MON: Pros, Cons & Vote 2

[the jock]

Jack Robinson: ‘It’s been a tough season. In particular from January, it’s been tough’

[Strawberry Avenger]

Stick.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

The fans didn't build up this season - that was the powers that be in the club who then shifted the goalposts and top 6 wasnt good enough. Sift through the interviews from AK from Nov to December and its all there. So they have to shoulder the responsibility and MON is probably just as pissed off with the tripe he has to choose from.

The results though have been awful - 3 defeats from 3 very winnable games. This has led to the perfect storm from fans including attacks on style and philosophy.  If we'd S**t-housed 5 one - nills in a row then no-one would be moaning.

I don't agree with the exclusion of certain players including carvalho but I am pleased he has bought through 2 more academy players.

Joe Lolley too i see as a problem - almost the Antonio effect = players stop making runs off him because his head is always down trying to do it all on his own - and probably under instruction to.

It all seems a mess but if O'Neil is their man they should have the courage of their convictions and ride it out and back him - despite fans moans.

Many of the games had been close.  They could have been wins.

This was always going to be a 'could have been a contender' season.

You sack a manager in 7th.  It always derails the season.  

It was never realistic to expect the play offs.  Because Forest hadn't been consistently in them all season.

That was under Aitor.  He couldn't string two wins together.  

Aitor had a year.

I'd like to see MoN have his year from pre-season to end-of-season. 

If he fails.  He walks away.  

SA.

[Kranky]

You have every right to be. I dread to think the type of players he and Keane would bring in.

[Strawberry Avenger]

This team had 3 chances to get in the play offs under MoN. They bottled it each time before they can't cope with the weight of expectation.

They'll fallen short because too many are 'nearly men.' Light weight. Mediocre. Journey men. Lacking character. Injured or not able to adapt to the Championship. Too many of them are flawed. And were flawed at the start of the season. They just couldn't 'put the boot in' in terms of finishing teams off.

Does anybody remember the disappointing start to the season Aitor had?

The squad (assembled by Aitor and the hierarchy...) is ill-equipped (and brittle) and they mental and physical character to consistently apply pressure or grind out results.

That was evident long before MoN came anywhere near.

We finally have the right man in MoN. But he needs his own players. Not the mediocrity assembled under the two previous managers.

SA.

[ThePromisedLand]

Good post SA.
Not sure I’m in complete agreement but, at the very least, food for thought.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Jack Robinson: ‘It’s been a tough season. In particular from January, it’s been tough’

He can say that.  But his own form has been in question of late.  And he's a player I like.

Pick anyone.

Gueddy?  Blown hot and cold all season.  So, yeah, maybe Keane had a pop at him and asked him to dig deeper.  

Os?  The form either dislikes him or likes him.  Does he make Forest a top 2 side?  Does he even want to be here?

Car'.  Was the ready to take on the rigours of the Championship in winter time?  Performances suggest not.  Promise is fine.  But the owners want results 'now.'  So why did they lash out £13.5 million on him?

Grabban.  He's been out for 6 weeks.  You may as well say 8 because he's not fit for the last two weeks.  So we're playing an unfit striker who can't finish a chance he'd normally(?) bury.

Pants.  Is he our best keeper?  Rooted to the spot for the '1st' goal.  Cost us points all season.  So.  Try Steele.  Who did a great save last game then committed a howler in the 2nd half.

Does any of that sound like a top 6 side.  

Those are some examples.

It goes back to recruitment last Summer.  It was woefully inept and naive.  

A bit more street smarts for this Summer window...

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Good post SA.
Not sure I’m in complete agreement but, at the very least, food for thought.

Cheers, ThePromisedLand.  I like reading your posts.

I don't think any Forest fans are in complete agreement on anything.  The last 20 years had developed a schism of trauma when things could have been very different with consistent running of the club.

Brighton.  Norwich.  Burnley.  Bournemouth.  WBA.  (and they did sack Moore, but their squad is better than hours. Miles better.)

They've all over taken us in the fast lane.  

I don't think anyone is happy.  

But we need to take our medicine and have a bite of reality sandwich.

As MoN has pointed out.  It's been like this for 20 years.

Why?  Because of getting rid of managers in January.  SoD.  Aitor.  Mark.  I mean.  What did we expect.  How many teams get promoted from a situation like that?

