The 2019 Summer Clearout

[PsychoStooge]

I hope the owner gives him time, but I don't expect any of it because if I start expecting I'll end up disappointed.  :D

It's probably never been harder to be a football fan than it is right now, not least because so many fans walk around thinking they're an expert, because they can use Wikipedia & they've picked up a few phrases from Sky sports pundits, & they think that presumed expertise means they know what's best for the club, however, at a time when more fans think they have a voice that needs to be heard, than ever before, they have never been so powerless & voiceless.

When my forebears first joined Nottingham Forest you did join Nottingham Forest, because it was a members club. You paid your fees & if you were any good you tried to get into a team (we were multi-sports back then) & if you weren't you tried to help in other ways, like making the half time teas, grounds work,  laundry duties, making a contribution towards a new pair of boots for the club captain, or as in one case your job might be to visit the captains house on a Friday night to pick up the team news & then go to all the players houses to pass it on so the right players knew they were playing in the next match.

Back then you really were part of the club, so you really knew every aspect of it & your input & your voice was valued & that's why, although you always wanted to win, it was always club first, club above results, managers & players. The club was what mattered most.

These days fans aren't as immersed in the club (look how long it took some to hear about the Grabban injury) & often run off a happy meter, if the manager has a personality they like, if Saturdays result was good & our league position is OK, then they are usually happy too, if they don't like the manager, or find him grating, we lost at the weekend & dropped a place in the table, they'll descend on Twitter & start verbally abusing players, or send them death threats.

If they are happy they demand the manager is kept, regardless of any bigger picture & the relative impact on the club, & so if the impact is negative & an owner feels forced to act, they might not understand it's in the clubs best interests, or understand the negative impact, so they lash out at the owner instead & abuse him too.

Conversely, if they are unhappy, & a manager retained, because it's in the best interests of the club, if they don't know that, or have been mislead by a Twitter experts misguided & misinformed narrative, that can confuse & anger them too.

I'm rambling a bit here but basically because of a growing disconnect between fans & club, as opposed to team & because of poor official communication & often invented unofficial news, fans these days are often misinformed & therefore often have misguided expectations & are therefore frequently disappointed by them & confused as to what's going on half the time, which obviously breeds mistrust & sometimes resentments.

Oh for simpler times, jumpers for goalposts & all that...

The worst part is I don't blame the modern fan for basing everything around personalities & results on the pitch because it's what they are conditioned to.

Do you feel like a part of Nottingham Forest, or do you see yourself as paying spectator & supporter?

I bet I'm not the only member here who's turned up to offer to sweep the terraces after a bad snow, or chatted football with one of the team at a local pub, or even just waved to, or nodded at the gaffer in town, because in time's past this club was part of the community & the community was part of the club.

With TV revenue, sponsorship money, naming rights & image rights I don't think it will ever be like it used to, those days are gone, so the disconnect, confusion, distrust & disappointments will continue, but I must say, it's a feather in the cap of our new owners that they've at least tried to close the gap a bit, with communications with various fan groups, new initiatives & community out reach projects & for those not interested in the political side, or who place results, or personalities above all else, at least they've invested heavily & hired a top manager, so hopefully results & satisfaction will follow, because it's probably never been harder to be a football fan than it is right now.

Just noticed the thread topic, so who would you clear out?

See all the stuff you talk about there I've never known. I'm not old enough. I was born at the advent of Sky Sports so when people say I wish it was how it was before Sky Sports I can't relate.

I'm a supporter who doesn't live in or near Nottingham anymore so I rely on the forums, Twitter etc. for my club news, I can't get it word of mouth down the pub so I'm not really immersed in Forest like that, but that's fine though it suits me to support like that. It's something I used to share with my Dad and can't anymore now he's gone, so sometimes I need to distance myself because I end up getting a bit down. 

But despite still being fairly young I learnt long ago not to have expectations when it comes to Forest or football in general. I've pretty much had 20 years of dashed hopes so I just roll with it now, I have my opinions on stuff but it doesn't really matter much, not many people can predict football it's just hoping their opinion ends up right or wrong.

[PsychoStooge]

As for who I'd clear out... If it was fantasy football and I could do what I wanted my squad next season would be something like:

Pants
Steele
Smith

New RWB
Darikwa(?)

