Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Forest Facing Battle to Keep Crown Jewels

The downside to any team performing well and especially younger players playing well is that those prize assets will attract attention from bigger fish. Those bigger fish being namely Premiership clubs. Those prize assets being Jamaal Lascelles, Karl Darlow and Henri Lansbury. Yes there are other players playing well (namely Reid) but these 3 have youth on their side and therefore investment potential.
Jamaal Lascelles


There has been rumours for a short while about Lascelles and Darlow being scouted, and many top clubs will have known the potential Lansbury had for a while, and is now realising. The other part of this is that Lansbury game is adapting and evolving and making him more appealing.

The battle is whether we sell for reinvestment opportunities and strengthen the squad. Yes we have cash but we cannot simply ignore and flout Financial Fair Play. Similarly any player has a price, and if someone offers a silly one, and just a very good one would we snap their hands off?

Every player is replaceable, no-one isn't. Lascelles is performing well but by rights he shouldn't have ever had this chance to shine, which he hasn't grasp with both hands, but grappled it to the ground and pummelled into submission, he has taken it so well. He was of course very strongly linked with Arsenal a few years ago. At the start of this season he was being linked with League One loans, namely Cheltenham. Now that's a distant memory.

Karl Darlow
Darlow has grown into a fine keeper. The expectation is with a younger keeper is that there ill be a few errors in the game, stuff he learns to adapt and get better. Not Darlow, he has not really made too many glaring howlers or allowed some bad habits to creep into his game. Indeed he has kept Dorus de Vries as firmly his number 2.

Henri Lansbury when he arrived was regarded as more a creative attacking midfielder, or indeed a wide man. Through necessity and his own development he can now play that deeper role too, and has taken on the mantle of the no.10 shirt very well. This season started with him weighing in with a few more goals, and has now seen him putting in some excellent deeper lying midfielder role.

Henri Lansbury
Now the type of club is the type that many will immediately scoff are not a bigger club and why would they go there. But they are in the Premier League, the holy grail. It is unclear if we will make it this season even if we give it a good go. And for all the calls for Billy for the board to make investment and secure promotion anything could happen. Even Davies would admit every player has a price.

But you only need look at some teams established in the top flight for teams who held on to their top talent. Southampton being a prime example, who held on to top youngsters and are now reaping those rewards as those players improve with them. Lallana and Schneiderlein attracted lots of attention previously. They held, and now look at where they are.

Southampton are ironically one of the linked clubs, with Darlow, as they struggle to settle on a keeper to go forward. Sunderland, and Hull were linked earlier this season. Lascelles has been linked with Spurs amongst others, again Sunderland and Aston Villa. And Villa were also being linked with Lansbury not long ago, along side other mid table Premiership clubs.

We aren't alone. Derby young stars are similarly attracting interest. Will Hughes is a prime example. And would clubs do a Palace and sell now and then loan back, or just sell and reinvest? Or do well hold on and see what could be a peak price drop and lose for nothing, like with McGugan?

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Transfer Windows Coming!! The Transfer Windows Coming!!

And with it come the usual round up of bizarre rumours, the more likely stuff and just other chat. As usual we aren't reporting any of this as news, but merely collating from a number of online sources and looking at its likelihood and suchlike.

The Somewhat Believable

Jordan Rhodes
Jordan Rhodes

For me it just seems this one won't go away. Are we interested? Well who wouldn't be, he's a dangerous striker, and signing him would be as strong a signal we are wanting to u as any, but the money this would involve would be a risk. Add to that if he is available, well I'd expect Premiership clubs to come sniffing around. So one hand its feasible, but I could see us being gazumped. This rumour builds into the next one so we'll see how that if Blackburn sell Rhodes it will lead to them bidding for the next player, who we are also linked with.

Nakhi Wells
Nakhi Wells
23 year old Bermudan striker for Bradford hit the headlines nationwide last year as Bradford made their way to the League Cup final. His form has also continued an upward trajectory. He has been in the goals a lot this season for the Bantams, but we aren't the only club to be rumoured to be interested. He is sought after by many Championship clubs looking at promotion (including QPR) and we could get outbid again. If Blackburn let Rhodes go it is believed Wells is their top target, and they'd have a large chunk of cash in the pocket. So it will be interested to see this all pan out even if it's not us buying.

