Remember Them? Ross Gardner

Ross Gardner arrived with fellow Newcastle academy trainee James Beaumont with a bit of hype and high hopes. The pair highly regarded at Newcastle, and with Gardner having represented England at junior levels. The story was that they had fell afoul of Newcastle’s Academy boss Peter Beardsley, being accused of bullying the pair, which was a claim later dismissed.

Gardner in action for Forest

Gardner was a midfielder, born in South Shields, he was hoped to be a bit more of a box to box midfielder. Forest had had a good time with bringing through youth at that time, and with the club having missed out in the playoffs, would be hoped to come though in the wake of the likes of Gareth Williams.

However it was an incredibly turbulent time at Forest. Hart was the manager who signed them, and by the time Gardner left a short few years later we had rattled through a number of bosses, both permanent and care taker.

Gardner would make his debut as a sub under Paul Hart coming on as sub in a 6-0 demolition of MK Dons. Restricted to a few sub appearances, who got more game time under Joe Kinnear as the slide toward League One began. The team at this stage were losing the best players.

In the infamous relegation season, under Megson Gardner actually broke through and started a number of the last few games of the season in the run in.Maybe in preperation for the drop to give him match time, or because there was little else (Sonner and Gunnarsson for example) so he got game time.

As we dropped into League One under Megson, Gardner continued to feature sporadically, until the arrival of Calderwood who deemed him surplus to requirements and let the North East native go initially on loan and then permanently to Port Vale. His last games were as a late substitute against Brentford and Colchester. As we struggled on in League One before the McParland and Barlow renaissance and stormed up the table,it was also the signing of the likes of Sammy Clingan that pretty much ended his Forest career a well as getting injured just when he'd have got a run in the team.He never scored for Forest.

After a short stint at Vale, he ended up in the non league playing for both Eastwood and Shildon in County Durham. Now at the age of 28, when he should be at his peak, he is retired and works as a Gas Technician.

I always had high hopes for Gardner, I thought he looked like he was going to make it. Maybe had he been with a team on the up at the right time things would have worked out differently, as we often here that youngsters that emerge into struggling teams tend to get adversely affected. Neither Gardner or Beaumont for that matter are still in the game. and I think that merely illuminates thats throwing youngsters into a struggling team merely hinders them.


Ross is on Twitter @Rossygardner.

The Loan Window Is Open....

And already there’s been a whole host of names chucked out there as potential signings from the ridiculous to the... well frankly less ridiculous.

Starting at the less ridiculous scale is Nathaniel Chalobah, of Chelsea and famously played on loan at Watford last year, often making a starring role. It is said by some on Twitter, and maybe I’m making that horrendous error of blindly believing people on Twitter, that he and Lansbury are good mates, which might help oil the cogs of this move. He would be the man for the now infamous DM role that might soon become the new left back hoodoo slot for Forest.

Also linked in that role is Lee Cattermole, though was by a source so completely unreliable as to instantly ignore it. For one he is injured, and furthermore is not the type of DM player Billy prefers. If he wants that battling busting player, we have Moussi, no the guy he wants needs to be able to play. Cattermole plays football so agricultural that he’d better turning up at Southwell for its annual ploughing contests.

Matty Fryatt is also getting linked again, this is believable, we want that striker and we were believed to be getting close on Deadline day. This is a distinct possibility, despite many fans protestations.

Owen Garvan has had his name chucked into a ring based entirely on the fact he was cut from Crystal Palace 25 man squad, somewhat ironically at the arrival of Guedioura. Whether this is someone merely adding up 2 and 2 and coming up with some random answer, or whether there’s anything to it, I have no idea. For one I’m not even sure what type of player he is, and whether he’d be able to take that deeper role, as the rest of the midfield is already secure.

Steven Dobbie, again like Garvan is out of the 25, and for the simple fact he gets promoted, people want him in, and to be honest, it’s as good a criteria as anything else, the record speaks for itself!!

5 Things We Learnt This Summer

1. The Chris Gunter money goes a long way
the old fallacy that all the money that the al-Hasawi’s were using was simply the remnants of the Chris Gunter loan money and a lot of creative accounting seems to have finally been smashed. This summer we made largely actual signings, and the one long term is a means to an end on a permanent deal, but avoiding paying a fee.

