Birmingham - Nottingham Forest

[Strawberry Avenger]

Thought about Sniff last night when i heard Colin Fray trying to annunciate Garner and Gardner.

:@

Yeah.  I thought Fray was being a bit 'deliberate' on the Gardening.

SA.

[Paplane]

One thing that has crossed my mind is the state of their pitch last night. Grass very short and the pitch was hard, had obviously not been watered and the bounce of the ball much higher than usual. Is this something that Bowyer has done specifically since he came in. Brum have a lot of tall players and the bounce would not be as hard to deal with. Their players would be used to it and could train on it as there would be fewer divots. Reminiscent in the opposite way to Direby's pitch when they won the championship and were used to playing on a mud heap. Could be an explanation of their upturn in form since Bowyer came in although let's face it some of the ball control and passing from Forest was absolutely terrible.

Interesting to note that the Sky commentator remarked that the pitch was in its best condition for several months   :(

Well, at least it's got grass growing on it now.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I suppose it's to be expected with Coventry playing their home games at St Andrews too.

[Paplane]

The Official Forest twitter account just tweeted the video of the Grabban penalty kick with the strap line 'never in doubt'.

I'm not sure I concur.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Sounds to me that the players who won't be here next season are not interested and the rest are already on the beach.

I suspect there's a bit of that going on but I do think there was some commitment out there on the pitch last night. We just gone done over by a more physical and motivated team playing at their peak for the season on a disgrace of a surface that hindered our game.

All this talk about Hughton is nonsense. I think he picked the right team and made the right subs. We just got done.

Pap'.  I think that's a fair and perfect assessment.  Bowyer's got the new manager bounce.  He's Mick 2.0.  Another in the Rowett mould.  To be fair.  He gets what the Championship is all about and plays accordingly.  He's prob' saved Birmingham who are fighting for their lives.  Aitor got sacked from there by playing a 'certain' way.  And Lee reinstalled Juke up front and plays muck and nettles direct rough house Champo' football.  It's not a mystery.  It's how Cardiff, Millwall and alot of teams in this league play.  It's 'survival' football.  They're a physical, bully boy, play on a crap pitch team who didn't deserve to win.  Check out the hospital tackle on McKenna which left even our big lad floored.  That happens anywhere else on the pitch?  It's a free kick.  It happened in the pen' area so it was a penalty.  And for me?  Karma mother trucked Lee's Birmingham's agricultural football.  I'm glad we got the last minute pen' to keep Lee's face like that.

I think at least half that team were playing for Hughton last night.  Had Grabban been in Taylors position?  He wouldn't have got out muscled for that 1st goal.  Which should not have stood.  Their player threw Taylor onto the ground.  Exactly the same thing Bong got pulled up for which cost Forest a penalty.  Lest we forget.  As such.  Forest could have won that match last night had their goal not stood.

Hughton picked the players he had available.  (If Ameobi wasn't injured, he'd have played.).  He picked pretty much the same side that were resolute vs Cardiff.  So he went with the physical Yates in there over Cafu.  He gave Taylor a chance and he blew it at both ends.  Prob' should have started with Murray.  The only obvious change Hughton could have made.  But he brought his subs into the game late on.  And it proved an effective gambit.  His subs DID change the game as Grabban buried the pen'.

The performance wasn't great.  But Forest didn't lay down.  They kept on going as Hughton won't have any less (see the B*LL*cking Knocker got vs Judders for bitching and whinging instead of getting on with the football.). But Forest did play well for the 1st 20 minutes as they did against Hud'.  Hughton will be angry at both performances.  It's well below the recent 'higher' standards Forest have set for themselves.

We have half a team that will not be here after this Summer.  You can bet on that.  And not nearly soon enough it was.  Yeah.  Some can be quick to blame the Manager for a performance like that.  But you have to look at the players he's got.  And he didn't do Forest's recruitment for them last Summer?  Who did?!

Point your fingers there.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

I suppose it's to be expected with Coventry playing their home games at St Andrews too.

I don't know what Coventry are doing.  But they've won 4 in their last 6 games to go 51 points.  They seem to play a decent brand of football following some shrewd recruitment.  

The've made themselves safe by winning games.  Fair play.

Just seen the EFL highlights.  Guess who's on 7 for the season?

'Our' Tyler.  Got a decent goal to help Cov' get the win vs Stoke.  Seems like he's good enough for the Championship after all.  He's scored more than any of our strikers.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

The Official Forest twitter account just tweeted the video of the Grabban penalty kick with the strap line 'never in doubt'.

I'm not sure I concur.

:D

I'd be happier if the Offi' Tweet said, 'Pick that f***er' out.'

SA.

[Tricky]

The Official Forest twitter account just tweeted the video of the Grabban penalty kick with the strap line 'never in doubt'.

I'm not sure I concur.

:D

I'd be happier if the Offi' Tweet said, 'Pick that f***er' out.'

SA.

