Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Tricky]

If we can keep this squad together we might be on to a decent season next season. We just need a goal scorer. That could be Taylor, or it could be a new signing. We'll have a fully fit Lolley back and Mighten will just get better and better. Johnson back too as well. Hopefully he can step up to the level. Yates is getting better too (!).

And I've not written Arter off either yet, and maybe even Freeman could come good given a proper pre-season this year, if we keep him.

Things are looking up IMO and it's all down to the input of the manager.

I can't see Taylor being here next season, unless nobody wants him of course!!

He was only called up to saturday's squad because Sammi had a slight knock. Does CH really prefer Murray to Taylor in terms of getting a top performance or has Taylor done something to rattle CH's cage?

Where's that come from Tricks? Who could possibly know what the squad picks were going to be? And if it was true why was Taylor picked to come on ahead of Murray when Grabban was subbed?

Tails said so in pre match tweet. Again if you are one of those who doesnt like PT I get that but he was at the ground he will have spoken with one of the back room team who will have told him. He is normally fairly cautious in what he says and never reveals before team sheet is in.
For him to say Taylor was out the squad suggested to me he is out of favour with CH for whatever reason. He possibly came on because Brizzle were pushing forward and he thought a bit more pace than Murray would be helpful to get in behind.

Ive got no issue with PT. If thats true then maybe CH thought he might get something extra out of Taylor after being left out. PT shouldn't really be going public on that kind of info though imo. Its affecting team affairs. Unless of course the club wanted the info out there to give him a kick up the arse or to commence an operation to force him out.

At the end of the day Pap, it is PT's job to report what he knows, unless he has been specifically asked not to report what he has been told. 

In some respects, Paul Taylor is in a no win situation. He gets ripped a new arse for not reporting things, then he gets ripped a new arse for reporting what he knows!!!

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I know how he feels Tricky :D

[Paplane]

Sadly I too believe that Taylor will be on his bike.

He’ll want regular first team football - if another club can match his wages.

No coincidence that Grabban, Taylor & Murray all struggle to score - so I don’t get the criticism of Grabban.

All three could thrive next season with better service - just a case of which one ( or two ) Hughton prefers / sticks with.

I guess the bonus is that - if Taylor does go - we’ll get a fee for him.

Taylor's spent his career knocking around the lower leagues and as such I think he'll take another year like he's just had, if it means he's still on a bumper contract.

I cant believe he's not been given a chance in the side since Garner and Krov arrived. In an attacking sense the team is now light years away from the side which started the season. If he's given 3 or 4 games then I believe he can be decent for us.

My criticism of Grabban is that he continually comes deep to pick the ball up and as such is never in the box at the right time. Why does he do that? It was fine under Sabri's system with the full backs bombing on but we now need a striker who gets in the box for crosses, makes little runs in the area to pick up balls from Garner and Krov and, crucially, takes chances when they arrive. Grabban just doesn't do any of that. I've been his biggest advocate but my opinion now is he's just getting picked on reputation. He's not been at it since Feb 2020.

[Strawberry Avenger]

I can't see Taylor being here next season, unless nobody wants him of course!!

He was only called up to saturday's squad because Sammi had a slight knock. Does CH really prefer Murray to Taylor in terms of getting a top performance or has Taylor done something to rattle CH's cage?

Where's that come from Tricks? Who could possibly know what the squad picks were going to be? And if it was true why was Taylor picked to come on ahead of Murray when Grabban was subbed?

Tails said so in pre match tweet. Again if you are one of those who doesnt like PT I get that but he was at the ground he will have spoken with one of the back room team who will have told him. He is normally fairly cautious in what he says and never reveals before team sheet is in.
For him to say Taylor was out the squad suggested to me he is out of favour with CH for whatever reason. He possibly came on because Brizzle were pushing forward and he thought a bit more pace than Murray would be helpful to get in behind.

Ive got no issue with PT. If thats true then maybe CH thought he might get something extra out of Taylor after being left out. PT shouldn't really be going public on that kind of info though imo. Its affecting team affairs. Unless of course the club wanted the info out there to give him a kick up the arse or to commence an operation to force him out.

At the end of the day Pap, it is PT's job to report what he knows, unless he has been specifically asked not to report what he has been told. 

In some respects, Paul Taylor is in a no win situation. He gets ripped a new arse for not reporting things, then he gets ripped a new arse for reporting what he knows!!!

That's alot of *rse ripping.

Sounds painful.

SA.

[Paplane]

I can't see Taylor being here next season, unless nobody wants him of course!!