New CB
Figueiredo
Milosevic
Worrall
Benalouane(?)
Robinson

New LWB
Osborn(?)

Colback
New CM
Yacob
Yates 
Cash

Lolley(?) (but would potentially sell if a big offer came in, you'll see why) 

Carvalho
New number 10

Grabban
Bonatini(?) (if he looks good)
Walker(?)
New ST 

(?) Are players I'm not sure on. 

Then I'd work towards a 3-4-1-2, which at the moment with the current squad would be:

Pantilimon

       Milo-----Benalouane-----Robinson

    Cash---------Yates--------Colback---------Lolley

Carvalho

Grabban-------Bonatini

Depending on whether Lolley could fill the wing back role which I'm not sure... I think he has the work rate for it but it'd perhaps be a waste of his ability plus he likes to cut inside.

[ThePromisedLand]

Not sure we’d win many games with that line up Psycho - but at least we’d entertain.

[PsychoStooge]

Not sure we’d win many games with that line up Psycho - but at least we’d entertain.

Two top wing backs would be a priority. After that you've pretty much got the current Sheff Utd blueprint and they aren't bad. 3 no nonsense CBs, 2 hard working centre mids, 2 hard working wing backs, a technical player at 10 and two strikers, with the added bonus that both can drop deep and get involved.

[PsychoStanleyStone]

Then I'd work towards a 3-4-1-2, which at the moment with the current squad would be:

Pantilimon

       Milo-----Benalouane-----Robinson

    Cash---------Yates--------Colback---------Lolley

Carvalho

Grabban-------Bonatini

I like it, though for the time being I would be happy to put out very difficult to beat, sort of 2 brick walls

a lot of it is about fine lines and expectations, we could just possibly pick up quite a few points setting up not to lose, or not pic up many points setting up for an all out win, it is a very cruel game, but I do like the look of our brick walls, they look very ready to grind up and spit out most offensive line ups

I could see that switching to that line up if we are a goal down and 20 minutes to go, however I might lean towards thinking that offensive line up would perform better if we were winning or in the ascendency, just the psychology, against wba there were spells  where maybe M o N could of gambled with a huge offensive masterstroke

right here, right now, I see Preston just walking into the barbed wire and heavy artillery and we just roll over them

[Duncan Mckenzie]

This probably won't go down well but I think I have to put a '?' next to Grabban's name now.

Why is that NG3?

Because of his injuries?

Or something else that you can't talk about?

[Paplane]

The game plan last night was because Grabban was injured. Had he played then we would've set up differently.

Brilliant physical performance from Murphy. I bet Keown and Tomori are felling battered and bruised this morning.

[the jock]

same injury as fryatt?

[Strawberry Avenger]

This probably won't go down well but I think I have to put a '?' next to Grabban's name now.

Why is that NG3?

Because of his injuries?

Pretty much, yes. It's not an anti-Lewis comment, fit & well there would be no '?' but this is the same Achilles problem he had at Norwich & Bournemouth, a problem we bought him with & that hasn't cleared up all year, & has now seen him unable to do a full 90 minutes in about 20-25% of our matches.

Given this is now a long term thing & he's now 31 it's more likely to get worse than better & so we're going to have to look at a top drawer striker to cover, at the very least, this summer, & therefore there has to be the consideration of cashing in, while we still can, & upgrading.

That's not saying we should sell, or will sell, just that there is an issue & whenever there's an issue we should look at it & examine our options.

I don't think we'll necessarily push him out the door, or anything, but if we got a bid of £6m+, considering injuries, age & depreciation, I think we'd have to look at it seriously.

I see.  Ty for the additional information on this one.

I guess it is what it is.

SA.

[Mad Mel]

This will upset a few on here but here goes.

If it was my decison then I would sell both Carvalho and Grabban in the summer and give all the money to MON for a rebuild.

[the jock]

This will upset a few on here but here goes.

If it was my decison then I would sell both Carvalho and Grabban in the summer and give all the money to MON for a rebuild.

so would i

[Mad Squad]

This will upset a few on here but here goes.

If it was my decison then I would sell both Carvalho and Grabban in the summer and give all the money to MON for a rebuild.

so would i

I would also be quiet happy to see that happen on one condition.

We don't waste the money on more Mendes signings.