didn’t like because they frankly don’t understand a defensive midfielder that doesn’t charge round like a headless chicken like Evans or Moussi ever did. I.e. they only understand all out attack, which just doesn’t work. They don’t understand the nuanced art of tactics.

SoD got critiqued for choosing one up front against Hull. It wasn’t one up front in the strictest sense, as the midfield was structured for players to get forward, it was meant to see Coppinger and Reid wide, but because they lack pace they couldn’t support like a McCleary could. Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, West Brom, Newcastle, Arsenal have used one up front this season. At home. But no, this point completely underlines the mentality that some fans just won’t accept O’Driscoll because they wanted Davies back.

In their heads he was only got rid of because he fell out with Doughty, Burt and Arthur. Arthur by the way whose name I haven’t heard uttered once with contempt this year yet he’s doing the same job.

The main point I will always make is this. If Davies is so damn good why hasn’t he got another job yet? And let’s remember he was openly touting himself round for jobs with Forest too. If SoD did that these same fans would be on the net teeth gnashing faster than anything fast you care to mention. Davies is poison. He constantly bickers and moans and undermines the squad. Always saying we need this that and the other, commuting from Scotland. Davies didn’t like board interference and wanted control. The al-Hasawis are not fully hands off. They have advisers, Dr Tarek for one, and have signed players that the manager didn’t request in Jenas. He wouldn’t function well under this, would we recreate the us v them mentality again?

People say with SoD we have the small club mentality but more me small club mentality is to constantly look back and not forward. Davies is the past; he’s in the rear view mirror. Forget him. You undermine the current regime by mentioning him. This will only go away through success so get BEHIND the team. Push them forward.

Drama! Intrigue! Made Up Stuff on Twitter!

Melt down. That’s all I can say. The Forest timeline this morning has been nothing but plan straight ridiculous. 2 players deleting accounts Halford apparently either being hacked or having false screen grabs made of what he said by other people. (It did say this isn’t what he signed up for, but the quality of text and general look of the screen didn’t look “right” suggests it’s fake, plus there’s clearly a discoloured greyed area) It’s faintly ridiculous. Rather than think calm or sanely, the sizeable number just assumed the very worst.


It’s a worry how readily and easily so many lap it up. Look I’m as guilty as anyone for refreshing my page this morning to see what’s really occurring, but the difference has been trying to restore a semblance of normality and calm instead retweeting every piece of blind speculation, or making up your won unfounded reasons for what may or may not have happened. Though I did like the comment that maybe he was just on about his Broadband deal, or Mobile phone contract.

It seems however we have not learnt our lessons from a couple of years ago. Remember when Doughty was on Twitter? Remember how we liked it and applauded it, and then when the merest hint of something we didn’t like occurred fans hounded him off. Well there we go again; it may or may not have happened with Lansbury and Coppinger. Halford has been quick to say the comments attributed to him have nothing to do with him, and in the face of anything to argue otherwise why would we disbelieve him?

Now maybe there are one or two interlopers. Fans of other teams revelling in the mass gullibility of some of us. Or even just revelling in the fake drama and intrigue they have started.

The one thing I notice with Forest fans on Twitter more than most other clubs is our readiness to blindly start thinking that anything tweeted must be true, no matter the quality of the source. So that something from the club itself or a respected news outlet doesn’t seem to register more highly than a random teenager making shit up. In fact we are so readily seeking out something newsworthy that that the random made up news gets more attention because it’s “fresh” and “unreported”

For instance, I saw someone suggesting Coppinger and Lansbury had been in a fight and that’s why they both left. What? Where the hell did they get that from other than, well there must be a reason, I don’t know a reason, so I’m going to blindly speculate.

In august it was silly with transfer rumours, but now because we have lost 2 games in a row (but remain in the top half a short distance from the playoffs) people are willing and ready to believe this isn’t because we happened to lose 2 games, but because the squad all hate each other (despite evidence otherwise on twitter) and that the Kuwaiti’s want to sack Sean O’Driscoll (ask yourself if they were inpatient and wanted him out would they have quoted a 2 year plan, and for the matter put in a lesser name manager and then give him no time?)