He was only called up to saturday's squad because Sammi had a slight knock. Does CH really prefer Murray to Taylor in terms of getting a top performance or has Taylor done something to rattle CH's cage?

Where's that come from Tricks? Who could possibly know what the squad picks were going to be? And if it was true why was Taylor picked to come on ahead of Murray when Grabban was subbed?

Tails said so in pre match tweet. Again if you are one of those who doesnt like PT I get that but he was at the ground he will have spoken with one of the back room team who will have told him. He is normally fairly cautious in what he says and never reveals before team sheet is in.
For him to say Taylor was out the squad suggested to me he is out of favour with CH for whatever reason. He possibly came on because Brizzle were pushing forward and he thought a bit more pace than Murray would be helpful to get in behind.

Ive got no issue with PT. If thats true then maybe CH thought he might get something extra out of Taylor after being left out. PT shouldn't really be going public on that kind of info though imo. Its affecting team affairs. Unless of course the club wanted the info out there to give him a kick up the arse or to commence an operation to force him out.

At the end of the day Pap, it is PT's job to report what he knows, unless he has been specifically asked not to report what he has been told. 

In some respects, Paul Taylor is in a no win situation. He gets ripped a new arse for not reporting things, then he gets ripped a new arse for reporting what he knows!!!

I'm surprised he reported it. Surely the person who let him know is now in the firing line. I would've thought selection decisions is top secret info. That's what makes me think the club have deliberately briefed PT to get the info out there.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Sadly I too believe that Taylor will be on his bike.

He’ll want regular first team football - if another club can match his wages.

No coincidence that Grabban, Taylor & Murray all struggle to score - so I don’t get the criticism of Grabban.

All three could thrive next season with better service - just a case of which one ( or two ) Hughton prefers / sticks with.

I guess the bonus is that - if Taylor does go - we’ll get a fee for him.

The delivery to our strikers hasn't been good enough.  eg. Norwich have got a good, dynamic striker but the supply to him speaks for itself.  Ivan, of Brentford fame, I've been really admiring the way he turns provider for some of Brent's goals.  Superbly unselfish at times.

The lack of no.10 for half a season didn't help.  The wingers delivery misfiring.  Strikers that couldn't hit a barn door or make a goal for themselves.

It's picked up recently with the display vs QPR being a real highlight.  And the 1st half vs Bristol City, whilst captivating and some of Forest's best 'team' work this season highlighted problems that will need to be addressed in the Summer.

Taylor and Grabban have scored some brilliant quality goals this season when the planets aligned for better delivery to them.  But it's been nowhere near enough.  But you have to have strikers who are in the right position.  Ivan of Brentford is a master at getting into the right position.  But then again, he's got players who can put it on his head.  Brentford, when they're scoring make it look real easy.

But 34 (36?) goals in a season being the worst Forest outlay in 100 (?) years tells it's own story.

We need better wingers.  We need better strikers.  Up the level of competition from under performing areas.  I'd expect at least one of each to come in this Summer.  Whether our current strikers stay or go might depend on how many strikers come in.

Just bringing in a quality left back, winger and a younger prime time striker would probably turn many of the tight results in our favour and the league position would be very different.  Similarly, if we keep Krov' and add Brennan to the mix for the no.10 role, that would really help for next season.

SA.

[Jean_claude_killy]

Sadly I too believe that Taylor will be on his bike.

He’ll want regular first team football - if another club can match his wages.

No coincidence that Grabban, Taylor & Murray all struggle to score - so I don’t get the criticism of Grabban.

All three could thrive next season with better service - just a case of which one ( or two ) Hughton prefers / sticks with.

I guess the bonus is that - if Taylor does go - we’ll get a fee for him.

The delivery to our strikers hasn't been good enough.  eg. Norwich have got a good, dynamic striker but the supply to him speaks for itself.  Ivan, of Brentford fame, I've been really admiring the way he turns provider for some of Brent's goals.  Superbly unselfish at times.

The lack of no.10 for half a season didn't help.  The wingers delivery misfiring.  Strikers that couldn't hit a barn door or make a goal for themselves.

It's picked up recently with the display vs QPR being a real highlight.  And the 1st half vs Bristol City, whilst captivating and some of Forest's best 'team' work this season highlighted problems that will need to be addressed in the Summer.

Taylor and Grabban have scored some brilliant quality goals this season when the planets aligned for better delivery to them.  But it's been nowhere near enough.  But you have to have strikers who are in the right position.  Ivan of Brentford is a master at getting into the right position.  But then again, he's got players who can put it on his head.  Brentford, when they're scoring make it look real easy.

But 34 (36?) goals in a season being the worst Forest outlay in 100 (?) years tells it's own story.

