Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Alf]

i heard there was discontent as early as august last season with karanka coming up against birmingham. the board werent happy.

We're going nowhere with that attitude if it is the case. That'd make them absolute bottlers right up there with Fawaz.

Hope it's not.

[Strawberry Avenger]

EM needs to wait until season end to make a judgement for a change the premature ****.

Villa were 10th when AK "left". Why can't we for once be owned by someone who recognizes promotion happens in May, not Jan.

The only exception should be a genuine relegation battle.

Yeah, Alf.  In a nutshell.

The board have got to back their own judgement.  They employed Warburton, Karanka and MoN.

We need patience and discipline.  That includes the board, manager and fans.

There were some highlights to the recruitment last Summer (see Lolley, player of the season...)  However, the squad recruitment didn't seem too well planned or balanced.  It left Forest without a defence before MoN's recruitment drive in January and it left Forest without another key striker up front (limping along with one decent striker...) all season.  You have to wonder where all the money went.

Everytime Jack had to cover CH it left the LB position and back line and team unbalanced.  We didn't have another experienced winger to challenge the opposition on the other wing (though Cash's goal tally was impressive...)  And we still don't have an experienced DCM because Colback was only on loan.  And no real, experienced ACM to push Car'.

That's at least 5 players needed for a 'to improve' us recruitment drive.  That's the bare minimum.

But I'm not surprised to see Forest being linked with CHs.  They need to chip in with goals but they haven't been.  Forest don't have enough character all over the park.

Last season wasn't a disaster.  it was progress.  But it was catch up on the pitch and financially to the teams above Forest who've been doing it better for 2 to 3 years.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

...and, Os' is probably going too.

Some might be glad of it. But I think his ability to cover at least 2 or 3 positions will be missed as well as his industry.

He won't be covering LB. So what happens if Jack is injured or suspended?

We'll definitely be needing a LB.

And we don't have Colback who, for me, privately, was my player of the season but I won't grudge it Lolley who was outstanding. But we'll need a DCM there. That's two certs we need for recruitment. A LB and a DCM.

If we don't get those we'll be bullied and unbalanced.

SA.

[Kylos247]

All we needed was a little luck on our side this season to reach play offs. WBA boro derby Leeds villa. Boro amazed they made majority of season in top 6, awful. WBA rode their luck most of.the season.
Derby probably as consistent as us just grinded a few more results when needed.
Leeds just not a big enough squad, injuries hampered their season.
Norwich and Sheffield utd fair play to both but who would have thought it, good.manager in wilder and good one Norwich for sticking with falke.
With the squad we have its mid table, no need for a big overhaul let's settle and progress further next season 2 or 3 big signings a few loans I really cant see why we cant push for top 2. Can we be consistent? Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

[Strawberry Avenger]

All we needed was a little luck on our side this season to reach play offs. WBA boro derby Leeds villa. Boro amazed they made majority of season in top 6, awful. WBA rode their luck most of.the season.
Derby probably as consistent as us just grinded a few more results when needed.
Leeds just not a big enough squad, injuries hampered their season.
Norwich and Sheffield utd fair play to both but who would have thought it, good.manager in wilder and good one Norwich for sticking with falke.
With the squad we have its mid table, no need for a big overhaul let's settle and progress further next season 2 or 3 big signings a few loans I really cant see why we cant push for top 2. Can we be consistent? Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

The top 6 was mediocre.  Forest had most of them beaten.  Only Villa caused Forest any real problems.  The top two were consistent.  That's as polite as I want to be about them.

Leeds, Boro' and Derby for all their fanfare about being in the top 6...finished with nothing.  And WBA didn't get promoted either.  Forest beat all those teams.

So there's room for optimism.

SA.

[zicorice]

All we needed was a little luck on our side this season to reach play offs. WBA boro derby Leeds villa. Boro amazed they made majority of season in top 6, awful. WBA rode their luck most of.the season.
Derby probably as consistent as us just grinded a few more results when needed.
Leeds just not a big enough squad, injuries hampered their season.
Norwich and Sheffield utd fair play to both but who would have thought it, good.manager in wilder and good one Norwich for sticking with falke.
With the squad we have its mid table, no need for a big overhaul let's settle and progress further next season 2 or 3 big signings a few loans I really cant see why we cant push for top 2. Can we be consistent? Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

The top 6 was mediocre.  Forest had most of them beaten.  Only Villa caused Forest any real problems.  The top two were consistent.  That's as polite as I want to be about them.

Leeds, Boro' and Derby for all their fanfare about being in the top 6...finished with nothing.  And WBA didn't get promoted either.  Forest beat all those teams.

So there's room for optimism.

SA.

Absolutely. No team will blow everyone away for 46 games, it's all about consistently getting the results. We showed that we can match any side in the Championship and outplayed or beat most of them. A solid base - which we now have and luck with injuries (which we never get) plus a fair rub of the green with refs and we should be up there.

We have one of the best managers for experience and motivation so I for one predict a top 6...make that top 2 finish next term.

[PsychoStanleyStone]

Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

So there's room for optimism.

SA.

We have one of the best managers for experience and motivation so I for one predict a top 6...make that top 2 finish next term.

