Bigger Misses Than We Think?

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

These 4 players played a key part in our peak form last year

Cash - POTS, brilliant driving force from the back, essential for how we play. Helps get the best out of Lolley too.

Dawson - Leadership, experience, passing ability, dominance. Figs is OK, but he's not in Dawson's class. Sadly, Daws fitness is now another year on.

Watson - Another key leader lost. Colback's a better player in terms of overall ability, but as an organiser it's another loss.

Sow - Pretty much all our best games featured him hustling & bustling in the middle. But, as I think is often the case with ageing imports, their bodies soon give way.

Only Cash was really fit enough to contribute 100% the whole season. But have we replaced any of these 4 players yet? Nope, not for me we haven't. So why are the club expecting us to do as well as we did last year? :dunno:

Freeman's an upgrade on Silva, Blackett & Taylor some nice depth, but none of them have replaced any of 4 key players with qualities which gave us our peak.

Maybe we can adapt to push more emphasis onto Freeman & Taylor, but I don't think that it's recognized just how key these players were to our success in the first half of the season.

This to me was one of the reasons last Jan was so important too. We needed to capitalize on our good fortunes.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

The club probably expect us to do as well if not better because Sabri has, in his own words, been given what he's asked for this summer.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

The club probably expect us to do as well if not better because Sabri has, in his own words, been given what he's asked for this summer.

Not necessary ALL the players he wanted to sign.

 

[It's Baggio]

What were these leaders/organisers doing at the back end of last season then?

 

[Thomas]

The club probably expect us to do as well if not better because Sabri has, in his own words, been given what he's asked for this summer.

Then let him work with the players he just got, its not fifa, they won't instantly click.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

What were these leaders/organisers doing at the back end of last season then?

Trying to catch their breaths

Seriously, Watson was nackard, Daws barely played.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

Then let him work with the players he just got, its not fifa, they won't instantly click.

Who said it was? Alf asked why the club expected better this season and I thought the fact the manager had actually come out and said "we've signed the players I wanted to sign" is probably a good reason as to why the club expect better

 

[Thomas]

Who said it was? Alf asked why the club expected better this season and I thought the fact the manager had actually come out and said "we've signed the players I wanted to sign" is probably a good reason as to why the club expect better

I am just saying in general, not specifically at you, everyone on twitter are expecting this squad to tear this league up apparently but they just starting working together so we have to give it time.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

I am just saying in general, not specifically at you, everyone on twitter are expecting this squad to tear this league up apparently but they just starting working together so we have to give it time.

That's fine, what Twitter want and what the club will do most likely wont align. All I'm saying is I think he was afforded more patience than any other Forest manager this decade after a huge f*** up (which is a good thing) he's then been backed with the signings that, in his own words, he wanted. Now everyone has an opinion about us still needing X,Y and Z but if we're trusting Sabri he knows what he wants and needs, he's decided Gabriel is who he wants to play at right back but I'm sure if he turned round and said "actually I feel like a right back might be the finishing touch" the club aren't gonna say "nah" after they've given him everything else he's asked for so far. They've already shown that they aren't bothered about chucking a signing made in January on the scrap heap presumably on Sabri's word.

 

[Harvey]

I think he was afforded more patience than any other Forest manager this decade

That's not saying a great deal though is it

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

That's not saying a great deal though is it

No it isn't but it's still a change from the norm, how many people genuinely thought he'd keep his job after what happened back end of last season? I thought there was no chance.

 

[Harvey]

No it isn't but it's still a change from the norm, how many people genuinely thought he'd keep his job after what happened back end of last season? I thought there was no chance.

I was pretty sure he would to be honest

But then at the same time there's always the FRC* to be added to the equation

*(Forest Reactionary Constant)

 

[It's Baggio]

Trying to catch their breaths

Seriously, Watson was nackard, Daws barely played.

Which will always be a problem when you sign old players for their 'experience'.

