Next Seasons 25

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I don't think we should knock the signing of Figs, all things considered I think he's been a decent signing for us and he's mostly done very well. We will also get a decent fee for him if we decide to sell him on.

[Paplane]

I don't think we should knock the signing of Figs, all things considered I think he's been a decent signing for us and he's mostly done very well. We will also get a decent fee for him if we decide to sell him on.

I dont know how much we payed for him and how much he's being paid but I think he's generally a sound CB for the Championship. He just worries me as he always seems to have a rick in him. But in terms of commitment he's bang on. He wants to fight for everything. And he's a cog in a defence that is as tight as anything in the league so as much others might not like him, CH certainly has got a tune out of him. That's why I dont think it's the case that McKenna automatically comes in when he's fit and ready. Cant Figs being up the level of the prem though but we dont have to worry about that.....

[Strawberry Avenger]

I recently listened to a article from when Roy Keane fell out with him when co managing rep Ireland accusing him of never being fit and can’t train for 3 days in a row it’s a pity our recruiters never listened to it before signing him

To many clubs, not just us, don't do their homework anymore, it's all agent recommendations, stats & highlight videos & those things only ever tell you part of the story.

You should know a player inside out before you drop a large wedge on him, that way you increase the chances of signing someone who is not only good enough but that will fit with your squad & work for you.

I mean, I've just mentioned the McKenna situation on another thread.

Inn that first half season that Warburton had, he looked at our squad & determined our defence was not fit for purpose (which I think we'd all agree with) & that the only defender we had, that was really worth sticking with, was the young academy CB Joe Worrall, & to get the best out of him we should buy a left footed CB, & the one he identifed was McKenna.

As everyone will remember we bid for him that summer, he even put in a transfer request to try & push the deal through for us, but Aberdeen wouldn't accept the bid we had on the table & the window closed without him moving.

Come the usual autumn review, where you discuss the season so far, & talk about your targets for January, MW wanted to revisit McKenna & the club said, no, they can provide better, they can get us Figueiredo instead, which lead to our DoF falling out with the club, when he insisted we didn't want Figgy, & should stick with McKenna instead.

As people will remember that falling out led to our DoF quitting & MW followed shortly afterwards because without his DoF his position had become untenable & instead we drafted in David Platt Karannka, didn't revisit McKenna, bought Figgy, then sent Worrall away for "political reasons", & pissed away fees & wages on Robinson, Hefele, Dawson, Benalouane, Miloseovic, Chema & Blackett, before finally deciding Warburton was right & that Worrall & McKenna might make a desirable partnership, so we bought him all in, for a few hundred thousand more than we could have got him for a few years ago.

That long & convoluted journey means we're where we could have been 3 years ago on this one, but all in we've spent twice as much money than we would have done had we done it when the idea was first suggested.

Do your homework, get the right players, because patch & make do, or cheap alternatives rarely work, managers suggest players because they are the players the paid experts think can do the job.

Thankfully it looks like the experts (Hughton & Brazil) will have more say this summer & I am entirely confident  both of those two will do their research & homework & therefore we will target more appropriate signings & signings that are more likely to work with the tam & the squad & therefore to be successful.

Time will tell, but while there are reasons to criticize the past there is also the feint rays of hope on the horizon.

The days of Peter Taylor stalking his targets are long gone it seems.

The one thing Warburton's QPR side can do is score goals.  Aitor's Birmingham side are drowning.

It's clear we didn't do our homework.  And haven't done so for a long time.  Alot of money wasted. If you don't back the judgement of your Director of Football then that says alot about the early days of the incoming ownership. I think they're finally getting the message. This is the Championship. It aint the Greek league.

Measure twice.  Cut once.

As for Figs.  He's a reserve centre half.  We've lost alot of time and space goals from his area which have cost points.  But he's as culpable as strikers that don't score.  Or winger that doesn't track back or a DCM who looks over his shoulder and doesn't track. So not all down to him.  Be interesting to see if Hughton sticks with him beyond this season.  (I don't think he would if McKenna was fit.).

If Forest want to be top 6 Hughton will have to revisit many positions.  Fullback.  Wing.  Striker.  ACM.  Kind of like Ground Hog day.

SA.

