Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Strawberry Avenger]

I think we overachieved in the first half of last season when Sabri happened upon an effective formation and lifted the players with his man management. Then we underachieved in the 2nd half of last season when said effective formation was sussed, players ran out of form (yes, you Grabban), and fatigue & injuries kicked in and we had no viable 2nd string replacements. But overall last season our over-achievement was greater than our under-achievement, hence our 7th place finish. My view is that our natural level should be around the 6th to 12th mark.

Why single out Grabban?

Because imo his inability to score goals in a team set up primarily as a defensive unit with him as the sole goal scorer (last season), was the most costly factor in the slide since Feb 2020. We had replacements for most other players (admittedly not that good) but we didn't for Grabban. He stopped scoring and we failed as a result. I maybe wouldn't have been of that opinion at the end of last season but seeing how he's continued to be poor for the entirety of this season has changed my view.

Sorry Pap I have to disagree.

Last season he scored 10 goals in the first half of the season ( featured in every game ).
In the second half he missed the Charlton game but still scored 10 goals. 
Exactly the same return despite the team misfunctioning so badly.

And this season? Compare his return with those of Murray & Taylor - compares favourably.
And how many goals have Knockaert, Lolley, Krozinovic, Garner, Yates contributed?

Has he been poor this season? Yes - but there are mitigating circumstances & he’s not alone. A truncated season due to injury & playing in a team that just hasn’t gelled at all.

The guy - imho - gets unmerciful stick with no real justification.

If I were he I’d be off - to somewhere I’m appreciated.

OK, I've just looked up his stats too and I can present an alternative view.

Since he scored at Reading on 22.01.20 he's played 43 league games for us and scored 11 goals. 1 goal every 4 games. 

Between the beginning of last season and that Reading game in January '20 he scored 16 goals in 28 games. 1 goal every 1.75 games.

His goals tally has fallen off a cliff, which is a problem when you're the only goal scorer in the side.

I've defended him in the past. I like him, I had huge admiration for the way he slogged away on his own, as the only senior striker in the club under Sabri, playing on his own up front. He put hard yards in which was hugely commendable but he was asked to do too much. It may not be his fault but his goals have dried up and it's gone on for over a calendar year now. Hughton gets interviewed after every game and says the same thing, we need to put away the chances we create. For me the problem is he spends too long outside the box as if he's still playing in Sabri's side. Even Steve Sutton said on Saturday how good it was seeing him in the box and poaching a goal, as if it was unusual to find him in that position.

That's a fair point.  And Sutton did make that point.

Perhaps we need to recruit players that allow Grabban to do that.  I suspect Grabban will have more competition 'soon' regardless.

Or look to the kind of Forwards Hughton had at Brighton or Newcastle as a template for how we go on this Summer.

SA.