Double Injury KO For Reds

The news last night that Henri Lansbury would be out with 3 months with a horrendous sounding fractured lower back. It is understood he sustained the injury in the game versus Yeovil. It had me racking my brain thinking of exactly what and when he did. I can recall an early nasty looking coming together with their full back McAllister but this was right at the start of the game.

But that’s beside the point; the main thing is the huge loss that this represents as Lansbury has been integral to so much of what we have done right. The combination of him, Reid and Vaughan for me started to turn this season around, and without them, we may lack that bit of extra quality that could see us go up automatically. Considering we are already seeing fixture pile up. Extra pressure on those players remaining who may have seen rotation and resting could bring about a breaking point.

What it represents is extra pressure on the existing players, and also Billy and Fawaz to try and secure a player to fill in for the prolonged period of absence for Vaughan and Lansbury. Dorrans name has already appeared, as has Guedioura's. A few are even touting Jonathan Williams also from palace name around as they have announced they are looking into a loan for him as he won't get much playing time with Ledley's arrival at palace. Wes Hoolahan who has completely fallen out at Norwich and has promotion experience is another obvious potential target that said he's potentially in temperamental mood, but that does mean he has something to prove. He would be a player to get forward, and might not fir that deeper role, but at times like this in this injury crisis you have to look at what the best available options out there. Is he better than the alternatives already in place?

Moussi has shone again recently, and one has to think he will be stepping up to play more after looking earlier this year like his Forest career was all but over. Majewski will surely have a strong chance to claim a spot and see Reid drop deeper out of necessity. Any regular reader knows that I get extremely frustrated by Majewski, his lack of consistency being a major bugbear. Greening was on the bench against Preston and this might well occur a few more times. Whether it could mean playing time for a youngster coming through from the ranks is also a possibility. Osborne has appeared on the bench, but he's more of an attacking midfielder, David Morgan who always looked likeliest to break through for the past few years is on loan at Tamworth, and only making their bench. Jack Blake is a name mentioned before and he had a period with Mansfield on loan in October. So it makes the loan market look far more likely.

Lansbury will be back. In time for maybe the playoffs, as will Vaughan (and maybe Cohen) so it's not as if their seasons are over. It will take time for them to reintegrate and get back form when they do return. I'll be honest, both Vaughan and Lansbury's injuries are new ones to me, I have no idea of the long term impacts of whether they will be prone to such injuries again, or if it could have an impact on other areas of the body. With any injury for a period of time there is always risk of it flaring up in some other way. For now though, we just have to get through these next months without a major talisman for the team.

 

The Benefits of a Good Cup Run

I don't like tempting fate in this way, but I feel compelled to put this down into the site. I have spoken before about how I believe a cup run is to be embraced and not something to be seen as a hindrance to your season.

So I see this as a wonderful opportunity to do something in the cup. I am not suggesting win it, not for a second, but the way the draw has opened up for us offers a really good chance to reach the Quarter Finals for the first time since 1996 when we lost to Villa. The following year we went out to Chesterfield who went on to the Semis in Round 5, and since then? Well not a lot of anything, save for a run to the 5^th Round and taking Spurs to replay before exiting, (and being relegated) (Another aside, our league Cup record is even worse, having not made the last 8 since 1993/4 season and limping out to Tranmere)

I am not, and will not belittle the League One sides of Preston and Sheffield United, who now stand between us and the last 8. Either team could beat us, with the Blades accounting for two Premiership teams, and Preston already holding us at home. To assume we'd win either game is folly. They could take us out, and I wouldn't be THAT surprised.

Once you reach the last 8 well things get interesting, considering that the big 4 left in the competition are drawn against each other in the next round, if you make the last 8, there are only really 2 big sides left in that draw. The chances of a more favourable draw increase, in ways that I don't think have happened for us in years. It's not a strange achievement for Championship teams to make the final. Cardiff and Millwall have been there, Bradford from league 2 made the League Cup final, so this isn't all pie in the sky. Imagine if in the last 8, the remaining top sides draw each other, and we draw either Wednesday or Charlton are completely beatable if you draw them, or even anyone else further down the Premier League.

At that  stage it's all possible.

 

But to be honest, a cup run is a great catalyst for a season. look at Bradford. I've spoken before too about even reaching the final can be experience for reaching the Wembley stage in the playoffs.

Also winning begets winning. Creating that winning atmosphere can only be a good thing, and the good feeling it would give the fans would surely seep onto the pitch.

 

Go for it tonight boys is basically what I'm saying. The Cup isn't a hindrance.

Where We're At - A Squad Appraisal

So now the squad is all put together, and although there are potential for loans when the loan window reopens, the anticipated activity there will be much slimmer, with some potential injury cover being the only signings we'd expect. The overall picture is very good, especially as held on the main assets as well as strengthened.

Goalkeeper
We have the quality of the young up and coming Darlow coupled with an experienced older hand in de Vries acting as cover at Forest. It feels better in terms of ability than for a couple of years, when Camp and Smith were both (largely) reliable keepers. Not quite the battles we occasionally used to have but its stable, as in the past we chopped and changed a little. I would love to see Darlow cement himself as a legend in goal as since Crossley it feels like we change keeper every 2 years or so (with a Beasant, Ward, Gerrard, Smith, Camp progression line with few other limited time performers) Evtimov as a third man to cover means we shouldn't ever need him, and he can continue to develop with no limelight or pressure.