No people are so ready and so willing to believe any old gossip so they can go off and talk about it too. We all know it’s probably false, but it’s a bit of blind gossip and who doesn’t enjoy that?

I was going to post today about the random occasional idiots I have heard saying SoD should be sacked or at least called into question. The usual Billy Davies Acolytes materialised from nowhere on Saturday evening (forget him) and a bloke at work yesterday, who doesn’t go to games or even listen said we need to sack him. That is what I am mainly annoyed with. Part timers, who don’t know anything trying to be the ones spreading the rumours, or the ones cultivating disharmony, because , well I don’t know why someone would try and do that, but I guess it makes them feel involved, rather than actually spend their time and energy actually getting behind the club.

That’s the crux of this. Instead of sneaking round on Twitter trying to make gossip, or tweeting stuff at players about they aren’t good enough, tweet them stuff about how we can do well, and positivity. You really think a player receiving tweets telling him he’s not good enough will really be spurred or inspired to play for us? If some stupid 15 year old keyboard warrior abuses him time and time again, it doesn’t make you feel settled. Yes they should be bigger than it, but they are just humans too. We all do better in our roles in life with encouragement. I guess the ones abusing are as I say bored kids, or just bored wastrels trying to feel better about their own crap lives. It genuinely at times feels at times that people want to destabilise the club and create problems.

Keep Calm, and stay Loyal.

13 Years of Hurt Never Stops Me Dreaming

I have been a Forest fan since the heady days of the late 80’s, where we consistently the 3rd or 4th best in the country, providing 3-4 England players to squads, and reaching many a cup final. So the fact that for what is now a generation we have been even removed from the top flight is pain.


I often see on forums or Twitter that seem so angry at defeats or failures or are more demanding are the younger fans that have never seen these days. They are hungry for success, having never really seen the club achieve much. But think about it. Most of us really begin to be aware of football say aged 6-7, and take on your team at a similar age, or maybe later. Most will attend a first game in that time. So 13 years since we were even last top flight, plus the 6-7 means that we have pretty much any fan under the age of 20 bereft of knowing what glory with this club can mean.

And they know this. They hear us talk about it and they want to experience it too. And you can’t blame them. Coupled with many a fan having seen us have success it sort of explains the high expectations whenever we look half decent. Add in 4 relegations in 20 years and you can see why things are bad we fear the very worst. Because usually when in a scrap we failed. In fact there’s very rarely we go through a season in relative mid table obscurity.

I think the Seat Pitch tweets this morning, day dreaming of a cup run set me thinking that when was the last time we really made anyone sit up and take notice. Oh people noticed the playoff capitulations, but we never made the final and had people writing about us. We never had a cup run where journalists focussed on our players. We haven’t been a decent cup team in so long now. Even the Paint Pot Cup when in League One was something we’d invariably limp out of on penalties to teams I can’t even remember playing.

The last time we lifted anything was in 1998. That summer evening in market Square with messrs Cooper, van Hooijdonk, Stone and Campbell lifting the League Championship. I was still in Sixth Form and little able to manage to comprehend this would be the last time I’d see us winning anything. It has been disaster followed by disaster for years until things in the last few years looked better until last season. Now those days could be on the horizon again.

In my time following the Reds we won 2 League Cups, 2 Mickey Mouse Cups (ZDS and Simod), we reached an FA Cup final, League Cup runners up, 2 FA cup semi finals, a UEFA cup Quarter Final, Finished 3rd in the Premier League. That’s quite an array. That’s off the top of my head by the way, there might be more. 6 Wembley Finals in 4 years, of which I attended 3. These are days we can only dream of now.