:D

[Strawberry Avenger]

One thing that has crossed my mind is the state of their pitch last night. Grass very short and the pitch was hard, had obviously not been watered and the bounce of the ball much higher than usual. Is this something that Bowyer has done specifically since he came in. Brum have a lot of tall players and the bounce would not be as hard to deal with. Their players would be used to it and could train on it as there would be fewer divots. Reminiscent in the opposite way to Direby's pitch when they won the championship and were used to playing on a mud heap. Could be an explanation of their upturn in form since Bowyer came in although let's face it some of the ball control and passing from Forest was absolutely terrible.

It sounds like an excuse but it was a massive factor in the way the game panned out. It was impossible for us to make even straightforward passes like we would normally like to do. It totally negated Garner's game for us and Mighten was a non existent entity as we couldn't play balls up to him and he couldn't control balls played into him. Players were slipping, it was bobbling away and yet longer passes played on the ground were skipping away too. And as Brum are now playing as a Wimbledon tribute act, it played into their strengths. It wouldn't surprise me if Bowyer was asking for that pitch to be prepared. He will have been looking for every opportunity to gain an advantage, as is his right.

Nice to hear a rational analysis of the game last night, Pap'.  Fair comment.

'Wimbledon tribute act.'  LOL.

Ya think Lee asked for it to be dug up and sanded?  Old school 70s/80s style?

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

The Grabban situation is an issue. It seems we cant play with him or without him. Murray it seems isnt trusted to start games and Freeman had has chance and did nowt except his usual falling over and waving his hands in the air. Realistically we need 3 new strikers in the summer!

I think the problem is a lot more than needing 3 new strikers.

Our best left back is on his way and if anyone thinks bong or Blackett are the answer then there is a place in a institution for you. So a new LB is a must.

knockeart should not be signed and will need replacing.
It is very unlikely Garner will be back. Yates and Cafu are not good enough to be the pairing but can do a job individually.
Lolley.... can he stay fit? Can he get back to his best? We need another option.
Krov is not our player and, although he has shown flashes of being a good player, he has not been consistent. Possibly Johnson is the answer here.
3 strikers I absolutely agree with. All 3 current ones out the problem is this is going to be very expensive and I’m not sure we have the money to do this let alone everything else that needs doing.

Again.  Broadly agreeing with Uwantlee here.  (AGAIN!  AGAIN, I tells ya.!!!)

Rib' is the 'best' of a sorry bunch ill equipped for a top 6 charge.  (Institution, heh.)

Yates and Cafu.  Not a pair.  One is developing.  But they're both of a similar type.  They need a proper Garner/Gosling style player alongside them.  A deep lying ball player.  Garner.  Doubt he'll be back.  But he has show the path...the way forward for recruitment.

Players get old.  They have their day in the sun.  Grabs.  Lolley.  We may have just seen the best of them.  That's how football goes.  People get old.  I wish they didn't. :/

Half the side and more needs a total core reboot.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

The Grabban situation is an issue. It seems we cant play with him or without him. Murray it seems isnt trusted to start games and Freeman had has chance and did nowt except his usual falling over and waving his hands in the air. Realistically we need 3 new strikers in the summer!

I think the problem is a lot more than needing 3 new strikers.

Our best left back is on his way and if anyone thinks bong or Blackett are the answer then there is a place in a institution for you. So a new LB is a must.

knockeart should not be signed and will need replacing.
It is very unlikely Garner will be back. Yates and Cafu are not good enough to be the pairing but can do a job individually.
Lolley.... can he stay fit? Can he get back to his best? We need another option.
Krov is not our player and, although he has shown flashes of being a good player, he has not been consistent. Possibly Johnson is the answer here.
3 strikers I absolutely agree with. All 3 current ones out the problem is this is going to be very expensive and I’m not sure we have the money to do this let alone everything else that needs doing.

I also think Ameobi needs at least another year with us. I think we have missed his hold up play and forward runs more than anyone would care to admit.

Since he has been injured we have hardly attacked sides (first 20 mins v Huddersfield aside). We have no proper outlet down the wings with him missing from the side. Knockaert, i think just wants to go back to Fulham as he has shown in the last 2 matches that he just doesnt give a f**k.

Both barrels with shot gun accuracy.   :cool:


Massively missed Ameobi's robust but can play a bit unpredictable qualities. Many questioned Ameobi's arrival. He's been quality albeit inconsistent. But we can't live without him. Yet. Give him another year.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Hmm...quote function doesn't seem to work.

In reply to SA, "If it's any comfort, a win on Saturday would put Forest 14th and solid mid-table". 

If we'd sneaked a late winner as well, we'd already be 14th.

I was disappointed that the players weren't apparently motivated to make that leap into the sunlit uplands.

When Fray was saying what do the players have to play for?

I thought.  Bleeping mid-table, mate.  Pride.  The Badge.  C'mon Forest players.  Pull your finger out.  Move heaven and earth and pull yer bloody fingers out.

Mid-table is a begging.  There's nothing special there eg. Cov', Preston, Bristol City.  One win and we're there.  We could go 14th? Solid mid-table. I want to see my team higher.

It won't sugar coat a shocking season.  But the breaking of the dawn will come from such 'lofty' positions.

You try to finish as strong as you can.  It goes into next season.  You can tell some that are hear don't give a crap about this season or beyond.

SA.