Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Strawberry Avenger]

"hi SA, well, i just read back through those posts"

Ah, 'Psycho.'

Hello.  I don't have to 'read' all those posts.  They're pretty much the same from months ago.  (For example, I just have to read one of your posts to 'get it.'  Why waste time reading all of them?). Just the same tropes repeated.  

Mighten.  A player with limited appearances under Sabri.  Hughton has been the catalyst of Mighten's development in this past season.  One of the few 'high' spots in a season torpedoed long before Hughton rocked up.  He's also featured heavily in pre-season.  And clearly Hughton has brought him on. And yes. Because he's young? He'd be taken out of games. Put in late. Start some. Mighten would have one good game then one so-so game struggling with Championship de-rigor. That's youth. Worrall was the same. He was up and down at Forest and at Rangers.

Yates.  Hughton has stuck with him.  (As have previous managers.).  A developing young player.  Hughton has coached his ball playing to better effect this pre-season.

Garner.  Very young player.  Was pivotal in winning the ball.  Passing the ball.  And contributing goals.  A Hughton pick.  A guiding light of January's transfer business.  And the kind of calibre of player we can expect Hughton to sign.  One with endeavour.  And honesty in their play.

Swan.  Not quite ready for Championship 1st team.  But Hughton handed him his chance to impress.

And this pre-season?

All the young players that were on loan?  Have been given chances.  Fornah (whose has done decently, clearly under the mandate of Hughton to spray the ball about.).  Car'.  Written off my some (me included).  Still a young-ish player.  Given yet more chances by Hughton and done 'ok.'  Johnson.  Straight into the pre-season schedule to great effect.  Fullback.  Gabriel.  Promising performances for a 'still' rookie fullback. And another whose name begins with a K? I forget his name. But Hughton did seem impressed by him.

...and the CH pairings?  Aren't 'old' by any stretch.  A relatively young pairing.

So. Yes. A complete myth that Hughton doesn't include, develop or bring in young players. A laundry list of Academy players have 'starred' this pre-season. Which is very much in line with the new CEO's policy of greater 1st team and Academy integration. And Forest have actually won pre-season games with Hughton AND young players this year. Unlike the complete capitulation to the likes of Oldham in times gone by.

There's a narrative of trying to hang 'survival' football at Hughton's door.  But in truth, the pre-season and recruitment from last year weren't his.  The start to the season weren't his.  Forest needed shoring up at the back.  And Hughton did that.  Very few teams make top six with such poor recruitment, poor pre-seasons and poor starts.  Losing 6 of their initial games. You play the brand of football recruitment dictates. And had Hughton attempted Warburton free flowing tippy tappy football with soft fullbacks (not his signings...) then Forest would have gone down. Not recuiting decent strikers over the last two years? Not Hughton's doing. Ask Ventros what he was doing. Or Sabri. Or perhaps we can pin the lack of goal scoring on Hughton and he can faith heal Grabban who had 3(!) injuries last year and scored the goals you'd expect because of that. Lyle Taylor. Not a target man. Did Hughton bring him in? Forest's wingers. The 'always' inconsistent Ameobi and the injury ravaged Lolley. Again. Recruitment failed to address this last Summer.

Any Forest fan from Clough and Taylor's era should know that you need good players.  And last year, Forest didn't have them.  They went for over paid journey men and at least two had suffered significant injuries and had not played for a year and turned up at Forest unfit.

Forest? They'd flattered to deceive under Sabri whose team ebbed and flowed with Sow's fitness.  A 'stalemate' kind of football which had the benefit of Lolley and Grabban in good form. And Sow to act as destroyer. And it worked. When he was fit? Forest were 'just about' a top 6 team.

There was night and day between the scattered recruitment under Sabri (and Ventroz) and the more targeted approach under Hughton last January. Murray was ancient. But he got a good brace and a vital 3 points for Forest. If that's all he did? He did his job. That Forest are having to target such strikers shows a lack of preparation going back two years leaving Grabban as your main striker under Sabri showed a lack of foresight. And the body pays a price when you flay the horse. Both Lolley and Grabban were shattered last season. Again. Not Hughton's doing.

Forest went into last season unfit. And ill-prepared. And poorly recruited. And that's not something you turn around in a season. Just as Norwich's manager didn't in 1 season either. They played better football because they recruited better, went through the pain barrier and stuck with a manager. And they were in a far better place than Forest.

Forest's current hierarchy have finally had to take a bite of reality sandwich. Only just (finally) getting some imagination into recruitment and appointing a CEO who helped put Barnie on the map. Forest are putting the final pieces into place. Tier 1 Academy. CEO. One (along with Hughton) who really understands what the Championship is about. And you have to recruit the right quality for that. And surprise? It's taking time, isn't it?

And Forest will struggle this season without the right recruitment.  Whether it's Hughton or Jesus Christ all Mighty.

SA.