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.

Greening Exiled to Barnsley

I say exile, as Barnsley is rapidly being where Forest players are going to be sent to seed. Harewood, Tudgay and now Greening are all there now. Remnants of last year’s failed season congregating in south Yorkshire for a second chance.

I am perhaps being unfair but Greening became synonymous with last season’s failures. Harewood too, bought in to get goals, in a team failing. Neither succeeded. Tudgay of course has been here longer and at least experienced some of the good days. But as Forest has evolved he has slipped further and further down the pecking order.

Now of course for both its good to be getting match practice, and let’s be honest whatever, if anything Barnsley is paying toward wages will also mean less financial burden. Even if that’s no longer the worry it was, it’s still good to have these players off the bill rather than not. For one it may create animosity in the dressing room, people unhappy people playing less than them earn more. If they aren’t there, it’s not a factor.

Also if they are getting match practice, it means they will be more match sharp should we need to call upon on them in a crisis. More so Tudgay than Greening, but his loan is with a view to a permanent move. Greening is in a position so laden with players he could have the greatest few games of his life and it’s unlikely he’d get back in our team.

Good luck to them though.

Changes to City Ground Coming?

Fairly cryptic messages circulated in the last few days from the usual Kuwaiti sources about the fact that change is coming to the City Ground, and after a bit of a reveal from Dr Tarek, it appears this is likely to be a bit more razzmatazz at the City Ground.

For one it will be Big Screens. No club worth its salt doesn’t have these. The rumour goes that they will be in the corner of the Trent End and Brian Clough Stand, and the opposite corner, perhaps above the Bridgford End, which sounds dodgy at best to me.

Between a corner of the Trent End makes sense, and the corner between the Main Stand at the Trent End is fairly well used by the Ground Staff on a match day so I can’t see them blocking that totally off. Also as a Trent Ender either corner by itself would be horrendous, immediately missing off half the ground should this rumour be right.

As a traditionalist I am not a fan. To be honest I don’t think we need them. Admittedly I have missed goals in the past, by looking away or suchlike, when it seems nothing is happening, notably way back when Gary Crosby headed the ball out of Andy Dibbles hand is maybe the most memorable.

It’s not even that much a drama when you know that within 3-4 hours you’ll be able to see a repeat of the goal anyway, but because everyone else has them, it seems we will follow suit and embrace the 21st Century. They say it enhances the experience for Fans to have clearer screens and replays. In reality it’s a revenue maker.

The fact you have more potential advertising space between the replays, or half time rolling adverts would bring in cash. The worry there is you get to the ridiculous levels where every facet of a match day experience is “bought to you by...” somebody who wanted to pay for it.

A capability for electronic advertising for televised games has also been mentioned, again increasing revenue streams, which is all well and good and does bring in money but I find them annoying to appoint of distraction when on TV. I guess with premier League aspirations it is a must these days, but still, it makes us like every other ground. A gradual move to a further sanitising of the match day experience.

I would rather we invested by sprucing the ground up in its exterior appearance, the moss on the Trent End, a lick of paint on the Brian Clough stand, general efforts to make it a more appealing environment, as there are dated areas and corners around the site. And in the ground, we could look to improve Concourses (admittedly hard in a number of ageing stands) Lowering food prices would also be welcome as the Meal “Deals” are hardly deals, but scams or rip offs, vastly inflating prices for substandard products.

A decent PA system too would be nice, but maybe thats included. Too often it’s inaudible. And substitutions aren’t made clear, whether this is the PA or a mumbling announcer though I’m not sure.

This will all be peanuts in essence. Hardly likely to chip into Transfer budgets which I guess many a fan would moan about if they became disgruntled. I can see it now if we missed Promotion or playoffs by a slim margin people would claim the money spent on a Jumbotron should have been spent on a new defender or suchlike.

A Week Indicative of Forests Season

After the highs of the 7 points in 7 days of last week that we celebrated so highly on this blog and the forum attached to ourselves maybe we were always setting ourselves up for a fall.

The Millwall game on Saturday was nothing short of a disaster result wise. To concede 4 at home to a team that isn’t really a fore runner in the division could be seen as painful. To those who never saw the game especially. It always seems the way that this happens when we have a reduced admission price match and it was a Kids for a Quid game, so there we go. 

However it overlooks the game did nearly tip the other way and could have easily seen us equalise when at 2-1 to Millwall. Indeed the third goal was a direct result of us pushing hard for that second goal and left ourselves open. Goal 4 was merely our heads had gone and made it easy to pick ourselves off.