Lee Wallace
Lee Wallace

With Cohen out till the summer at least and with Harding not impressing there are a number of left backs being linked, amongst them Rangers left back Lee Wallace. Now I am not sure what the current state of finances is at Rangers and the fact he was highly sought after when he went there and vowed to help Rangers fight their way back up the League maybe complications. On paper he is playing in Scottish lower Leagues and should be easily obtained, but this isn't as simple as that as Rangers still hold an aura and some players loyalty. That said, would be a cracking signing, but can't help think someone has thought he's good and Scottish lower leagues, i'll link him. That said it seemed to come from National Press.

Leon Clarke
Clarke

Coventry striker Leon Clarke is on form this year. He's had a bit of a journeyman career up till now and at the age of 28 seems to have found his scoring boots. Or his level. I can't see the club thinking this is the solution to the problem with other younger options available, but with Coventry's ongoing financial troubles he may be obtainable, and we know what they did for McGoldricks career.



The Random Foreign Names Someone Found on Football Manager

Philipp Zulechner

Zulechner
Austrian striker playing for SV Grodig, he's been scoring a few for them in the Austrian Bundesliga, in which his club is the smallest team. I know nothing more about him or his team. £1.5 mill was mentioned.

Ronald Vargas
Plays for Anderlecht in Belgium after transferring from Club Brugge. Venezuelan attacking midfielder, can't see us chasing one of those with already plenty options in those roles. He'd also likely cost quite a bit. But nice try.


The Not Ever Going to Happen

Alfred Finnbogason
Finnbogason

So when your being chased by half a dozen big European clubs because your banging them in the Eredivisie in Holland, your next big move is always going to be second division in England isn;t it? Ahead of say Newcastle, Celtic or Roma, you know clubs who can afford the suggested £12 million fee. Not ever happening.

Nikica Jelavic
Maybe could happen on loan, but Jelavic isn't going to drop from Everton to our level. Plus Everton don;t have a million options up front so might want to hold on to. Unless they bring in someone else. Plus this came from someone saying their source worked in the Ticket Office. Why do people online think the shop staff and ticket ofice staff are privy to ALL transfer goings on.

Twitter Idiots: Festive Special

Its been too long since I did a round up of the stupid crap people blurt out on Twitter in the heat of the moment, or just stupidity in general from fans deluded enough to think their psychotic views speak for the rest of us, but it's been a bumper few days.

Lets start with my favourite tweets of the whole previous Christmas period. Step forward mr Joey Barton.



Not sure if you know the rules Joey, judging by the fact you were suspended and your previous track record with officials it definitely suggests you don't, but assistants flag doesn't stop play. I was told from a very young age that you play to the whistle... But hey ho, don;t let trivialities get in the way.

Like these following QPR fans who need to go and revise the offside law. Realise that we aren't cheats if the ref let it go, and basically to stop being bitter sore kids.




And I just enjoy this pre game tweet for the simple fact you look like a mug now.




Onto the Leeds game, I am trying to make sense of this tweet.



Yes we do cheer a Derbyshire goal against Leeds, because he's a Forest player scoring against you, which isn't remotely similar to a rival team scoring against you. If your going to try and look clever on word play, then I suggest you might want to rethink strategy.



Unlucky not to get a point? You what? You were poxy to get that goal. Admittedly they say weere the best team but to think a lucky late goals mean you were unlucky is laughable.

And Leeds official Twitter feed is embarassing
Harsh? Harsh? Oh behave


The Hannah Section

Yeah I'mn just going to hand over a section to the insanity she drops out.




Followed a few days later by this. And remember she stands by that opinion.



Brilliant.

Anyway, I tried to trawl through the Leeds feed to find embarassing tweets about them deserving being level but they never had a chance to type one out. They're usually that deluded.

We hope to reprise this more next season, but the main idiotic posters have stopped Tweeting Forest stuff these days

Derbyshire Wonder Strike Seals Deserved Win

It was harder to obtain that it really should have been as we bossed the game, but Nottingham Forest have an unlikely hero to thank for scoring the winner against Leeds yesterday in a game that should have been long tied up.