There’s little perks as well that being promoted would bring that I envy these middle of the road Premier League teams for. More coverage, being on TV much more often. Match of the Day proper highlights instead a few seconds, the chance to stream just about any game. The chance to finally visit Goodison and Anfield (as a caveat I spent 3 years at university at Liverpool with ample chance to visit either, but I created a stupid rule for myself whereby I can only visit a ground the first time to watch Forest) Also a chance to shut Derby up would be nice. Just to rub it in their face.

It’s been painful at times to see relatively obscure teams become bigger and better than us. Stoke were always nobodies back in the day, and as for Fulham and Wigan, unimaginable in the 90’s. So that makes it painful for the older fan seeing teams who were always rubbish lording it up in the top flight.

So for these reasons alone and nothing to do with footballing or business reasons we need to get back to where we used to belong. It’s been too long Forest.

One Defeat Does Not Ruin a Season

So last night was fairly lacklustre. And many a fan thought we’d easily win after our previous exploits against Wolves, and being on the 4 match run of form we were on. This forgets of course the famous reasoning many use for the unpredictability of the Championship that it’s a very even division. Anyone can beat anyone.

So last night when you see no end of people pre match presuming and assuming we would beat Ipswich because of League Position illustrated the extremes of emotions of Forest fans. These same fans who assumed the 3 points were in the bag were the same ones who also cried foul and have decided this means the squad is inept, Camp incapable and that we might as well pack up any hopes of promotion.

I even saw one guy suggesting that anyone saying large squads take time to gel is an idiot. Bear in mind we haven’t had a settled defence this year, and the one thing you hear time and time again about defences is that they need understanding, telepathy of where each other is. And most of all to be settled. All great defences are. Ours isn’t settled. So with new personnel in each time takes adjustment, and adjustment brings errors. Think of the last 80’s early 90’s defences, or the defence that took us to third in the premier league. Settled. Organised. Consistent. Laws; Walker; Wilson; Pearce. Lyttle; Cooper; Chettle; Pearce. Settled defences that played week in week out with each other. We currently haven’t had a defence that has that.

The same guy also suggested professional footballers should be able after a while to seamlessly fit into any role and the team carry on regardless. This isn’t how life works in work. Think of your job, you might settled with one expertise, if your thrown out of your comfort zone it makes you question decisions, maybe pause, maybe be too cautious. Maybe make a mistake. This is what happened. This is what surprisingly hasn’t happened much yet.

I would say yes we have spent money, but considering where we expect to be we are ahead of schedule. No teams which are any good gel immediately. Hence why it took Man City several years to win the League. United, Arsenal, Chelsea, there is a core of players who have played together for a while, with new people bought in piecemeal. Not wholesale.

This isn’t harking back to the old 5 year plan under Hart, but remember the al-Hasawi’s said they have a scope of two years to be promoted. They recognise this can’t be done over night, and if you look at the way Cardiff has toiled for years being just off the mark in terms of promotion it does suggest that as well as being good enough what you need mostly is a huge element of luck.

We haven’t spent as much as on our team as Blackburn spent on one player in Jordan Rhodes so to compare the spending is churlish. We were close to relegation last year and lost half that squad and most of what was good. So this year was always for building. Too many fans have had impatience and when things are going well they are quiet. The moment we lose to anyone or underperform they start with the moaning.

Going back to the core reason for this article, losing to Ipswich is not the embarrassing defeat some make it out to be. They have some good players. They also now have a very good manager. They are struggling because they had in my opinion a very poor manager. Jewel is not a good boss and the fact he stuck around so long surprised me, but then Ipswich are a very patient club.

I also laugh at how after one defeat people immediately try and point out how they were right and how certain players have to be playing. It’s a constant cycle with our midfielders, when McGugan isn’t playing some say he should be, when he’s in the team and underperforming immediately some want him dropped and someone else restoring. No one is ever happy.

Had the last two results been reversed maybe this post would never happened. The good feeling following beating Wolves has bought an extreme of emotion. One you always seem to get with Forest. The masses are never content; they are either euphoric or depressed. It’s completely bi-polar in its nature. We are on the edge of the playoffs. We are in within a good run of results from the higher echelons of the table. As I said quite recently, plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

So let’s not get depressed that we lost to a struggling team. Let’s not over analyse it. Players played badly, It happens. The overall curve of our season’s fortunes is an upward curve. We aren’t going backwards as a club. But a section of support behaves like each defeat we might have is a return to last season’s struggles.