This does not suggest we were the equal of Millwall on the day. They were the better side, but they weren’t that far better than us. We struggle against physical teams and we struggled against a Millwall team who were set up expertly by the ever wily Kenny Jackett. Darius Henderson and his ilk always case us trouble, and Millwall always seem to have this type of approach. Steve Morison made life difficult for us in the past, and so too did Darius, as he always did for Sheffield United.

When Billy Sharp equalised it looked likely that we might well go on and take Millwall, until the second half settled down. Millwall had taken a very good lead with a well taken goal, but as has been the case for many a year under many a manager we seemed unable to close them down and gave Trotter too much space to give Millwall the early lead.

Had we maybe took the momentum we had before half time into the second half this may have been a different game? Millwall came out the better of the two sides and made us pay with well taken goals and a superior match set up. But before the break we looked good. Looked like we’d taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

They stopped us playing our normal game and closed us down further up the field. Instead like many other teams who have allowed us space in our half, and to pass around defence and up through the midfield. Millwall never allowed that and forced us to start playing longer balls. By closing down the midfield and not letting us play through Gillett, it meant that Ward and Collins launched balls up toward Cohen. Cohen many a time didn’t win possession. This then led to Millwall gaining possession and then attacking us. This is where we essentially lost the game. Plan B wasn’t really a plan. Plan B was a panic. Plan B was a default. Plan A which had been the usual slow build up through the pitch failed. It shows shortcomings in our team. It shows a lack of complexity in our play to look for further options other than the good old default which we tried under Cotterill last year. That default which was for Morgan or Chambers to hump it long. And which saw us struggle.

So Tuesday night against Middlesbrough was a different animal but also had it’s frustrations. Make no mistake Middlesbrough are a very good team. They are one the better sides in the division and are able to play a good game. They are also on flying away form and riding high. This is a game last year we'd have had no expectation out of. This year we are looking at maybe being able to take these teams. Indicative of the improved expectations and the improved team. O’Driscoll spoke pre-match of them being our benchmark, the team we need to look to be.

And yet we equalled if not bettered Boro. We had the chances to win, and admittedly so did Boro. It was one of those games that were so equally poised it could easily have gone either way. Sharp hitting the post though was as close as we came. 

The frustration though came from the fact that we took so long to try and change the side. Now maybe this shows a confidence from O'Driscoll that we would come good and get the goal. The XI that was on the field would come good and produce what was required, and they nearly did.

But to those of us in the stands it was frustrating because we made to thin what if? What had we made earlier changes; could they have got us the win? Had Lansbury been introduced for Reid and Guedioura, who was again below the very high standards he set last season been removed for McGugan had it been different. Well that’s the beauty of football, what could have been. But it did seem obvious to us that something had to give with the team. We need a variation to maybe see if they could give us something different, rather than give the 3 subs we did bring on 2 mins of normal time. Maybe introducing on 70 mins or so? Well as I say who knows, and in the grand scheme of things this wasn’t a bad result all told.

Had we won v Millwall we would easily have taken the Boro result. But the average Forest fan has a new sense of belief that we can do things we couldn’t before. The type of fan turning up for one game here or there that we get more of now get vocal with their displeasure that the one game they have chosen is not the game that we won. That’s an annoyance. People booed after drawing against a table topping team. That’s ridiculous. That is frustrating. Fans moaning at perfectly acceptable results. Yes booing after losing 4-1 at home to Millwall, that’s different. But as I tweeted post game the fans getting on the backs of the team during the game is really not helpful.

The new players have spoken about how the fans have helped and how they have been supportive. Well now they have this new element of fans that are quick to vocalise their unhappiness. Again this is football, and it’s an increasing facet at many clubs. The likes of blogs and forums that proliferated over the years have shown us that having a voice isn’t just the loudest fan on the terrace but anyone who wants to put views out there. But these come after the game. Tweets are largely read after the game. To start this during the game with catcalls from the crowd merely detract.

So all in all the week has shown a number of things and the title of the blog so far maybe doesn’t reflect the rest of what I have written. Where that comes in is that there is a certain amount of how this has shown where we are at. We are nearly there. And this week has shown that this is indicative of the season. Just after we do so well and get ourselves to the brink of joining the top teams, we have a slip; we pull up short and sit behind them. We are a work in progress so these games will happen, these results will occur. And it will be ironed out. As we progress more and more we will turn defeats to draws, draws to wins, and wins to routs. But for now it’s been a show of the season that each time we stand on that brink to get to the top, we fail. And that’s exactly where we are at. Nearly there, but not quite, not consistent enough, not quite good enough. But nearly there.