2. Players are not always honest
A little bit harsh as Guedioura wasn’t ever really lying, as no-on ever asked the question, but after all the palaver about #nffcfamily and how he loves Forest the first sign of a Premiership club sniffing round him and he was in his car faster than you can say, well, Guedioura. So for me all the love he proffered feels a little cheapened, but I’ll still always have a high regard, at least he went for a higher level of football and not a sideways move.

3. Billy Davies is as cantankerous as ever
And that’s not a criticism by any stretch, but his time off hasn’t dimmed his ways. The media blackout, though maybe not solely his call, must have had his say in there somewhere, his recent reprimand by the FA for confronting the ref post Wigan match. These things point to the fact he is still a fiery little bugger.

4. Transfer Window Closures Under the al-Hasawi's are Eventful.
If it’s not George Boyd and his eyes, it will he won’t he Guedioura transfers and the 3 offers in place for people. In the past Forest fans could put their feet up on deadline day and rest at the rest of football as they all scrambled, in the knowledge we’d be doing no business, nor would we look like it. At least now when we do no business it’s dramatic and gets us talking.

5. If all else fails, sponsor yourself.
An ingenious approach to life by Fawaz after not getting sponsorship in the summer was simply deciding that he’d put his own Air Conditioning company on the front of the shirt. A company so well known and loved that before the announcement, its Facebook page had 200 odd likes. Hardly a super power of business. It is admittedly only up to 343 likes on Facebook, but that’s an increase in Facebook traffic of nearly 60%. So imagine for the corporate website! Fawaz is clearly a genius, rather than simply using a means to get round FFP by using his own company to sponsor his own football team.

Away Day Blues

Amongst all the excitement of deadline day I forgot all about the fact that I forgot about the fact we have now lost a game.
A lot has gone on since that game and not all of it good news. But there were still positives to be had from the 2-1 defeat at the DW Stadium by Wigan.
The first half was a mostly Wigan affair apart from when we scored the opening goal of the game with a sublimely taken free kick by Andy Reid. The best keepers in the world wouldn’t have saved it, and although the goal was pretty much the first time we got forward it wasn’t quite the smash and grab Wigan manager Owen Coyle has suggested.
Wigan then pretty much camped out in our half, and had singled out the left wing to attack down. Lichaj and Lansbury had both got booked and so Wigan took all their play down that wing knowing that the challenges wouldn’t be as fierce as on the side with an unblemished record.
Wigan for their part has some very dangerous players, and in Shaun Maloney have a player who should be top flight. Word is he wasn’t even fully fit. And this led to Wigan pretty much dominating the first half. We made vague in roads to their half and had the odd chance, but not clear cut, whilst Wigan created dangerous opportunities.
And no chance is more dangerous than a penalty, which we have away not a long time after scoring. Maloney dispatching it to Darlows right, and though the keeper got a fairly big hand on it, it still put Wigan level. I’d hoped we’d hold the lead for a long time but like often before an early lead isn’t something to defend. Had we held longer it may have been different.

And with a ref who was terrible to both teams it was never allowed to flow as a game, which I think helped Wigan more than us. There was simply no flow. The bookings mounted up. Which in turns means a player is less inclined to get stuck in fear of mis-timing and picking up a second? Allowing more space and time to Wigan.

Their second goal came after a wonderful shot was turned onto the bar by Darlow, it was a good save, and in a perfect world would have that extra inch or so of clearance be turned over. But alas it bounced out to a Wigan player, Jordi Gomez, who easily polished off for the Latics.

At half time we changed it up. Guedioura came off, Lansbury dropped deep, Cohen went forward and Harding came on into left back. The game changed. Forest had more of the ball, and we dominated the half. But for all the better possession, we couldn’t do anything with it. We didn’t create a scoring chance, and even after bringing on Paterson and Miller we still toiled away without making Scott Carson really earn his money. To be honest we didn’t look like scoring.

A word on the away support, where we pretty much filled that whole away end. Superb from Forest and our fans, and by and large we were in good voice, and as we drifted away after losing there was no angry words, no dismay, the knowledge that a narrow away defeat to a team who will be challenging isn’t shameful. There were the usual array of pockets of annoying idiots, more down to character than anything else, but that’s the same anywhere. The kids behind me in particular were partisan in their words, but you know without any action to back up their threats. In fact I’m sure I’ll get a few weeks laugh out of their “somebody send the ref a death threat” angry tirade from behind. Sorry to end on that, the support didn’t need it.