We need better wingers.  We need better strikers.  Up the level of competition from under performing areas.  I'd expect at least one of each to come in this Summer.  Whether our current strikers stay or go might depend on how many strikers come in.

Just bringing in a quality left back, winger and a younger prime time striker would probably turn many of the tight results in our favour and the league position would be very different.  Similarly, if we keep Krov' and add Brennan to the mix for the no.10 role, that would really help for next season.

SA.

I think the criticism of Grabban has been incredibly harsh this season.

He went through last season as the only viable forward in the whole squad; and playing the lone striker role is a physically demanding one - even more so when we had two wide players in Lolley and Ameobi who made no attempt to get close to him or even get into the box to offer support.

He started the season looking lifeless, which was hardly surprising given last years exertions with little or no rest in between last season and this; and it was no surprise that injury followed on from his inauspicious start.

Given the issues he has faced it is no surprise his confidence has all but disappeared.

Judging by his remarks, and those of Hughton, he will definitely be with us next season; if so, that gives us the perfect opportunity to let his replacement have a year to settle in, and possibly give Swan the chance to learn at the side of him.

Taylor is a different kettle of fish; he has not looked right since day one - he does not fancy the physical side of things and spends more time on his arse than he does on his feet, he is dispossessed far too easily and when that does happen he waves his arms around like a drama queen rather than try to win back possession.

You could rightly say that he has not had the best of service, but that is no excuse for some of his antics.

Our goal scoring record this season has been an embarrassment but the emphasis has been on making us hard to beat, which has been one of the few successes we can talk of this season.

The conjecture on how we line up next season will form an interesting debate that will last all through the summer, but Hughton has given us a few clues to stoke that debate.

Will we play with wingers for instance?

I would say that the clues point to the answer being no; Hughton likes to get his width from the Full Backs - Christie has looked very good on that front and Blackett has not looked too bad either, although he lacks the defensive side to go with it.

The other clue is the way he has Mighten tucking in the support the forward; Knockheart has been half decent at creating the space for the Full Backs to push into and even Joe Lolley started cutting in more - Joe looked like he was definitely getting his form back prior to his injury, and a Joe Lolley from two seasons back is something to look forward to.

Another clue is how young Brennan has been playing for Lincoln; the general perception is that Brennan has played all season as a 10; he has not, he has played most of his games swapping around between the wider positions in the three behind the forward, and played very well in that role.

The one thing we failed to do last season and for the best part of this season was getting players into the box; well that has been changing over the last two or three Months and that will hopefully carry on into next season; it will need to or we can forget the Play Offs.

At least with Mighten, Johnson and Lolley we already have three players up to the job, but we do need to add competition, and we also need someone to pull the strings behind them; that player has to be Krovinovic.

He needs to be at the very top of our target list for the summer, and he is affordable on both wage and fee fronts; he also appears to be happy to be here.

I would not describe him as an orthodox 10 but he is extremely effective in what he does; he is more like a 10 plus with his movement and aggressive, competitive nature and he was just what the Doctor ordered when he arrived.

It will be interesting to see how we compare with other Clubs, particularly the ones who are looking like going up this season; if we are going to emulate any of the sides up there at the moment it would be Norwich for me.

Pukki is not only a good goal scorer but his movement is first class; he drags defenders out of position and Norwich have the players to capitalise on that; when you have that movement it is always a nightmare to defend against.

Not only that, but it is highly entertaining, and it is a good while since we had the pleasure of entertainment.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I am very comfortable with what CH decides to do. It's been a long time since I have had so much confidence in a Forest manager.

[Sabricadabra]

I am very comfortable with what CH decides to do. It's been a long time since I have had so much confidence in a Forest manager.

Me too. Hopefully he has plenty of say in what happens in the summer.

[GaribaldiRED]

I'm confident that we will see 5 high class loan players coming in. CH has a great reputation in the game and I believe management of other teams would want their up and coming players to play under the guidance of CH. Garner is a great example.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I'm confident that we will see 5 high class loan players coming in. CH has a great reputation in the game and I believe management of other teams would want their up and coming players to play under the guidance of CH. Garner is a great example.

I am also very hopeful of that happening too Gari. Perhaps not five even 3 would be nice.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Sadly I too believe that Taylor will be on his bike.

He’ll want regular first team football - if another club can match his wages.

No coincidence that Grabban, Taylor & Murray all struggle to score - so I don’t get the criticism of Grabban.

All three could thrive next season with better service - just a case of which one ( or two ) Hughton prefers / sticks with.

I guess the bonus is that - if Taylor does go - we’ll get a fee for him.