[ThePromisedLand]

Interesting.
CH seemed to be saying - in response to a question last week re Summer transfer activity - that any transfer activity would be strictly limited.
It seems - from the weaknesses identified on here by many of us - that we require wholesale surgery ( yet again ).
The big plus being that - with so many either out of contract or returning to their parent clubs - we are ( for the first time in years ) in a decent position to be able to restock.
Hopefully CH was simply playing his cards extremely close to his chest ( unusual as he’s normally quite open when questioned ).

[wassy04]

Interesting.
CH seemed to be saying - in response to a question last week re Summer transfer activity - that any transfer activity would be strictly limited.
It seems - from the weaknesses identified on here by many of us - that we require wholesale surgery ( yet again ).
The big plus being that - with so many either out of contract or returning to their parent clubs - we are ( for the first time in years ) in a decent position to be able to restock.
Hopefully CH was simply playing his cards extremely close to his chest ( unusual as he’s normally quite open when questioned ).

Hopefully that meant he was confident of re-signing some of the loan players

[Strawberry Avenger]

Interesting.
CH seemed to be saying - in response to a question last week re Summer transfer activity - that any transfer activity would be strictly limited.
It seems - from the weaknesses identified on here by many of us - that we require wholesale surgery ( yet again ).
The big plus being that - with so many either out of contract or returning to their parent clubs - we are ( for the first time in years ) in a decent position to be able to restock.
Hopefully CH was simply playing his cards extremely close to his chest ( unusual as he’s normally quite open when questioned ).

That's interesting.

With 11(?) out of contract players.  It's going to be interesting that transfer activity is going to be limited?

Are we going to replace all those 11 with Academy products?

If we just take the loans alone out.  That leaves us needing to replace Garner, Krov', Christie.  

Maybe you could argue all we need is another good winger, striker and ACM and a fullback to replace Christie.  That would be 3-4 players and 'strictly' limited.

If Fred, Sow and Arter leave to free up wages, it leaves us Colback, Yates, Cafu and..?

If you added goals to our last 17 games?  We'd be top 8-10th?

It's Hughton's call.  And to be fair, you can see with the 'limited' Jan' window that he's tried to target Forest's most overriding problems of creativity.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Interesting.
CH seemed to be saying - in response to a question last week re Summer transfer activity - that any transfer activity would be strictly limited.
It seems - from the weaknesses identified on here by many of us - that we require wholesale surgery ( yet again ).
The big plus being that - with so many either out of contract or returning to their parent clubs - we are ( for the first time in years ) in a decent position to be able to restock.
Hopefully CH was simply playing his cards extremely close to his chest ( unusual as he’s normally quite open when questioned ).

Hopefully that meant he was confident of re-signing some of the loan players

Yes.

Or getting some of equal or better quality given the greater recruitment time of the Summer window.

SA.

[Redreg]

I would argue CH probably is right with regards not making massive changes, we only have 11 out of contract includeing loans going back and possibilities of :- da costa ,fred, arter Grabbs , jenko, bong ,fig’s (homesick) being sold . Thats 18 players leaving so clean slate for CH and GB to go to work . Hopefully we asked man u if we could keep garner , i believe with 3/4 quality perm additions and supplemented with young exciting PL talent on loan and our own youngsters returning we could have a young vibrant team with the experience of Colback , Taylor , Lolley .
GK
Samba
Smith
RB
Gabriel
New signing
LB
Ribs
New signing
CD
Wozza ©
Mckenna
Soh
Blackett
CM
Colback
Yates
Garner please
Mcguane
Cafu
Fornah
AM/WF
Brennan
Carv if given a chance and not sold
Lolley
Mighten
New signing x 2
CF
Taylor
New signing x 2 (one that can play wide)

So for me we need only 6/7 new signings including garner on loan and 2/3 more we could make 3 perm signings and be sorted so much young talent PL academies GB should bo exactly what would improve us .

[optimistic_red]

Better to get 2 or 3 really good players than 6 or 7 average ones.

[Derby My Arse]

Better to get 2 or 3 really good players than 6 or 7 average ones.

I think so too. It's time for quality over quantity.

[Fumanchew]

I think we learnt that last summer...hopefully!

[ozzyten10]

I’m purposely not going to comment as I lauded the signings from last summer- I thought we did some great business - Colback arter freeman knickers Blackett Taylor and Christie especially I thought were brilliant signings- how wrong was I!