Nottingham Forest - Millwall

[Strawberry Avenger]

Which brings us back to the transfer window, one of our most influential payers is very injury prone and we don’t bring in a decent replacement, that could cost us promotion.

There is Silva, Semedo, Bostock, Yates. How many Sow replacements do we want? They are all capable at this level or should be. We didn't lose last night because of Samba Sow. The whole team were poor and the whole team lost.

Cash was poor, Lolley was poor, Samba was poor. Some players seem excused from criticism.

We win together, we lose together.

Your quite right Sniffer, they should be but the aren’t.  Silva is but is injured, Yates isn’t there yet, Semedo isn’t interested and Bostock didn’t start.

Sorry Sniff but messrs Semedo, Bostock & Yates are NOT capable at this level.
Not complaining - just an observation.

Semedo hasn't draped himself in glory last night.  He has his pocket picked last night.  Should be ready for prime time but isn't ready for life in the Championship.

Bostock remains a mystery.  With him on, Forest didn't concede in the 2nd half.  But the damage was done.  Should be ready for prime team for life in the Championship.  He did better than Semedo.  (Which some may say isn't an endorsement.) Forest may have no option but to play him vs Wednesday.

Yates.  If he's on the pitch.  Millwall don't score 3 goals.  (Sure, maybe they'd concede 2 in 5 mins as they did vs Boro...but does Yates get all the blame for that?)  As 'bad' as Yates was (was he as bad as the defence in the last two games?) vs Boro, he scored a goal.  Is Yates ready for prime time.  No.  He's developing.  And like Car' should be introduced from the bench when the team is doing well.  He's behind Worrall and Cash in terms of 1st team football.  And it shows.  Yet...he scored a perfectly reasonable goal vs Boro which saved Forest a point.  And against Millwall?  Forest were even worse without him.

Car' was on the pitch.  Forest lose their match convincingly with him starting in his 'natural' position for the 3rd time this season.  He loses possession which leads to a goal.  The Coach moves him from his position after 25 minutes.  Because he had to do 'something.'  Forest didn't score.  They didn't assist to score.  That's the ACM's job.  Ready for prime time in the Championship.  No.  I don't think so.  He seems a shadow of the player that arrived.  Technique?  Oh yes.  But robust mind and body?  I don't think he has it for the Championship.  If he had Yate's mindset he probably would be worth at least half the price Forest paid for him.  I don't think Car's ready for the Championship.  He's NOT robust but he can play 'a bit.'

Sow and Silva are capable at this level.  But they're out.  And the familiar bad run of form the last time Sow was out is back.  Forest are starting to sink.  1 win in 6, is it?

Just a coincidence, I suppose.

Forest will be lucky to hold the play offs.  And 7th isn't good enough for this season.  At this rate of going we may finish 9th.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

I felt the keeper probably had one of his worst if not the worst game in a Forest shirt. But the army of defenders didn't represent the Forest badge that well last night either. Dreadful.

But games are won and lost in midfield. And the two goals that torpedoed Forest both came from midfielders losing position. (Both players new to the starting line up following the Boro' result. So they should be 'fresh?')

Even the usually well positioned Watson was dragged out of position covering (?) and then the inevitable happened.

In some ways. Worse than the Wednesday performance. Forest didn't learn from it.

But if you're best team isn't available. What can you do but hope that the incoming represents the team well. And last night Forest were worse than they were vs Boro'. So things didn't improve at all. They were done in 25 minutes?

Millwall were well rested whilst Forest had played more games. Forest seemed static and jaded and missing key players. And Ozzy shrewdly noted they probably hadn't been on the training ground.

It is. What is it.

'The players have reached their physical limit.' The Coach.

(For the record, Forest let go of Bridcutt who 'can' play in the ACM role...AND Yacob who could have covered the DCM Sow positions with his eyes shut and done a better job.)

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Recruitment should take a look at what Millwall, Reading and Boro' AND Birmingham have done to Forest and wonder what they have in common.

There's clearly something missing from recruitment in our squad to tackle these kind of games were Forest bottle them. The only recent example being Cardiff.

Because, Millwall hammered that point home last night with a big cartoon wooden mallet.

16 points against those sides we 'should' (heh, got to 'love' that word) beaten.

Those 16 points. Where would that put Forest now?

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Not many boos. Perhaps the fans that stayed can see the bigger picture. If you're best players aren't available in midfield what else can be expected?

It's been a perennial problem for Forest when they have flirted with the play off positions to keep their best 11 fit. And that's because, usually, they don't have the depth in those key positions. And why is that? Probably because they don't keep managers long enough to finish building out the squad depth.

It's not that Forest don't have Sow. It's that they don't have enough Sow's.