The delivery to our strikers hasn't been good enough.  eg. Norwich have got a good, dynamic striker but the supply to him speaks for itself.  Ivan, of Brentford fame, I've been really admiring the way he turns provider for some of Brent's goals.  Superbly unselfish at times.

The lack of no.10 for half a season didn't help.  The wingers delivery misfiring.  Strikers that couldn't hit a barn door or make a goal for themselves.

It's picked up recently with the display vs QPR being a real highlight.  And the 1st half vs Bristol City, whilst captivating and some of Forest's best 'team' work this season highlighted problems that will need to be addressed in the Summer.

Taylor and Grabban have scored some brilliant quality goals this season when the planets aligned for better delivery to them.  But it's been nowhere near enough.  But you have to have strikers who are in the right position.  Ivan of Brentford is a master at getting into the right position.  But then again, he's got players who can put it on his head.  Brentford, when they're scoring make it look real easy.

But 34 (36?) goals in a season being the worst Forest outlay in 100 (?) years tells it's own story.

We need better wingers.  We need better strikers.  Up the level of competition from under performing areas.  I'd expect at least one of each to come in this Summer.  Whether our current strikers stay or go might depend on how many strikers come in.

Just bringing in a quality left back, winger and a younger prime time striker would probably turn many of the tight results in our favour and the league position would be very different.  Similarly, if we keep Krov' and add Brennan to the mix for the no.10 role, that would really help for next season.

SA.

I think the criticism of Grabban has been incredibly harsh this season.

He went through last season as the only viable forward in the whole squad; and playing the lone striker role is a physically demanding one - even more so when we had two wide players in Lolley and Ameobi who made no attempt to get close to him or even get into the box to offer support.

He started the season looking lifeless, which was hardly surprising given last years exertions with little or no rest in between last season and this; and it was no surprise that injury followed on from his inauspicious start.

Given the issues he has faced it is no surprise his confidence has all but disappeared.

Judging by his remarks, and those of Hughton, he will definitely be with us next season; if so, that gives us the perfect opportunity to let his replacement have a year to settle in, and possibly give Swan the chance to learn at the side of him.

Taylor is a different kettle of fish; he has not looked right since day one - he does not fancy the physical side of things and spends more time on his arse than he does on his feet, he is dispossessed far too easily and when that does happen he waves his arms around like a drama queen rather than try to win back possession.

You could rightly say that he has not had the best of service, but that is no excuse for some of his antics.

Our goal scoring record this season has been an embarrassment but the emphasis has been on making us hard to beat, which has been one of the few successes we can talk of this season.

The conjecture on how we line up next season will form an interesting debate that will last all through the summer, but Hughton has given us a few clues to stoke that debate.

Will we play with wingers for instance?

I would say that the clues point to the answer being no; Hughton likes to get his width from the Full Backs - Christie has looked very good on that front and Blackett has not looked too bad either, although he lacks the defensive side to go with it.

The other clue is the way he has Mighten tucking in the support the forward; Knockheart has been half decent at creating the space for the Full Backs to push into and even Joe Lolley started cutting in more - Joe looked like he was definitely getting his form back prior to his injury, and a Joe Lolley from two seasons back is something to look forward to.

Another clue is how young Brennan has been playing for Lincoln; the general perception is that Brennan has played all season as a 10; he has not, he has played most of his games swapping around between the wider positions in the three behind the forward, and played very well in that role.

The one thing we failed to do last season and for the best part of this season was getting players into the box; well that has been changing over the last two or three Months and that will hopefully carry on into next season; it will need to or we can forget the Play Offs.

At least with Mighten, Johnson and Lolley we already have three players up to the job, but we do need to add competition, and we also need someone to pull the strings behind them; that player has to be Krovinovic.

He needs to be at the very top of our target list for the summer, and he is affordable on both wage and fee fronts; he also appears to be happy to be here.

I would not describe him as an orthodox 10 but he is extremely effective in what he does; he is more like a 10 plus with his movement and aggressive, competitive nature and he was just what the Doctor ordered when he arrived.

It will be interesting to see how we compare with other Clubs, particularly the ones who are looking like going up this season; if we are going to emulate any of the sides up there at the moment it would be Norwich for me.

Pukki is not only a good goal scorer but his movement is first class; he drags defenders out of position and Norwich have the players to capitalise on that; when you have that movement it is always a nightmare to defend against.

Not only that, but it is highly entertaining, and it is a good while since we had the pleasure of entertainment.

An excellent post and an engaging read.   :cool:

SA. 

PS.  Brennan scored another beauty for the Imps.  'Bang!'  (and in it goes.)  Emphatic finishing.