Step forward the much maligned Matt Derbyshire, so much of the periphery of not just the Forest squad but even this game when he was introduced for Abdoun. And i heartily mean that, when we brought Cox on for Mackie we had wanted them to bring Derbyshire back off, as the touches he had made in the 15 mins or so previously could probably be counted on one hand.

But no, that means nothing and what do I know. He was saving it all up to crush Leeds hearts and give Forest that deserved win. He got the ball around 30 yards out, went forward a few yards and from around 20 or so yards lashed home a strike Paddy Kenny had no hope of stopping.

One minute previously Forest fans were in the proverbial dumps. Leeds had equalised, and they looked like getting something out of a game they deserved nothing from. The goal itself perfectly illustrated it, a scrappy ugly goal, after Byram squared and Lascelles managed to get there first, but cleared straight at Darlow who deflected the ball straight to McCormack who scored the goal. It was almost a comedy of errors. Lascelles did everything right getting back and clearing, he was concentrating on the ball, and of course Darlow would would also try and help, but between them the highly rated youngsters inadvertently set up McCormack. Leeds levelled for a minute.

Previously of course we'd bossed it, from Halfords goal early on from a Reid free kick, and a word on Reid, whom everything went through in the team. So much of a fulcrum for the team that Leeds in typical fashion get trying to nobble him to take out or creative outlet. Everything went through the Irishman, and he dictated the play beautifully. Reid's free kick bent to the back post and Halford rose highest and nodded home past stricken Kenny, who was carrying a knock from early on (and if we as first thought was faking it, it was an elaborate long term act)

Reid also should have had a goal, when his range effort shortly before Leeds goal hit the outside of the post. We had other good efforts from Majewski and Abdoun at various moments.

Reid dictated play, but him and Lansbury ran midfield, with Mackie chasing anything and everything, and Abdoun putting in another performance (even if there were a few silly errors again) with the central defenders being towering. A good all round team performance and deserving of the 3 points.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Glorious Boxing Day Win

Forest got their first home win since September against QPR on Boxing Day with a spectacular and deserved win.

It could and should have been more than the 2-0 win we did have but I think every single Forest fan will no have no complaints about this game having won easily.

QPR it has to be said were not as good as you'd expect, and with a cavalier attacking midfield that offered nothing in defence, I felt it underlined the need for a deeper midfield that we play. Phillips often looked dangerous, but Zamora offered nothing, Kranjcar looked dangerous as he has obvious talent, but his ranged efforts were either wide or saved.

The goals, well to start on that is to overlook the renaissance of Abdoun. I have been critical of him in recent weeks as anyone who follows the Forest 24-7 twitter account will surely testify. But this game he was wonderful. So to describe the goal is to describe a wonderful piece of work from Abdoun. A well whipped cross after scaring the QPR right back and Halford headed in at the back post. It's the Abdoun we hoped for when we first signed him.

The second goal was also an Abdoun assist, and this is where the controversy comes. He played the long ball, and it bypassed Halford, however he didn't touch the ball and therefore didn't assist so Reid wasn't offside. The QPR players saw the flag and stopped, but as there was no whistle, Reid carried on and after a brief conversation the goal counted and QPR went in a rage. Pointlessly. You don't stop without the whistle, it was a basic taught to me as a 6 year old playing at school. Play to the whistle. And to see top professionals claiming otherwise points out how far removed many of these guys are from what we play. It also points out their complete knowledge they knew they were culpable and do not get to make decisions.

Even Joy Barton, suspended and presumably watching at home piped up on Twitter to support them saying their players stopped when the flag was raised. But again Joey, that's not the roles. Flags don't stop play. Whistles do.

And the QPR fans and players citing this as unfair need to remember we battered them. We had many many other gilt edged chances. Halford had a great opportunity, Hobbs had one stopped on the line. And that's just two, there were several others I have since forgotten.

It was great to see, and at home with a good crowd. I wonder what Leeds will bring tomorrow. We often have humdingers against them. Bring them on.

Friday, December 20, 2013

A Week of Hysteria

Apologies again folks for the slightly scattergun approach in updating the blog. I have been busy preparing for Christmas and had a number of life changes I am adapting too. This should all settle down.

I would write a review of the Ipswich game but I think that ship has sailed somewhat and would be a bit of a waste of time to write a match report.