Brothers ... listen .. M o N not good enough, i'm with the sceptics, i mean at Celtic he only won the Scottish title 3 times out of the 5 seasons he was there, not good enough, he missed out on the other 2 titles by a maximum of 2 points and 2 goals differance, that really isn't anywhere near good enough is it, i'm starting to panic a bit now

Seriously though, i was looking through the 65 ish players M o N worked with during his 5 years at Villa, loads of good pieces of business there, i can understand him holding out for a decent transfer kitty, his dealings seemed pretty impeccable, some good steals, most seem to of played for many seasons, 10 years at the highest level, Ashely Young, James Milner, Gareth Barry, James Collins the list goes on, good solid signings or sell ons, sometimes both, even players that didn't work, Shaun Maloney a steal from Celtic and sold him back for profit, Agbonlahor had only just made his debut prior to M o N arriving,  Fabian Delph

Can't be easy at times to be a sceptic, when M o N joined Villa he said he wanted the European glory days back and he gave it one hell of a go, he had the bit between his teeth.  In his first season at Villa finished 11th, 2nd season they scored more in the season than they had in any season for 10 years, 3rd highest scorers that season, finished 6th, qualified for Europe through winning the intertoto.

The challenge is the modern day player and the modern day fan but same for all managers, personally be happy to have a good season, give M o N an extension and let him get on with doing a proper job though the realist in me says M o N will get the kitty and blaze a trail to the PL, there is so much stuff to learn about M o N but the only thing you won't find is failure, sorry about that

[Jigglypuff]

Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

So there's room for optimism.

SA.

We have one of the best managers for experience and motivation so I for one predict a top 6...make that top 2 finish next term.

Brothers ... listen .. M o N not good enough, i'm with the sceptics, i mean at Celtic he only won the Scottish title 3 times out of the 5 seasons he was there, not good enough, he missed out on the other 2 titles by a maximum of 2 points and 2 goals differance, that really isn't anywhere near good enough is it, i'm starting to panic a bit now

Seriously though, i was looking through the 65 ish players M o N worked with during his 5 years at Villa, loads of good pieces of business there, i can understand him holding out for a decent transfer kitty, his dealings seemed pretty impeccable, some good steals, most seem to of played for many seasons, 10 years at the highest level, Ashely Young, James Milner, Gareth Barry, James Collins the list goes on, good solid signings or sell ons, sometimes both, even players that didn't work, Shaun Maloney a steal from Celtic and sold him back for profit, Agbonlahor had only just made his debut prior to M o N arriving,  Fabian Delph

Can't be easy at times to be a sceptic, when M o N joined Villa he said he wanted the European glory days back and he gave it one hell of a go, he had the bit between his teeth.  In his first season at Villa finished 11th, 2nd season they scored more in the season than they had in any season for 10 years, 3rd highest scorers that season, finished 6th, qualified for Europe through winning the intertoto.

The challenge is the modern day player and the modern day fan but same for all managers, personally be happy to have a good season, give M o N an extension and let him get on with doing a proper job though the realist in me says M o N will get the kitty and blaze a trail to the PL, there is so much stuff to learn about M o N but the only thing you won't find is failure, sorry about that

If you talk to Villa fans they were by and large disappointed with his recruitment - especially some of the long and very expensive contracts.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

i heard there was discontent as early as august last season with karanka coming up against birmingham. the board werent happy.

Think that was over the style of football if I remember well Jock? All the time wasting and stuff that we were employing at the time. It didn't go down very well.

[PsychoStanleyStone]

Can we learn to grind results and keep fighting to get results when things aren't going our way. I hope.so.

So there's room for optimism.

SA.

We have one of the best managers for experience and motivation so I for one predict a top 6...make that top 2 finish next term.

Seriously though, i was looking through the 65 ish players M o N worked with during his 5 years at Villa

If you talk to Villa fans they were by and large disappointed with his recruitment - especially some of the long and very expensive contracts.

M o N did have an annual overspend, in year 1 around £15m this included Ashley Young £8m, record signing at the time, who they later sold for around £25m, after playing virtually every game during M o N's 5 years, also 1 of only 4 Villa players ever to win young player of the year, (another was Milner)

Year 2 est £5.25 m overspend, 

year 3 looks a bit expensive £40m over but it did include James Milner who was a good signing and sold for about £13m profit, it also included Cuellar who M o N paid around £8m for from Rangers ... Villa got nothing for him when M o N signed him on a free when he had moved upto Sunderland as he was out of contract.  Also includes £2.5m paid for Brad Friedal who played 136 times, every single game i think out of contract.  


This disappointment ... was it before or after the experiences with McLeish, Houllier, Lambert, Remi Garde, Di Matteo, Bruce?

I can't imagine Villa fans being disappointed at the time, in fact i think they would of enjoyed many of the signings, funnily enough the list of transfers was from a villa vital site where the guy was obviously a bit bitter and twisted putting the very highest estimation every time for the undisclosed's.

There were around 65 signings over 5 years, many served their time and left on frees, a net loss in transfers of less than £20m a year would probably of been very acceptable, maybe years 4 and 5 went through the roof i don't know, the first 2 seasons were very good in fact maybe they should of spent more, year 2 net spend £5m lol, they blew it, they should of trusted in M o N, he knows what he is doing but they didn't believe ... do you Jigglypuff???   What is your opinion?

[Mad Mel]

Steve Hodge on MON:

''We can only judge him really, this time next year. You've got to give him a window or two''.

"The season they just had, they were eight points off the play-offs which wasn't insurmountable before the manager was changed in January''.

''O'Neill has won things wherever he's been, he's been a manager for thirty years. He survives in a cutthroat industry''.

“But this time next year we'll know a lot more."

[Mad Squad]

Callum O'Dowda also heaping praise on Mon in todays Nottingham Post.