 

[Thomas]

I thought he was going to get the sack tbh but EM isn't dumb.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

I was pretty sure he would to be honest

But then at the same time there's always the FRC* to be added to the equation

*(Forest Reactionary Constant)

Exactly, even if you did (I'm guessing you were probably in the minority), recent history suggests he'd have been given the boot.

 

[Thomas]

Exactly, even if you did (I'm guessing you were probably in the minority), recent history suggests he'd have been given the boot.

I suppose recent history majorly dominated by Fatwaz, which is awful history.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

I suppose recent history majorly dominated by Fatwaz, which is awful history.

But also EM at Olympiacos, he doesn't have the greatest record of accepting failure for the sake of continuity.

 

[Thomas]

But also EM at Olympiacos, he doesn't have the greatest record of accepting failure for the sake of continuity.

Isn't a thing where if he really likes the manager then he'd stick with them? Sabri was on his list before one of our previous coaches right? something like that I can't remember. But, he obviously saw something in Sabri so thats why, like you said, he backed him in the summer with many changes. Which is nice and different to see. Hopefully it works out.

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

Isn't a thing where if he really likes the manager then he'd stick with them? Sabri was on his list before one of our previous coaches right? something like that I can't remember. But, he obviously saw something in Sabri so thats why, like you said, he backed him in the summer with many changes. Which is nice and different to see. Hopefully it works out.

Exactly but that's also why I think the club will expect more. They've shown Sabri a lot of faith compared to the norm imo (I didn't even mention the fact they've let him build more or less an entire different backroom team after one season), they'll want returns on that faith.

 

[Thomas]

Exactly but that's also why I think the club will expect more. They've shown Sabri a lot of faith compared to the norm imo (I didn't even mention the fact they've let him build more or less an entire different backroom team after one season), they'll want returns on that faith.

I think they expect playoffs, nothing less this time.

 

[Harvey]

Exactly, even if you did (I'm guessing you were probably in the minority), recent history suggests he'd have been given the boot.

If it had played out as per a normal season I'd say it's 50/50 as to whether he stays or goes

I think lockdown, whilst turning some of our players to mush, was enough of a mitigating factor for EM to stick with him

 

[Heffing Psycho!]

I think they expect playoffs, nothing less this time.

I think so and personally I think they're pretty justified in expecting that.

 

[Thomas]

I think so and personally I think they're pretty justified in expecting that.

Oh yeah of course

 

[ubik]

These 4 players played a key part in our peak form last year

Cash - POTS, brilliant driving force from the back, essential for how we play. Helps get the best out of Lolley too.

Dawson - Leadership, experience, passing ability, dominance. Figs is OK, but he's not in Dawson's class. Sadly, Daws fitness is now another year on.

Watson - Another key leader lost. Colback's a better player in terms of overall ability, but as an organiser it's another loss.

Sow - Pretty much all our best games featured him hustling & bustling in the middle. But, as I think is often the case with ageing imports, their bodies soon give way.

Only Cash was really fit enough to contribute 100% the whole season. But have we replaced any of these 4 players yet? Nope, not for me we haven't. So why are the club expecting us to do as well as we did last year? :dunno:

Freeman's an upgrade on Silva, Blackett & Taylor some nice depth, but none of them have replaced any of 4 key players with qualities which gave us our peak.

Maybe we can adapt to push more emphasis onto Freeman & Taylor, but I don't think that it's recognized just how key these players were to our success in the first half of the season.

The only misses I'm bothered about are Grabban's - today and at the end of last season.

I'm not saying he should be dropped or anything - it's just so frustrating that our star striker suddenly starts blazing wide.

If Grabban had been his usual clinical self we'd have made the playoffs.

And we'd have won today.

 

[ubik]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but didn't Cloughie say that players were there to do a specific job?

Strikers are there to put the ball in the net.

Forget the rest of the team for a minute - Grabban hasn't done that when it mattered at Derby (playoffs guaranteed), or today.

We get people blaming Lamouchi or (???) Yates.

Misses by a striker are extremely important, in a very negative way. Luckily, this can be nullified by a return to form in the next few games.