That said the failure to beat a side we are usually successful against and the fact it as goalless has whipped up a storm of hysteria again. Now that were are getting deep in the season there are fans who think that because we aren’t in the top 2 yet or that we are yo-yoing in and out the playoffs that this is failure.

May I remind those people that there is always a Johnny come-lately to the playoffs. That nothing is decided in December and that in all reality these people basically change their mind on the state of play with every result.

Last week after winning against Wednesday and being in the top 6 they’d have all been happy. But following a slightly cryptic Billy interview where we assured us all he gets along with Fawaz despite anything thinking the opposite and then the Ipswich draw that suddenly it was all hand to the pump and time to panic.

Some of what has been said on the net this week is utterly laughable and I’ll cover that later. There are some users I could do a Twitter Idiots special on with the pearls of utter nuttishness than fall from their head through their fingers on the keyboard and on to your screen.

This weeks menagerie of weird rumours was that Jim Price has left/ been sacked / walked the plank. Furthermore are the rumours Billy wants out, but wants sacking to get his new shiny four year contract paid off. There are numerous fanciful transfer rumours flying around too.

I think what it illustrates, and I will look into later, is that students are bored. When they break up from Uni many have nothing to do and seems a handful must be happy just making up rumours. In my head I am thinking and it seems this happens every time around school and Uni holidays, so in my head I’m thinking bored kids and teenagers just make up crap for attention of for Lolz or whatever they think they are doing these days, rather than the actual creating frictions and fissures in the fan base.

It’s ridiculous. It’s not even Christmas, we are on the edge of the playoffs with a number of top players returning from injury and people seem to want to make out this is failure. Maybe your retarded standards but those of us in the real world realise teams don't often just sit in the top 6all season. There are peaks and troughs, and to use a Billy phrase. Up s and downs, Twists and turns.
Enjoy the ride




I would also like to finish this piece, which is my first in a while by paying a momentary tribute to Kev Finnegan, from Vital, who passed away. I often disagreed with his views, but he’s been a contributor to the online Forest community for so long and that can’t be forgotten, he will be missed.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Photographergate

It really is a strange set of events that panned out at Millwall and has subsequently gone back and forth somewhat surrounding the spat between Dan Westwell and Billy Davies.

What initially started as a strange press release from Forest about the actions of Westwall, alluding to inappropriate action. Davies had been seen haranguing the photographer after the match and on initial investigation it all seemed like Billy war with the Post had reached a new level of idiocy.

And then a lot more same to light. For instance that Westwell had been banned from Mansfield in 2007 and been in court for making rude gestures at former chairman of the Stags Keith Haslam. Now Haslam was a very unpopular figure and quite what those gestures were or were not trying to incite is unclear.

Bu even so that’s many years ago against a much disliked chairman at a club... but then there’s more. Westwell then claimed he had been treated harshly at Chester City and made to sit alone, despite many witnesses pointing out quite the contrary, and that pictures of him sitting alone were fabricated post match with other photographers.

This is taken from a Chester City forum about the incident where he apparently was intimidated and made to sit alone. (Link Here)

“As a Football Club we are very disappointed with the tact taken by Mr Dan Westwell, he seems to have circum navigated some of the facts, at present we are considering an Official response to the article but as fans of CCFC I think you should be made aware of the facts. I must point out that we have no axe to grind with Mr Westwell but simply would like the full facts to be known.
Mr Westwell was arrested for an alleged Public Order Offence and bailed until 9th February 2007 over an incident at Mansfield's Field Mill ground the previous Saturday.
He applied for two press badges for the Chester City v Mansfield game and was originally granted them.
We were advised by Mansfield Police to consider the granting of these press badges, because of the above incident but they did recommend that we should allow him in.
After considering all the facts at our disposal we decided that Mr Westwell could be allowed into the ground and was given two Complimentary tickets,he was not allowed pitchside but was allowed to take still photography from behind the perimeter wall from the West Stand.
Mr Westwell was not "constantly watched" by stewards and nor was he put in an area of The West Stand away from other fans. “


Already it seems a man with a very strange agenda. And this isn't going away, here are some quotes taken from something published today on a site that calls itself the home of regional journalism, so we know whose side they will be on. (Link)

“Nottingham Forest later issued a statement on their website describing Dan’s conduct as “unprofessional” but Post editor Mike Sassi said that the allegation is completely unsubstantiated.
“Dan Westwell is a professional sports photographer who has an excellent reputation for his pictures and his journalism,” he told the paper.