Cox-Less Pairs Options for Forest

With the upcoming news of just how long Simon Cox will be out for it could make life difficult for Forest in the striking options. Instead of the three quality up front options we have, we know the two main strikers, and that’s a problem. Obviously if Cox can be injure so can Sharp or Blackstock, and with the loan window now being shut there is no scope for bringing in a short term measure.

McGoldrick and Miller are tied in to long term loans and cannot be recalled, so they are no goes. Tudgay has just gone to Barnsley, he could be recalled, and Robbie Findley has been back off loan from Gillingham for a couple of weeks. Matt Derbyshire is still out on short term loan and could be recalled we could also maybe use McGugan as an auxiliary striker.

In the short term for the Ipswich game we could use both Blackstock and Sharp, but we do need back up options. Earlier in the season we played 4-2-3-1 often. The problem here is one we discussed in the Gillett piece whereby two players dropping deep are both looking for the same ball. However we did play well with it in the late summer sunshine before when Cox was injured after the Ireland game.

It would of course been an ideal opportunity for a youngster to step up, say a Patrick Bamford, this would have been ideal. No pressure in the team for a short burst of games through till we can bring someone in. Coming off the bench maybe, unfortunately that possibility was removed, and we can’t, as there doesn’t appear to be a 19-20 year striker coming through, and any younger than that would be too risky unless they were set to be a wonder kid.

Derbyshire or Findley could use this as a chance to re ignite their Forest careers. Fail, and it would be the end of them for definite. They would be in a confident team making chances, whereas last year it was in a struggling team, not making chances. It’d be hard for any striker to come into a struggling team, but one with the injury problems Derbyshire had would be difficult. It could be a chance that a few fans have said he could take. A handful hold on to the belief that he isn’t as bad as he seems, and surely eventually will come as good as his former pedigree suggests.

Findley has that one element the rest of the team lacks, pace. And although his finishing or passing and certainly control is questionable, if you had the kind of balls Lansbury has been playing, half the battle is won, and you don’t need to control or move your position, you just have to finish.

My preferred option would be re-calling Tudgay, but I am unsure on the caveats of his loan, with it being so soon since he went, and being with a view to a permanent move both parties might decide against it.

Whatever we choose we have the quality within the squad to cope till January. Then if Cox is out for a year as some have predicted, then we might need to re think what we are doing striker wise. As said McGugan would surely also be able to fulfil a more attacking role and this might suit him.

Where it will really tell is if we are chasing a game and need new options and right don’t immediately we don’t have any. Let’s hope Coxy isn’t out for months and it’s not nearly as bad as first feared. However planning for the worst can’t hurt.

What Would Be Our Best Midfield?

I’ve talked at length about the various options in midfield without ever really analysing what might be the best options, discussing other peoples various roles and how this set up works. However the win and performance at Wolves has raised some question marks in my mind about which personnel is best.


Quietly I had wondered whether the midfield attacking three we had been using were the best options. I for one have been chomping at the bit to see what Lansbury can offer from the start. I think Cohen is making himself undroppable, and we all know what Guedioura is capable of, despite not hitting those heights this season yet.

I appreciate the role Reid can play, and his guile and technique with the ball cannot be questioned, but I always wonder about his mobility, and how a more mobile midfield three might be better. The lack of pace and drive has sometimes been a real issue in the midfield. With Jenas and Reid out, Guedioura and Lansbury stepped up and completely seized their chance this week.

I would like if possible to see this midfield set up given a couple of games to see how they run. All the requirements are there, set piece delivery, creativity, drive, finesse. Reid offers an ability with set pieces that a wonderful crossing ability, but I would argue so too does Lansbury.

