Forest Look-a-likes 6

It's back!!! Forest lookalikes! It's been about 18 months since we did this. We have a new batch of lookalikes featuring Forest players.

So without further ado!!

Harry from Dumb and Dumber and Dan Harding

Adnan Januzaj and Chris Cohen

 

Jamie Mackie and Matt Damon

 Andriy Pyatov (Ukraine keeper) and Darius Henderson

Got any others? Then tell us below or go on our pages on either Twitter or Facebook and tell us there and we may include them next time.

Strikers Strikers Everywhere, But Who Will Score Us Goals?

What we need right now.

The usual frenzy of transfer activity is of course focussing right now on strikers. It’s this year’s very in thing. Gone are the days of left backs being wanted, that’s so 2011 fashion.

But yes, this fabled 20+ goals a season striker which we need, and must have is top of everyone’s virtual shopping list. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake has had his name added to that veritable list. Of course what hasn’t helped this clamour is that Sheffield Wednesday just renewed one striker and got another in, and went and scored a bloody good but very overdue win.

With the summer demand for Billy Sharp to be signed (despite only having a 1 in 3 goal scoring ratio) and with him going to Reading, it’s been hard to judge if he’d have been the right man, he’s spent his entire Reading loan career injured just about, so whether he went there and banged them in, it hasn’t happened, but not that it might.

So now we cast that net around for a striker, and the talk was a week or so ago that we are looking wider and further, on the continent for that guy to put the goal in the net. It almost speaks not of desperation but exasperation to me. That we thought there’d be the quality in this country to get, but it’s just not there. Whether through availability or just not having the requisite quality around, or because there’s more value for money there.

A few people chucked around Patrick Bamford's name, after his impressive displays for MK Dons, and the fact to increase his development, Chelsea might see us as a good place for him to go from January. This negates some vital aspects. There is a rumour, and I stress rumour, that Bamford’s departure from Forest was somewhat acrimonious. The club angry that their talent they had nurtured was advised to move away, apparently by family. There is also the fact Chelsea might not be our best friends with the whole Chalobah thing. This forgets that Bamford fell out with the old regime, things have changed.

Of course previously we have seen plenty of other names in the past few months since Raffik Djebbours snub or whatever it was. Some of the names are hilarious (I saw someone suggest Adebayor), but others would seem good targets. Hooper and Austen always looked farfetched. And it seems any time any striker gets a brace now some fans scream he should and could be in our team.

And what I haven’t yet done is mention our current strikers. I have done in other blogs. I do think admittedly Cox is out of form, though the unfair fickle abuse many hand out is wrong. People who don’t understand form just saying we need to get rid when this guy has proved himself at higher stages than us. Tudgay and Henderson are Championship cloggers. Blackstock, well he’s not around now. Derbyshire remains on the fringes and you wonder what it’d take to just give him a bit more of a go, and Ishmael Miller is Ishmael Miller. It does certainly seem like it needs a little reinvigorating.

And it needs to happen soon. The longer the drought goes on the more it rests in the mind. The more it will affect form. Wanted; someone to score goals. When we went up in the past it was always with a bona fide goalscorer. We need one again. Maybe not in Collymore or van Hooijdonk’s class. But someone who knows where the back of the net is.

Derby Day Delight

After 2 seasons of, well, I admit it, failure against Derby, Forest have turned it round to result in a victory in a game that always feels like it comes at vital moments in a season.

For instance this game came on the back of a run of games where we had toiled to get draws. Losing in the Capital One Cup, although no exactly painful still sits on the mind. Had we lost this game, form would start to look questionable. And with the prospect of two long away trips before the international break, it had all the possibility to turn the season the wrong way. Last season’s defeat felt like a big setback and 2 years under McClaren, well it took the wind from the sails of what might have been another kind of season.

So for me, this game felt higher stakes.

We all know the result, all know the scorer, I’m not going to break ground there, but hat surprised me, is that although Derby often looked dangerous on the attack, the seemed to almost go out of this game with a whimper. I’ve only ever seen Hughes against Forest and each time he has flattered to deceive.

We made changes, enforced changes. Moussi in the midfield, Chalobah out through injury. This both worried me and gave a new sense of what would happen as Moussi does have awful distribution and is prone to terrible errors of judgement. That said, with him in place the midfield had shape. The dynamic down the left with Reid, Majewski and Cohen was in place. With Moussi out and Cohen into midfield, and Harding on the left, it was still there at times, but just not quite firing in the same way. Collins was in for Wilson (and ultimately for Halford)

What was apparent is at set pieces Derby had clearly set their stall out defend against Henderson as the aerial threat. That’s the only way I can begin to describe the way that they completely ignored Hobbs, who despite his large frame went through the area unmarked and headed home with what would be the only goal of the game. It was absolutely criminal defending, and had they not being so obsessed with pulling Henderson’s shirt all over and stop him jumping they may have remembered other aerial threats exist.