Villa look good.  But they've had a crap season.  The didn't have a good start under their new manager.  But they stuck with it.  And it was the case of getting that expensively assembled squad to perform.

We're simply not at that stage or in the same class as Villa.  WBA.  Derby.

Sure.  We've gone toe to toe with them at times.  We've humbled most of the top 6.  But?

Our Summer work was flawed.  That's why we couldn't 'keep it up.'  If you excuse the phrase.

They've spend more.  They've been run better longer.  They've been more consistent longer.  If you go down the top 8 list?  They've gone 'through' THIS.  THIS 'crap' period that we're in now. They've spend more and on better players suited to this league than Forest.

And we're going to have to suck it up if we want to progress. So. We spend £25 million last Summer. So? Largely on injured players and lightweights not suited to this league. I'd like to rewind the tape and give that to MoN and Roy.

We'd be top 6. I have no doubt about that.

Start something. Stick with it. How hard is that to do?

If you're Nottingham Forest. Very hard.

SA.

[ThePromisedLand]

Jack Robinson: ‘It’s been a tough season. In particular from January, it’s been tough’

He can say that.  But his own form has been in question of late.  And he's a player I like.

Pick anyone.

Gueddy?  Blown hot and cold all season.  So, yeah, maybe Keane had a pop at him and asked him to dig deeper.  

Os?  The form either dislikes him or likes him.  Does he make Forest a top 2 side?  Does he even want to be here?

Car'.  Was the ready to take on the rigours of the Championship in winter time?  Performances suggest not.  Promise is fine.  But the owners want results 'now.'  So why did they lash out £13.5 million on him?

Grabban.  He's been out for 6 weeks.  You may as well say 8 because he's not fit for the last two weeks.  So we're playing an unfit striker who can't finish a chance he'd normally(?) bury.

Pants.  Is he our best keeper?  Rooted to the spot for the '1st' goal.  Cost us points all season.  So.  Try Steele.  Who did a great save last game then committed a howler in the 2nd half.

Does any of that sound like a top 6 side.  

Those are some examples.

It goes back to recruitment last Summer.  It was woefully inept and naive.  

A bit more street smarts for this Summer window...

SA.

Sorry SA - Pants had absolutely no chance with either goal yesterday.
I get that folks don’t rate him - but he did little wrong yesterday.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Jack Robinson: ‘It’s been a tough season. In particular from January, it’s been tough’

He can say that.  But his own form has been in question of late.  And he's a player I like.

Pick anyone.

Gueddy?  Blown hot and cold all season.  So, yeah, maybe Keane had a pop at him and asked him to dig deeper.  

Os?  The form either dislikes him or likes him.  Does he make Forest a top 2 side?  Does he even want to be here?

Car'.  Was the ready to take on the rigours of the Championship in winter time?  Performances suggest not.  Promise is fine.  But the owners want results 'now.'  So why did they lash out £13.5 million on him?

Grabban.  He's been out for 6 weeks.  You may as well say 8 because he's not fit for the last two weeks.  So we're playing an unfit striker who can't finish a chance he'd normally(?) bury.

Pants.  Is he our best keeper?  Rooted to the spot for the '1st' goal.  Cost us points all season.  So.  Try Steele.  Who did a great save last game then committed a howler in the 2nd half.

Does any of that sound like a top 6 side.  

Those are some examples.

It goes back to recruitment last Summer.  It was woefully inept and naive.  

A bit more street smarts for this Summer window...

SA.

Sorry SA - Pants had absolutely no chance with either goal yesterday.
I get that folks don’t rate him - but he did little wrong yesterday.

The goal looked good because 'our man' was casual (Pele was it?) in closing him down for the strike.  ('Stop the cross'...but he had all the time in the world.) 

Maybe he couldn't have done anything for that goal.  But that's been said a few times this season.

However, he has looked better with Milo and Big Ben in front of him.  That seemed to help.  Not sure Yates and Pele in front of Wraggy and Jack worked.  Slow to close down.  Not for the first time in regards to Pele.

So.  Yes.  Mitigation in terms of factors against Pants with the defence and DCM disrupted.  You could have Peter Shilton in his prime but if you're CHs or DCMs aren't going to protect you...

But it has been said of Pants, that as the last line of defence he could do better...

SA.