Looks at the ball Lansbury played on Saturday, 40-50 yards over the top ball perfectly to Sharps path and feet to take on and score. Considering he was schooled by Arsenal it was a very un-Arsenal like ball, essentially being long ball, but it was so much more than just a punt up field than long ball and direct implies. It was crafted, judged and dropped into place for the striker to latch on to. Creative but direct. Very Reid like, but with mobility.

If Guedioura is starting to hit last season’s form and I know one swallow doesn’t make a summer but he was looking far better, and maybe the catalyst for this improvement was playing his old team, and as often happens he played out of his skin. If his form is now getting back to last season it makes him undroppable. He just needs to stop getting sent off. I had a feeling as he approached towards their goal on Saturday and let rip that he’d hit something dangerous, and lo and behold it was unsavable down in the corner. We’ve got our Guedi back.

Cohen I have been impressed with this season. I thought his form may suffer with the long layoff but he seems to have come back determined to make up for the year or so out of the game. There are those who are suggest he isn’t he player many others say he is, that’s its all effort and no class but I completely disagree. We are a better team with Cohen it.

We are yet to see anything of Coppinger, and with Majewski injured the other option would be to see McGugan in, but I think we all know that although he has obvious ability his temperament is questionable and this means with the new better options he is essentially unpickable.

Jenas and Reid will have their roles to play, the problem with Jenas is that yes he is quality, but will he be here after January? Is it worth trying to play someone else into form instead? Reid isn’t going to be able to keep playing all season and will need rests. Weeks like this where we have 3 games in 7 days will be too much for his fitness level. The options of rotation should keep players fresh, but you also want the consistency that playing regularly brings. This is what has hampered Guedioura as he has been in and out the team.

It all bodes well though. If an army marches on its stomach, a team’s promotion bid will rely on its midfield. Yes you need the strong defence, and the goal scorers, but the way we play, needs a strong midfield, and thats what we have.

Hutton Signing Adds Quality

As soon as we signed Alan Hutton yesterday Twitter lit up amongst Forest fans with a mixture of views. On the whole positive with a number of detractors. And a few errant Derby fans suggesting a man who cost £9mill a few years ago isn’t fit for any Championship team, which is an interesting standpoint to take.

Ok the guy has had a questionable disciplinary record in the past, but then that shows a grit and determination. I’ve seen him play on Sky a few times and he’s a nasty player, just whole hearted. Let’s be honest here, Chris Gunter could be a right snide dirty bugger, so if this Hutton’s game, then fine.

There was a point in the game against Wednesday last week, where Brendan Moloney got absolutely skinned, it wasn’t the first or last time, but it showed two things, one that he can be easily be beaten, and 2 that unfortunately, he isn’t good enough. Like Gregor Robertson before him, we can wish him to come through all we like, but when a young full back is getting skinned all game, it’s dangerous and unpleasant to watch. Moloney also seems to have no confidence to try and get past a player. Many a time on Saturday he got up the field to a good position only to check back, rather than try and get past his man. He did supply a great cross at one point, but it showed to me a lack of confidence.

Hutton doesn’t lack that, and he won’t in stepping down a level. So if he can also get to those positions and provide some additional width then we will be all the better for it. His bookings and red cards come from when in the Premiership he goes in recklessly on a pacey tricky winger, which are considerably trickier in the Premier League, so he shouldn’t have to resort to that side of his game down here, touch wood.

Also he has a point to prove, and is putting himself in the shop window. Hutton is surplus to requirements at Villa so for the next month, he will do all he can to get form and show he still has it so that another Prem team might take a chance. Therefore if he has any sense, and let’s hope he does, he will play out of his skin. I’m not sure when his Villa contract expires so he might even be playing for a new deal.

One assumes what with his high previous fees and Premier League experience his wages would be too high for us, besides, someone like Stoke or Norwich might always take a punt on him rather than coming down to us, but for now, we have an international Premier League player with multi million pound transfer behind him in our midst. These are good times people.