The penalty was an interesting incident as from my seat I have near the back of the Trent End, anything that happens like that at the other end is hard to pick out and I haven’t seen the goals back. But Derby going down to 10 men is not always the best plan. I of course refer to 2 years ago and the whole “we only had 10 men” game. The resulting penalty was saved, and at this point I was worried. We should have buried the game there and then, instead there was this outside chance of hope, buoyed by the penalty save.

Indeed Derby had chances. Hughes with a free kick, and Sammon as their human battering ram. But their main worry all game for me, and always is when we play them was Jamie Ward, he’s just that hateful little figure of a player who antagonises and I could see him doing something. So I was delighted when they withdrew him.

Reid had a glorious one on one right at the death, and 2-0 would have been probably the right result, but it was saved. Henderson had earlier missed a glorious headed opportunity to finish, but his header went way off target.

A word on a number of players. Collins was superb, and it’s that kind of showing we bought him for. Henderson toiled as the target man, and for much was an aerial target after we shifted dynamic with Moussi out. Although he missed a gilt edge header and the penalty he worried Derby. Harding did his job when he came on, but Abdoun didn’t seem as confident when he came into action. Lansbury in the deeper role had a quieter game.

The win of course has since seen Nigel Clough dismissed and hilarious McClaren bought in. Maybe it will work out, but evidence from his last Championship job suggests otherwise. With Middlesbrough where he had success he had cash to spend. We know what he did with us, failed at Wolfsburg, Twente (in his second spell) and of curse England. This could be his last chance of a vestige of saving face in England.

King Darius Rises For Late Win

It isn’t very often in life I refer to an ancient Persian King in a title of a Nottingham Forest blog article, but there we go, that’s the beauty of this. Forest left it late against Barnsley on Saturday to seal the 3 points, with a win that was more than deserved. After all we hit the woodwork 3 times in this game additionally to the goals.
That maybe unfair on a decent Barnsley side that look better than last year’s model. Although their own goals were from dead ball situations they did occasionally look dangerous on the attack.

The main element of pre match conversation would be who replaced Guedioura, the Frenchman Moussi getting that nod. Some had thought we may go to a flatter 4 in midfield with Abdoun and Paterson wide with Reid and Lansbury pulling deeper than usual. But now, the narrow diamond remained, with Moussi at its base, Majewski spearheading it, with Reid and Lansbury making up the rest. Cohen remained at left back, and Cox replaced the auxiliary striker that was Halford up front.

We had the better early chances, Mackie getting in clear behind the defence seeing the veteran Pollitt save his effort, and Cox hitting the post from a lovely little move involving Lansbury and Mackie, which may also have been a save from Pollitt.

And then Reid from a free kick in nearly a copy of the Wigan goal curled it high into the corner, but that just little bit too close to the post, seeing it come back off and ricochet around before being cleared.

When we did take the lead it had been a good build up. Mackie gain getting that yard or two of space to shoot, and seeing his effort saved by Pollitt. The only person chasing up though was Simon Cox to give the Reds the lead. Pollitt was angry no defending was following in to tidy up, and his defence seemed to suggest he should have parried it the other way, but that’s neither here nor there as far as I am concerned, Cox showed instinct and quick reactions to follow the ball in and to finish, and put the Reds in front.

Barnsley to be fair didn’t cower though, and their reaction was quick. Perkins who had played well made a run into the box, and pushed the ball past Moussi who clumsily blocked his run and gave away a penalty. O’Grady netted the equaliser, and the lead was already squandered. At this juncture around me there were tuts and noises of derisions aimed squarely at Moussi who most saw already as a liability in that role. He had just proved us correct again.

A word on Moussi, he had his usual type of display where you’re not entirely convinced his arms and legs are reacting to the same brain waves, often careering into trouble and then back out of it. He wasn’t as bad as some will make out, but against a good team he would be found wanting badly, someone like Wigan would have had a field day with him against them.

We took the lead again with the last action of the first half. A free kick Barnsley weren’t happy about being give and Reid, with his usual great delivery caused Etuhu to put past his own keeper. Reid free kicks must be a nightmare to defend, as never sure if dipping in or someone ghosting at the back, defenders feel the need to flail something at the ball to clear it, and as in this case that can result in it going in their own goal.

