Thoughts On The Next Nottingham Forest Manager

[Strawberry Avenger]

Cooper would be another step back... I'm all for giving a new guy a chance but ffs we may as well accept relegation if we appoint cooper.

This appointment has to be right cooper is not the right one.

Wilder would be a good fit. Hell I'd take a foreign unknown over cooper.

If this is a Murphy appointment then we are in trouble.

In all honesty I can't claim I felt excited by the appointment  of the Taff but like you, I'm all for giving the new guy a chance. 

In my case this means 100% vocal support at games and giving him time before making tw@tty assumptions.

In your case it appears to be accepting relegation and announcing to us all that this is not the right appointment etc.. as its not the one you personally wanted.

Why not sign up to something new lad: Instead of constantly bleating about things, saying I told you so (by inference) and coming across as more negative than Hughtons tactics ever did, try focusing on some positive aspects hard as they have been to find.

Think about this: of the 20 odd managers who have tried and failed to get us up, they couldn't all be bad when you look at their track records. I suspect if we had given one or two more support and time we may have been better off. In particular Mark Warburton has come out the other side of a tough time and built a really dynamic looking QPR team. The game the other night vs Bournemouth was fantastic and despite QPR losing 2-1, it was obvious they have improved alot.

I read an article the other day that said the atmosphere at WFCG has become toxic and is similar to that of Sunderland and Ipswich in recent years-how are they doing?

Whilst I'm not suggesting happy clappers is the way forward, constructive criticism and debate are to be encouraged especially on here, but your post is neither.

I think the aim this season has to be to stay up, give the new guys a couple more transfer windows and see where we are. Unless results are disastrous then I am 100% behind Cooper (he looks better from behind anyway..). I hope as much of our fan base as possible do the same as it can help turn the tide.

How about you give him 10 games and see where we are at least? No? What about 5 then?

I will be vocal and I will support once the appointment is made. Now is the time though to be asking the questions.

You say give him 10 games. If/when he gets the job 10 games will not be enough he will just be getting to know the squad. He will need the season. The wrong appointment now will mean relegation. My opinion is that Cooper would be the wrong appointment that’s all. Very happy to be proven wrong...in fact I would like nothing more.

The only aim this season is staying up. Playing defence first football hasn’t worked so far this season and Cooper, traditionally, plays a defence first brand. Let’s hope we get the new manager bounce and it lasts 6 months

I’ll reiterate though... once he is in the hot seat he will have my full support

Most managers get 10 games on average to see if things are working.  If it isn't, he'll meet the same fate as all the other 'potentials.'

This appointment has to be the right one or Forest are going down.

I suspect many see what Wilder has done with a robust brand of football and some innovation in style of play on the front foot, and having had a traditional 'strong character' in Clough probably see that 'old school' charm and innovation.  But I don't see the current hierarchy copying with a 'strong character.'  Aitor.  O'Neil.  Keane.  All gone.  Pity.  I think he's closer to the 'Forest Way' than Cooper. A manager who has done it in most of the divisions. He's got promotions. He's clearly a player's manager.

Cooper will have at leat my 'tacit' support.  (In that, all Forest fans have their 'fantasy' of the ideal manager to be appointed.). Nobody wants to see any managers fail (well, I don't...especially before they've kicked a ball in anger...). I never wanted any of the managers sacked (particularly Davies or O'Neil.).  Some may argue, I'll play devil's advocate, that he builds from the back with a counter attacking style of football.  Isn't that what Brian Clough did?  (He'll still need to find someone to score the goals.  And the lightweights up front can't hold the ball up...so Forest perhaps need to be disapproptionaley defensive as Hughton found out.  The recruitment didn't support what Hughton wanted to do.  In that regard, Hughton was shafted.  He got 2 games with 'his' own squad after waiting (almost) a year for his 'own' players.  But he's gone.). He's had two good seasons with Swansea (but they've been a progressive club, been in the Premier...and in terms of a club, he had that advantage. A club that knew what they wanted and had succession planning. For a some while. We'll see how that works at 'just got a new plan' and 'can we stick with it' Forest.

Regardless.  The immediate concern is safety from the drop zone.  It's possible.  Sheff U have started to pull away.  (But they have a stronger base of playing staff than Forest have.)

Whether you have defensive, counter attacking or high press / high octane attack or possession based football.  It boils down to this.  Have you got good enough players for the style of football being played.  The evidence so far suggests we haven't got the players for a defensive brand of football or the robust attack to sustain an attacking brand of football.  We can shoot the messenger (manager) but if you don't buy a quality striker, you either coach one (can you?) or bring one in.

It boils down to exceptional recruitment.  (This forum voted '6.5' that's above average.  Not good.  Certainly not excellent with the glaring omission of a striker.). That doesn't necessarily mean spending £13 million on an unproven player.  That would be crazy.

I'm just curious what the 'new guy' does. (I'm thinking magic wand, a ritual in the centre circle with a priest and holy water or getting A Block to do a Ministry of Funny Walks on the Pitch before kick off.)

SA.