Worrall. (Emerging this season.) Watson. (Why he needs a Sow or Silva alongside him. He's treading water at this stage of career.) Sow. (Isn't fit because he's been thrashed on a 3 day schedule. And for his position? For the job he does? He'll just destroy his body at some point. It's going to happen.)

Forest haven't got the depth to give players a rest. Grabban. Sow. ACM..? They haven't got the back up to cover injury or out of form. And these are historic issues. Hopefully with a longer term set of owners this will be addressed out over the Summer January and even next Summer's recruitment.

Is that enough of a 'Psycho' count? Not enough if the result vs Millwall is anything to go by.

SA.

[ThePromisedLand]

The crowd were fantastic last night. I also think the players clearly cared and were as frustrated as the fans - lolley for example was almost embarrassed to be clapped as he was subbed. 2 games in 4 days due to sky schedules didn’t help either.
Millwall were very good too. Perfect away performance and one straight out of what we have been doing all year. The most frustrating thing is that gestede and smith have done this to us before - the whole fan base knew it but management and squad seemed to be oblivious to the diagonal long ball tactic and the pressing of our right hand side to nullify our own threat and create a weakness from one of our strengths.
It’s also obvious that the team haven’t been on the training ground enough this week - circumstance with injury and schedule. We do now have an 8 day prep time which I have full confidence in Sabri using well on the training ground. I also liked his backing of carvalho last night - saying he will play next match and recognising his technical ability. Good man management - I just hope he repays it in the coming weeks.
What I didn’t like was the poor subs. The game was gone from 60 minute (you could argue from half time). He should have bought grabban off and possibly Watson too. Instead grabban was toiling away and even dropping into midfield. He is obviously nursing injury and fitness - I thought that was stupidity.
Let’s hope da Costa, sow and silva get back quick. We are still in the hunt for playoffs and need to fight tooth and nail for every point from now...

Great post Ozzy - agree totally.

[ThePromisedLand]

I can’t agree that last nights performance was on any way similar to the Sheffield Wednesday game. I thought Millwall were impressive and scored with the 3 chances they created.
Disappointed? Of course I am - gutted in fact.
But we’re still in their & fighting.
Get Sow & Silva fit - and ( more importantly ) keep them fit - and we will still be playing long into May.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

That's the spirit TPL. Well said pal.

[Username]

We’ve lost six games at home now, as many as Barnsley and Wigan.

Five of our remaining games are at home.

We really need to get that form sorted.

[zicorice]

We’ve lost six games at home now, as many as Barnsley and Wigan.

Five of our remaining games are at home.

We really need to get that form sorted.

Fulham at home should suit us though.

[Maltared]

We’ve lost six games at home now, as many as Barnsley and Wigan.

Five of our remaining games are at home.

We really need to get that form sorted.

Fulham at home should suit us though.

To be honest donf know what games suit us, we just won one game from thd last 6, so its not as if we won all the away games. The chasing pack are getting closer to the top 6 now, luckily Preston lost, nx Brizzld r inconsistent as much as us.. there are going to be two spots (I think) up for grabs ( play offs), WBA, Leeds, Brentford and Fulham will share the the first four places...the other two places, are up for grabs.
Maybe now we r seen as favourites but Tgx likes of Millwall, will feel confident that , if not instead of us, they might take Preston's place...

[zicorice]

We’ve lost six games at home now, as many as Barnsley and Wigan.

Five of our remaining games are at home.

We really need to get that form sorted.

Fulham at home should suit us though.

To be honest donf know what games suit us, we just won one game from thd last 6, so its not as if we won all the away games. The chasing pack are getting closer to the top 6 now, luckily Preston lost, nx Brizzld r inconsistent as much as us.. there are going to be two spots (I think) up for grabs ( play offs), WBA, Leeds, Brentford and Fulham will share the the first four places...the other two places, are up for grabs.
Maybe now we r seen as favourites but Tgx likes of Millwall, will feel confident that , if not instead of us, they might take Preston's place...

Pay attention young man. We've had the stat thrown at us enough times this season.

Teams who like to dominate possession are games that seem to suit us. Fulham, Leeds, Brentford twice, Swansea being good examples.

[ozzyten10]

Shamelessly nicked off Facebook:
Wife's Diary:

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner.

I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late,
but he made no comment on it.

Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk.
He agreed, but he didn't say much.

I asked him what was wrong; He said, "nothing."

I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset.

He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.

On the way home, I told him that I loved him.

He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behaviour.
I don't know why he didn't say, “I love you, too.”

When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent.

Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed.
But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep; I cried.
I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

Husband's Diary:

Who the f**k loses to Millwall?