Barnsley’s second half equaliser was a screamer. Unstoppable, and applauded by a good many Forest fans. It was one of those goals you just have to accept that was destined to go in from the moment Cywka swung his boot. A rocket from 30-35 yards, it was f course given away by Moussi for a free kick in the first place.

And so we toiled for a subsequent winner, and by changing our approach by bringing on Paterson and Abdoun the match was swung. Abdoun excites the crowds, many having seen his Youtube vids (that said I’m sure you could make Jason lee look ace from video highlights) These two started playing a bit more directly and the inter play down the left wing was exciting.

Paterson would hit the post, our third time with an effort from around 20 yards, at first I thought a pass better option but it wet so close. Then Cox had an effort that Pollitt spilled and it went narrowly wide.
And then came the introduction of Darius, fresh from his court acquittal the big man looked hungry and ready. Darius differs from our previous big physical presences in that he can play on the ground too, but his goal was pure aerial threat. A corner coming in he bulleted a header in low to give us a win. Barnsley’s defenders looked frustrated having let the one biggest threat from corners get a relatively free header 10 yards from goal.

It was a deserved win, that there is no doubt, but we were made to work for it. The happy change is now there are different types of options if things don’t go our way. Instead of last year, where we’d have done a relatively like for like change of McGugan for Majewski, this year we have a different type of player to bring on. As I said the interplay down the left filled me with a lot of hope about potential options down there. Abdoun Reid and Cohen seemed to reach a quick knowledge of how to use each other.

All in all a creditable result. It keeps us right in there after the Wigan defeat, and with Middlesbrough up next we look a hard challenge to beat at the City Ground, if we just sort out that DM slot.

The Stars Are Aligning

Ok, maybe a little over the top as a headline and maybe a little presumptive after 2 league games and a cup win against lower league opposition, but the optimism amongst some fans is finally being played out on the pitch. Forest, as we all know are notoriously slow starters to the season. Well so far so good.

Beating Blackburn late on as we did, as I pointed out last season when we sneaked late points shows a resilience to not give up or let heads drop. And ok, the goal was a little gifted, I’m not sure exactly what Jake Kean was trying to do being so far from goal and trying to claim the ball over a player, but it cost Rovers.

At best he’d have fouled Mackie and given away a penalty, but he was never going to succeed, and when Mackie ended up with the ball and played it to Darius Henderson, he still admittedly had a lot to do. There were still 16 yards and two defenders to finish past. Which he did, with aplomb.

My brother is a Sheffield United fan, who always waved about Darius, and though I wasn’t always convinced, he always caused us problems. I’m beginning to see that hype a little more now. Instead of being a shambling huge bloke we ask to just put his head on anything, he has other qualities too, shielding the ball, holding it up, and finishing. The one thing I have been warned about is there’s a ref who takes exception to his style of play, he will get penalised every time and see no joy, and maybe even sent off. Which we see all too often with Blackstock anyway.

We have weapons yet to be utilised too. Abdoun is still a relatively unknown to Forest, and although scurrilous rumours have suggested we never wanted him from the Greek press this week, they have been scoffed at by Jim Price, who insists Billy sanctioned the purchase, and the only questions to answer are his fitness and international clearance. Loosely translating an Algerian (or French) news source they say that Abdoun isn’t match fit yet, as his fitness when signing was behind his new team mates due to the later start of the Greek season, that he hadn’t done as much work.

It’s this that bothers me with Forest fans at times. We don’t play a new guy, and rather than do any research, people merely suggest Davies doesn’t like him, or didn’t want him. We’ve played 3 games!! He might want to slowly work him into the side.

Although it’s not been a free scoring side thus far, Henderson’s goal will hopefully silence those same voices that moaned that strikers weren’t scoring, which completely misunderstood how last year’s team was set up. For me too many people see a formation as basic. 4-4-2 works as it’s linear, they understand, everyone has easily defined roles. But you get too many idiots who see other formation as defensive or not understand a new role for a player other than the traditional defined roles. Too often they saw a sole striker as defensive rather than actually freeing up the midfield to play freer roles and encourage them to attack quickly.

In what is going to be a tough start on paper, the forthcoming matches with Watford, Wigan, and the next match with Bolton should prove a tough battle. If we come through these matches well it will illustrate where we are. Wigan have been active in the market following relegation, and Watford were there or there about's last season. You’d assume one of those should be a defeat, but it’s very hard to tell at the moment.
Interestingly enough, it could all rest on ex players performing on their day, Holt at Wigan and McGugan at Watford, with the former target Darren Pratley at Bolton potentially being a thorn in the side.

But so far so good. The omens are looking good. Long may it continue.