Darlow

Defence

The strength in this position is compared to the previous season frightening. We have 2 or 3 bodies for every position, so only the worst run of injuries or suspensions would cause the problems we had till recently. The problem, if you can call it a problem is deciding the best line up. One assumes of monetary value alone its Hobbs and Wilson, should they both be fit, but Lascelles has stepped up admirably, and Collins has been a capable deputy for the last few weeks. We could even put Halford back into the defence as well before we even mention the new boy Gomis. The full back berths have 2 people for each berth, with Jara and Lichaj at right back, and Fox and Harding at left back. This is unheard of for cover in those roles for Forest, especially the old left back spot, and right back looks especially strong in depth with 2 internationals vying for a spot. As said though, what's the best set up? You'd have to probably say Jara, Wilson, Hobbs and Fox, though anyone else stepping in there would be good enough.

Hobbs and Lascelles

Midfield
Like defence, we have such a strength in depth in midfield. The central roles with Reid, Lansbury, and Vaughan having competition from Moussi, Majewski, and with Cohen long term out means there is competition for places. That’s if we go with a midfield 3 as we have been doing for a while, there's even more of a battle if we go with 2. Push onto the wings and Abdoun, Mackie and Paterson are all hitting form and forcing selection issues for the manager. A few of the strikers can drop off that central role to play the advanced midfielder, (Cox especially) meaning the versatility of some players is a bonus. We even can add Greening to the mix, even if he is largely a spent force and likely to never play for us again. This is the only position injuries could really force our hand, but Moussi being back in form means we have extra strength. Jara can also fill in at midfield if needs be too, and Lichaj at right back wouldn’t be weakening the team, so there's that option too.

Lansbury, Paterson and Abdoun

Attack

The attacking options are numerous if not always reliable. Djebbour offers something new and we're not fully sure exactly yet, other than scoring from half a yard versus Yeovil (already better than Findlay then eh?) But bear in mind we have a few options. Cox has been first choice for the last 18 months, and his return isn't great, that said he has been scoring since Christmas, grabbing a lot better ratio of goals per game that he had before. Henderson is as he always has been with Forest, an alternative approach. Physical games are we unleash him and although not always effective he gives defenders something else to think about. Derbyshire, aside from THAT Leeds goal is a waste of time, when he comes on he mindlessly runs about a bit. Tudgay might as well have his back packed ready for a loan move, and Blackstock, heavily out of favour and form before going to Leeds is now out the picture with an injury anyway. If all fails just put Halford up there again, though Mackie plays effectively through the middle too.

Cox and Henderson with Paterson

The Manager
Billy has been backed this window in a way he never got before. That should firstly keep him happy, but secondly give him the tools he wants. It works both ways though. I always thought Billy worked better when he was up against it, backs to the wall, and that’s why post January we'd usually go on a good run. Now, I'm not so sure that mentality would exist, we have a new one to look for. I suppose we could try and get that second spot against the odds, but it Billy has new motivational challenges, with having a large squad to keep happy, rather than the previous attempts with tight knit squads pulling in the same direction. I suppose that’s why many of the spare extra players will get shipped out on loan, so that there aren't unhappy players bringing morale down through lack of action.

Billy

Overall
The squad depth compared to what we have had before is unbelievable. There has always been area that we were less strong in, but now the weak links have been removed. In every squad I can remember in a long time, there was always a position in need of improvement, and now I am not so sure. It augurs well for the rest of the season. We have strength everywhere, injuries are not such a worry, and ready place replacements are there should we need them. We can rotate if players get tired, and so hopefully there will be no playoffs burn out if we go that route. We should stay string all the way till May. Hopefully all of Fawaz investments will pay off and he can see his team in the top flight.

Fawaz

January 2014 Transfer Window Roundup

It’s been a glorious transfer window for Forest, used to maybe one insipid free transfer or a loan; we have strengthened with 5 new players coming in.

This is more than what we had targeted and coupled with keeping the existing squad together it has to be deemed a success. The only departure saw Miller return to Yeovil but he was peripheral at best anyway.

So what do we know about the new recruits and what will they bring? Here’s a round up

Hobbs

Jack Hobbs
In what was on-going on off saga we finally at the death got our man in Jack Hobbs. The central defender had been an ever present before he got injured, and was then recalled by Hull in an obvious attempt to force our hand to dip into the pockets and sign him. Under pressure from Reading, Wigan and Leicester Hobbs always said he was our favoured choice of destination.
We know of course that Hobbs is a strong central defender and this was somewhat illustrated versus Watford on Thursday night. We know exactly what we got with Jack, and that’s a quality central defender.

David Vaughan
We also know what we are getting with Vaughan, who completely changed our midfield for the better when he arrived. The interplay and balance provided by the 3 of him, Lansbury and Reid started a lot of what has been good lately. He made the deep lying midfielder role his own and shone for his initial loan period with the club. His signing will be vital for the promotion bid.

Danny Fox
Considering we have been after him at left back for a while signals our intent here. With Cohen injured and Harding form intermittent getting in a quality recognised left back with top level experience at Celtic is a major coup and will be help us no end defensively, and hopefully attacking wise too, with interchange down the left.

Djebbour

Rafik Djebbour
An interesting signing and rare one for a club to buying in relatively older players from abroad. Djebbour has come in for a cut price from what we were going to pay in the summer. He offers another option up front and must be an upgrade at least from the likes of Tudgay, Derbyshire and Henderson are aren’t players to push you to the Premier League. Apart from that I don’t want to base opinions on YouTube videos as I could make vids that make me look good. Be interesting to see how quickly he adapts

Gomis

Kevin Gomis
Being a loan it feels relatively pressure free. If he succeeds we can hopefully make it permanent like with Hobbs, if he fails, then it’s not financially cost us much (though what it could cost on a pitch is only one the future can answer) Gomis has top level experience in Ligue 1. Apart rom that I know nothing.