Guedi Gone

Well save for editing the last post which I put out there suggesting that if Guedioura is still a Forest player we should cut him a little slack, the basic sentiment remains around the Algerians decision.

Because it has been confirmed he has left the Reds for Crystal palace for £2.5m, which is a tidy profit all told, on a player signed a year ago, and who is 28 years old.

But as I said, you can't overly criticise a player for wanting to play at top level. The sentiments of what I wrote when unsure if he was still ours remain. I don't bare any ill feelings for this.

Transfer Deadline Confusion

I was going to try and update the Live blog on the deadline day yesterday at 11pm with a round up. That proved impossible. I think we all know why.

And the current word is that Adlene Guedioura remains a Forest player. This morning word was confirmation was being sought.

So where are we?

Well let’s confirm that Stephen McLaughlin has gone on loan to Bristol City. That much we do know. Guy Moussi and his move to Sheffield Wednesday didn’t happen. Any of the mooted departures for the “deadwood” of Greening, Gillett, Derbyshire and Miller didn’t materialise.

Then there was Adlene. Guedioura as any Forest fan not living under a rock for the last 24 hours knows had been to Crystal palace to talk through a move. It is said that terms were struck, and that all that which entails a transfer went through, save for the actual confirmation in time. Leaving Guedioura as a Forest player.

Now for the minute details. Guedioura “requested” a transfer. That much is true, but that doesn’t mean he tried to force though the deal in a desperate attempt to leave Forest. That merely means he would waive his bonuses and pay offs and any other smaller parts of his contractual arrangement should he be sold by Forest. It basically could have sped things up.

Does this mean Guedi wants out? Well, I’m certain the prospect of Premiership football and one assumes a pay increase appealed to Guedioura. He is 28. He is not getting younger. There is no guarantee we would go up. So he may see this as a last chance to “make it” at the top flight. And even more so in a World Cup year. Not that Algeria are there for sure, not that his place is under threat, he starts for Algeria, but it all adds up in a footballers mind. If he’s succeeding at the top level then his place would be assured. Should Algeria come through the remainder of their qualifying programme he will have a chance to shine in Brazil in a year’s time? Paying in the Premier League would not hinder his chances.

Guedioura as much as he loves Forest, and I think he genuinely does love our fans, wants to play at the top level as said, I am certain that pretty much any of our other players in the same situation would go through the same thought process. A year of Championship football with a good chance of Premiership football, or a move now with guaranteed Premiership football and higher wages. Furthermore the arguments that Palace are definitely down and in a year’s time the roles reverse argument isn’t as great as the kids (and its mainly kids) making it think. If you went there, and excelled and starred, and then Palace are relegated, but you proved yourself, then you’d score a move. Like Charlie Adam with Blackpool, Andros Townsend proved to Spurs he has what it takes despite being in a relegated side, and Taarabt scored a Premiership move too. Just because the sides relegated doesn’t mean they may stay. It’s a chance to prove yourself.

Additionally some people were criticsing Fawaz and Billy for selling a fans favourite, but I heard fee's in excess of £2.5mill suggested. If a club offers above what you believe a players value is, I'm sorry but you snap their hands off.

So for these reasons I won’t lambast Guedi. I won’t criticise. Yes he may have sought to move, but if he agitated for it (and the suggestion is he didn’t) then I’d think Ok, move him on. But an offer was made, it was put to him does he want to negotiate and he did. It just didn’t work out in time. I won’t boo him. I’ll still cheer his role with the team, and neither would I see him rot in the reserves. The territorialism of this makes me laugh, that the fact he entertained a notion of leaving Forest people think he is a Judas. Yet how many of these people have thought of moving up the career ladders. It bothers me with Football fans this idea that you can’t play for anyone else.
But, if, and it’s still if for me, Guedioura is a Forest player. Then support him. Don’t get on his back as then you give him a reason to leave, and ruins what’s been a beautiful relationship. I support anyone wearing the shirt, hell I’d even get behind Commons back in a Forest shirt. It’s the team that matters. Not the individual.