In the comments section itself on that site, what appears to be Dan commenting says this
"During the second half I was sat along the touchline in between the half way line and 18 yard box taking photos of the game & Forest bench (as I was doing it for the paper in Nottingham and ironically, giving some pics to Forests programme too!). Billy Davies sent one of his staff out to tell me to stop taking pics of him so I said “ok fair enough” and went back to sit on my camera case along the 18 yard line. Within a few minutes I’d got Jonathan Greening standing behind me watching me edit my pics on my laptop and one of the subs standing 2 yards in front of me blocking my view of the pitch.At full time Billy Davies came straight over to me rather than the Forest fans and started screaming in right in my face “WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHERE ARE YOU FROM?” The stewards had to pull him away from me. The Millwall fans were going mad & the stewards moved me ‘for my own safety’ even though the Millwall fans were telling BD where to get off and asking me what that was all about. The police asked me as well. I saw a photographer & asked him if he got pics & he got some of Billy right in my face which have gone all over the place now. That is it. Forest then tried to cover their own back (and embarrassment) by making a statement 24 hours later (!) saying I was being unprofessional, this was after Davies himself said in his post match interview that the incident was “nothing”! However they didn’t state what I was doing to make that observation! And they still haven’t done

Which is interesting as it’s practically verbatim word for word said elsewhere. I have been fairly critical of Davies in the past and his methods with the media, but this puzzles me., I can’t believe he’d go nuts at a photographer for nothing, and neither do I think that he did is excusable, you just move on, but I can't help wondering what else there is to this to bring about Davies reaction, and coupled with some liberal use of the truth before it seems odd.


It seems he might not be the most reliable man to listen to with his side of the story, but hell, what can he be doing other than potentially trying to antagonise Davies into a reaction shot or something. Both sides just seem daft on this. Davies for getting involved and the Photographer for gleefully playing this all out in public.

A Win, A Loss and a Draw

I’ve been somewhat lazy on the updating here lately, mixture of being more bust despite having more time and after some poor results a general indifference to bringing myself to discuss.

But when you consider the past month or so you have to think it doesn’t look too great. Drawing against Reading, and drawing against Millwall when it felt like we should have done more were rather frustrating, and even the win against Wednesday was rather underwhelming.

Reading was a game that was there for the taking, and the defeat felt like scant reward for the game. Cox though getting another goal is nice to see that the strikers are finally scoring. But that said we shouldn’t be losing. The defending didn’t feel great at times.

It feels so long ago I can barely remember the game against Reading but quickly re reading the m reports remind that we lost it in the first 20 minutes. So costly and not the first time we have looked awful in the first half and had to make changes to bring it back. At least Davies accepts he got wrong, but he’s getting wrong a lot more than he used to.

Cox and Henderson getting us back in the game felt like there would only be one winner and when Mackie hit the wood work it looked like it was going to happen, but Forest are Forest and we went down to Reading late on and it felt like a sucker punch but not completely unexpected.

The Millwall  game, well Millwall is always as a hard place to go so appoint is never to be sniffed at, but in reality we really needed to be getting back to form. We failed, but did come from behind twice and get the point, with Reid and Chalobah getting the goals. I didn’t see much or hear it as I was at a prior engagement that night, but I wasn’t totally displeased at losing.

The Wednesday game was one of the most forgettable games I think I have seen. It just wasn’t very entertaining at all, BUT it was a win. And right now we’d take that win. We were thoroughly entertained by the Reading game so a win means boredom and general mediocre football.

Cox scored again, so he is starting to show good form. Harding continues to look shaky at fullback, but as I say, it’s a win that keeps us in the top 6, and that’s where we need to be. There are fans of course still unhappy, and the form we have shown has been shaky. Had we had good form we could easily be challenging the top 2.


So all in all a mixed bag completely and utterly. You couldn’t to be honest get a more varied set, and the different games, but it perfectly sums up this season in a nice microcosm. Varied.  With positives, and glaring inadequacies, usually in defence.
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