In Praise of Simon Gillett

It has been said by a few this season that the best signing of the whole host hasn’t been one of the more flashy expensive signings. The likes of Billy Sharp or Simon Cox, or one of the guys in the positions we had to fill, like any defenders, but more Simon Gillett. A player in a position we had and have a whole range of options.


Possibly the most under stated of the signings, a free transfer from Doncaster, no-one really took much note he had signed. He was one of O’Driscoll's men from Doncaster, someone he trusted but let’s be honest surely we wouldn’t play much. Wrong.

Gillett hasn’t quite had the side built round him that would be wrong, but integral to the way O’Driscoll wants to play he knew he needed a man for that role. The Paul McKenna deep lying midfielder role. The role Didier Deschamps made famous in 1998, aand one Andrea Pirlo has brought to the forefront again.

This isn’t a role Guy Moussi can play, let’s face it his distribution is shaky at best. Moussi is someone to carry it forward, or to break up play. Gillett is there to create play, but not like a play maker, but more to start the move, that first opening to start a more attack minded midfielder to start getting forward and build the move from there.

In 1998 it was known as the water carrier, after Eric Cantona derided Deschamps as such. He suggested that his role to give the ball to his more talented colleagues who could do more skilful things with the ball. But this is to misunderstand the role. Cantona I am sure recognised the part he played, and maybe he was being his usual impish self in describing Deschamps role, but it is a common mis conception because of the none glitzy element of the role. This player barely ever scores or gets forward, they don’t even often get the assist.

Paul McKenna was a divisive figure with Forest fans. Those who recognised what he did and those who didn’t understand complained he passed backwards or sideways. In fact over the last few years these players have often fallen down here, Sammy Clingan was nicknamed sideways Sammy. But these people often cite a desired midfield in those days of Anderson, Majewski, McGugan Cohen. Which is to not recognise someone needs to sit deep?

When we have recognised that role for a deep sitter, people love the destroyer. The midfielder who breaks up play and starts a new attack. However it is all too rare at this level to find the vision of a ball player with someone who does that. Moussi doesn’t, but fans like him because, well a) he has a name we can do a funny shout too, and b, he charges in often with reckless abandon, and fans love someone winning a full blooded challenge. Paul Evans was in this mould too.

But finally that fan's seem to recognise the role, because in part they see the team set up differently to try and get the best out of this role. With McKenna, in a 4-4-2 he often had one or two outlets at best, or to pass it back to the defence. With the narrower 3 in front of Gillett, there are often 3 passes on to make, o r the defensive back pass. This makes him seem to be taking a forward option more, when really it’s just the same kind of play. McKenna would have revelled in this role too. Then of course the calibre of the creative central midfielders is better too. So attacks start quicker, and it looks like he set these wheels in motion. What also helps ins Cohen and Guedioura being the box to box midfielders who make sure there are players getting forward, whereas McKenna often had McGugan as his sole outlet and if he was on a lazy day, then it all fell down.

So yes, it’s possible to say that because of his relative cheapness he has been a glorious signing. He has performed well on the whole, to the point he was being linked with being poached from us. But there are these players elsewhere, we haven’t unearthered a diamond. SoD knew about Gillett and knew he was a reliable man for this role. Managers often know they have players they can turn to in a role. A trusted general who he knows he can trust to play the role.

Jenas as he gets older is possibly falling into this role too, so the two of them often trip over each other when they started against Wednesday, restricting those forward outlet options. Maybe Jenas would be an upgrade but a pricey upgrade. That’s why you see this midfielders drop deeper into these roles later in careers. Because it isn’t as high octane as charging box to box. But it requires vision, and awareness, two basics in most midfielders game.

But is nice to see Forest fans also as a whole recognising the role that the water carrier plays in the team. For too long it’s been a misunderstood position, people always demanding forward play at all costs. Sometimes it’s just about the simplest pass, play it in the direction you are facing, and keeping possession. Yes we all applaud a great cross field ball, but that over complicates the game. Gillett keeps it simple. And it works.