Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Strawberry Avenger]

Aye. Good player management there. Murphy can play his part. (Despite his poor 2nd half to the season, his goals 1st half were important in helping Forest stay up.)

SA.

[Duncan Mckenzie]

This is what I think of Karanka:

1 2 3 4, looking back to when we first met, I cannot escape and I cannot forget, Karanka you're the one, you still turn me on, forest are going up again.

[Dog and Bear]

Interesting article in today's Mirror. Failure to secure promotion is not an option.

[GaribaldiRED]

Interesting article in today's Mirror. Failure to secure promotion is not an option.

That's fair enough. Heavy investments have been made and that must lead to results. If Karanka can't deliver then he's not the right man for the job but the question is how much time will he get if results are not as expected and will he get fired if we lose out in the play off final?

[Sausage Roll]

Was just about to post similar to your second point GR. I'd like to think that the ownership would see even getting to the playoffs as massive progress in a short space of time and be convinced that Aitor's the right man to finally get us promoted.

That's what I'd like to think anyway.

[GaribaldiRED]

Agree, AK lost the play offs with Boro in his first season but managed to deliver promotion the season after. That surly must count for something.

[Sausage Roll]

You'd hope so. 17th to top 6 would be incredible progression, even with the amount of money spent.

[Duncan Mckenzie]

Sniffer Dog was saying from day 1 of Marinakis appointment that he will always back his managers but once they've been backed then they have to deliver otherwise they will be gone. That's more or less what today's article in the mirror is saying.

[TrickySte]

Whilst there's been undoubted improvement all over, I don't think we have a squad which demands promotion.

[Paplane]

Any club with ambition gives a manager 9 to 12 months now, possibly 18 months before giving them the elbow.

That's just the way it is. AK will be gone at Christmas if we're not top 6 imo.

Look at his record so far - not many wins last season for him really. If there's a poor start that will be used against him.

[Widdow]

Well Warburton didn’t spend much and was sacked by new year so why wouldn’t expect same for Karanka after spending a much bigger outlay this summer?

Have said a million times, the players are the players he wanted, no excuses (especially as it’s amazing to see no injuries yet) it’s his maracas on the line.

For me a right back and centre forward would just about do us and allow us to continue to get rid of players like the ones we know about and perhaps the likes of Murphy who simply looks past it.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Interesting article in today's Mirror. Failure to secure promotion is not an option.

Well, it the hierarchy expect Karanka to replicate his achievements at Boro' then he'll need two seasons. ;)

Football is football.  What if Forest lose 1-0 to Norwich in the play off final.  Is he to be fired?  Or be allowed to build on his success and slot the final two or three pieces for another assault on the Premier the year after?

If Forest are languishing in the relegation zone at Christmas and the team are out on their feet with confidence drained from them, that's another matter.

What do fellow Forest fans on this forum think?  Are we 'top 2'?  Are we top 4?  Top 6?  Top 8?  Forest were relegation material for the past three seasons and have started this season from such a low base.  It's taken two transfer windows, Jan to Summer to completely overhaul the Forest squad.  20 players in (and loads OUT) with an auxiliary boost of 8 academy prospects to get Forest competitive again.  But we won't know if they can get promoted right off the bat.  I hope so.  But I'm expecting progress.  To go from bottom 8 to top 8 is still significant progress.  Marinakis, and other Forest fans, may disagree.

Here's my take...

I'm plumping for top 8.

Top 6 with Byram.

Top 4 with another striker.

Top 2 if we can Vuk.

To go straight from the bat from near relegation to promotion via the autos?  In one season?  It took Warnock two seasons and he's been promoted, what, 7 times now?  Karanka's record suggests he may get close this season but nail it next.  That was his Boro' record in the Championship.

Forest have made massive gains in a short period of time.  But to expect promotion from one strike of the bat isn't quite fair...or likely.  (There's the relegated Premier teams, some of whom, are spending big.  The teams last season, like Boro' who are still an equation and have spent money and whose squad has been together longer.)  Otherwise, if the Gypsy goddess of football goes against Forest in a play off final and you employ another manager...he could tear up the squad and all the good work could be dismantled.  We've been there before with the manager merry go round.  Did Clough get promoted in his first season in charge of Forest in the 2nd division?

I haven't spent £25 million though.  So, it's not my expectations that have to be met. ;)

SA.

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Well Warburton didn’t spend much and was sacked by new year so why wouldn’t expect same for Karanka after spending a much bigger outlay this summer?

Have said a million times, the players are the players he wanted, no excuses (especially as it’s amazing to see no injuries yet) it’s his maracas on the line.

For me a right back and centre forward would just about do us and allow us to continue to get rid of players like the ones we know about and perhaps the likes of Murphy who simply looks past it.

Fair comment.  (But see my comments above for caveat.)

SA.

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Sniffer Dog was saying from day 1 of Marinakis appointment that he will always back his managers but once they've been backed then they have to deliver otherwise they will be gone. That's more or less what today's article in the mirror is saying.

Well, Karanka can't say he hasn't been backed.  Ten in January.  Ten in Summer.  One of which smashed our transfer record to smithereens.

It's his squad now, bar the RB and one more quality striker.  But the squad is now indelibly his.

SA.

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Agree, AK lost the play offs with Boro in his first season but managed to deliver promotion the season after. That surly must count for something.

Agree.  That would be my point. ;)

SA.

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You'd hope so. 17th to top 6 would be incredible progression, even with the amount of money spent.

Indeed.

Forest were bottom 8.  They haven't been in the top half of the Championship for the last three seasons?

So to go to the top 8, initially would be significant progress.

Need that RB.  (Say, Grabban gets injured.  Forest now need another striker...)  So there's two pieces that need bringing in...to say 'top  4-6' to me.

SA.

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Interesting article in today's Mirror. Failure to secure promotion is not an option.

That's fair enough. Heavy investments have been made and that must lead to results. If Karanka can't deliver then he's not the right man for the job but the question is how much time will he get if results are not as expected and will he get fired if we lose out in the play off final?

Fair comment.  He mustn't get fired for losing the play off final.  That's lady luck.  And she goes with who she wishes on the day.

The Forest hierarchy must be aware of that.  (But if Forest are languishing in the relegation zone after ten games...thing might be different...)

SA.

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The training issue for me proves he is pretty blunt that he wants players who are fit and wanting to play for Forest.  There will be no slackers...………….. you do your training or you go away.  That's the kind of manager I like and one that can be very successful.

Why should Murphy get special treatment ? All this does is set a bad example to other players.

I agree, players get a huge amount of money and should be prepared to train when the managers want them to. We need players who want to keep themselves fighting fit and not throw their dummy out when the manager pulls them up on something. I'm sick of sulky players, we've had our fair share over the last few years. If they don't want to play for the club ship them out!

Amen.

SA.

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My thoughts on manager= Ruthless and ambitious

Be interesting to see where he takes us

We live and die by the sword.  Karanka has been utterly ruthless with the Forest squad post the 'Bloody Valentine Preston' game.

You live and die by the Chicago Typewriter.  Karanka must, like his players he demands of..., 'deliver.'

But that ruthlessness and ambition is in Forest's corner.

SA.