Transfer Deadline Day : LIVE (ish) (UPDATED 20.30)

Ok so not live blogging or update upon update, but when I can and where I can I will try to follow the latest news going on with the deadline day madness, seeing as we’re still meant to be in for people.

Will Sako, Holt, Leadbitter, Vaz Te, or Morgan sign. Who will depart. We will follow the news today

9am: So here we go first update... David Nugent is being linked, as is Liam Bridcutt at Brighton. Some wag is suggesting Benteke might be coming, forgetting he has a new contract and frankly would be as likely as signing Messi or Ronaldo. There is nothing concrete in either direction yet. No departures really being rumoured, though Blackstocks name is being bandied around


10.30 Update
Well, the usual names are being chucked around, Nugent and Sako are getting the most tweets and the most likely sounding also. Few others being thrown in for good measure include Aaron Wilbraham, Luciano Becchio, and Josh McEachran. I can’t see any of those 3 being likely.

Still nothing concrete, still just guesswork.

As for outs, nothing there either. For all of how breathless I thought this might be, it’s all rather... well. Quiet. It’s not going to be one of those deadline days again is it?


12 Noon.
And it looks like Guy Moussi could be out the door. Rumoured to be £500k for the Frenchman, which would be a profit and not a bad bit of business. Sheffield Wednesday looks like his destination. Say what you like, on his day the man is a machine and will be missed, if not only for the behind the scenes stories. There isn;t anything official yet though.

Adlene Guedioura is now being linked with Crystal Palace according to Sky. Not a huge surprise because Davies has been rumoured to be unsure on the Algerian. However at the same time he was influential in bringing in Abdoun, and was being used to market the club in Kuwait. It may be he is used to finance a deal for the the type of ball carrying defensive midfielder Davies clearly wants. However the rumour is Palace are in talks about the possibility. It might have been a very short conversation.

Again nothing official.

On the subject of in’s no further updates or news has sprung up. Unless you count what certainly looks unlikely in a loan bid for Obi Mikel from Chelsea.


1330 Update
No updates on Moussi to Wednesday and Guedioura to Palace. They both remain seemingly on. Although apparently Bannan going to Palace might see their Guedioura interest ended, there is also apparent chatter Palace aren’t alone in terms of Premiership clubs eyeing Adlene.

On any players at the start of the day being mentioned as departures, well no news on Miller, Derbyshire, Blackstock, or Gillett being off.

It’s all rather quiet, save for spurts of conjecture with no real basis.

This is all going to be rather anti climatic isn’t it?

Oh and if I see one more bloody eye joke I might scream.


1600 Update
In an attempt to at least have something salient, I tried leaving it an extra hour. Remember what I said about periods of quiet punctuated with a flurry of mental activity, well....

Liam Bridcutt has started to be wildly linked after a passing mention on Twitter this morning, this has either started to spread like wildfire with little basis, or there is some substance to this. Paul Taylor felt the need to mention on it, that in the absence of a Leadbitter deal it may be plan B. A plan B which would likely be expensive, and I really can’t see one of last seasons top teams selling a vital player. That said, you never know. Brighton have supposedly said he isn't for sale.

Adlene is still being linked with Palace, though after a few hours now the furore has settled. It also doesn’t seem to have moved on anywhere. So it’s still a little unclear. I’d argue the longer these go on without something more concrete that they might have been sheer speculation, but a lot of these rumours slow burn all day and if he was en route to Croydon, well that’s not an quick and easy journey to make.

Stephen McLaughlin is going out on loan to Bristol city, where he joins up with ex Forest boss Sean O’Driscoll. The exposure to regular first team football will surely show whether he will be able to make the step up, and have a huge impact on his future so he has a lot to prove. A lot of hopefully motivating factors for the Irishman.

And now Matty Fryatt is being strongly linked by Sky. Forest apparently with a loan move for the striker. The average reaction on twitter is one of indifference bordering on disappointment. This is before a player is even signed and pulls on a shirt. These same people also usually say trust in Fawaz or Trust in Billy, yet now are complete armchair managers. Anyway, he looks like being the latest solution to the striker issue.


20.30 Update
All very quiet. Doesn't look like anything happening. Not even confirmation of the supposed Moussi and McLaughlin deals. Same old Deadline Day Forest.Thing is we really don't need much anyway. What we have is good enough to be up there.