Match Tread, Derby v Forest, there's feeling involved here. | Page 15 | Vital Football

Match Tread, Derby v Forest, there's feeling involved here.

Why is Houghton getting shit

His methods are working

Look at his last 7 games that's a run that a team going for promotion goes on with some hard games in their with a Derby too
not sure ive heard anyone giving him stick particularly, just moaning about team selections all the way through our quite impressive run lol The upturn has come since his signings lets face it, before that it was shit. At least now we can trust him to sign players... then again managers are usually the ones to make the best decisions eh VrayBentos
 
Very good today once we got the goal. Was soo so happy we came into the second half on the front foot rather than trying to hold a lead. Krovinovic and Knockaert with Christie worked brilliantly and we terrorized them on the right.

Garner was getting overrun first half but was excellent second half because he was pushing high on his man so they couldn’t turn towards our goal.

Tried my best to be very neutral about Cafu but I’m sorry the bloke is just not good enough. He doesn’t close the midfielders down and allows them to turn and doesn’t react to anything quickly enough so never wins the second balls. Definitely the weak link and needs replacing in the summer if we want a Serious go at promotion next year.

Not read the thread but no doubt Figuerido will get flack. Feel for him, not a great clearance but Christ he was made to pay - it wasn’t exactly a clanger because 99% of the time the striker doesn’t send a bullet into the top corner on the volley. I hope it doesn’t knock his confidence because him and Worrall are looking as strong as they did for the most part of last season, with Worrall looking an absolute leader.

Krovinovic takes the plaudits with Knockaert. What a signing he’s been despite not really getting many goals or assists. I’m so gutted and angry we didn’t win but not at Forest. They played a near perfect game and lost the points to one unfortunate error and wonder strike.

Think if we’d have won it, I’d have stuck a tenner on the play offs as the late runner. Regardless, it’s made me feel so much more optimistic for next season under Hughton.
 
Tough day for us today.

Top teams tend to be playing other top half teams.

Bottom teams have winnable games against teams around us.

Example, Preston Vs Huddersfield. Whoever gets points from that doesn't help us. Same with Birmingham Vs QPR, Blackburn Vs Coventry, Luton Sheffield Wednesday.

It's a sign of the progress we have made; we are now targeting the mid table clubs. If they win, we stay 11 points clear of relegation but the mid table clubs pull away. If the bottom clubs win, we all bunch up closer to the relegation zone.

I would have killed to be looking at the likes of Preston and Blackburn and hoping they dropped points a month ago
 
Tough day for us today.

Top teams tend to be playing other top half teams.

Bottom teams have winnable games against teams around us.

Example, Preston Vs Huddersfield. Whoever gets points from that doesn't help us. Same with Birmingham Vs QPR, Blackburn Vs Coventry, Luton Sheffield Wednesday.

It's a sign of the progress we have made; we are now targeting the mid table clubs. If they win, we stay 11 points clear of relegation but the mid table clubs pull away. If the bottom clubs win, we all bunch up closer to the relegation zone.

I would have killed to be looking at the likes of Preston and Blackburn and hoping they dropped points a month ago
Tend to hope for other fixtures to end as draws when those around us play each other. Hopefully the spectre of relegation has nearly been lifted now, not just because of the points we've gained, but we now look like a team that other clubs won't fancy playing against.
 
Draws are best, but I think I'd take victory for the higher placed clubs, and consign those at the bottom to stay further adrift. Play off talk is nice and all, but realistically it's not happening is it? Finishing 10th or 14th or 18th is largely irrelevant. Right now, this season is still all about finishing above 22nd.
 
Hoping we have McKenna back for the tough games coming up. Him and Worral if they could get games together should form the best CB partnership in this league.
Agree with the earlier post on Cafu. Time for someone else alongside Garner, and for Freeman to finally do one. Mighten, Lolley, Taylor and Ameobi should all be considered above Freeman on that left side before him

Then we have a a really solid team which I expect will see us take some points out of the next 6 games following Luton (must win) rather than the 6 straight losses we had last time.
Need to target wins against Reading and a couple of draws at least, plus the 3 points at Luton
 
I think over the last few weeks, we’ve been a lot like last season; solid and competitive, willing to battle until we wrest the initiative, and able to stick it out when we get ahead. Last night was similar, at 0-0 and 1-1 we were pretty average, but while we were ahead we looked comfortable and content, only to be undone by a wonderful goal.

Similarly to last season, we don’t create much. Our good chances are few and far between, and we make so many bad choices that it becomes really frustrating to watch. In contrast, though, we weren’t passive at the start of the second half yesterday. Under Lamouchi, we would sometimes hang on to a lead for dear life - I think that’s why we threw away so many points at the end of matches.

Hughton has shown that with these players, we can actively try and win matches from the position of being ahead by playing higher up the pitch, if we can only add more quality when we are there. Many a time we won the ball high up the pitch only to squander it with a poor ball or a poor shot. Watching somebody like Knockaert makes you appreciate what a quality Championship player contributes, because he rarely lost possession in that manner and his delivery was always dangerous. And he’s still only at 90% in my opinion.

I also have to go against the grain and say that I like the look of Cafu. He’s a part of why we can play a bit higher up the pitch, because he has the mobility and range of passing to link the defence and midfield. For all that Sow and Watson were strong last season, it didn’t help us that they were standing on the defenders toes when we won the ball back. He’s not consistent nor even a standout at present, but I think he has something to offer if he can make better decisions when he’s playing out (and kicking out).

My area of concern is the reliance on Knockaert to provide the incision, because Freeman has been awful, whereas Krovinovic has been good without really playing in the manner of a no.10. One of those two is going to need to create more if our scoring problems are going to be solved, unless we start utilising our full-backs more as an attacking outlet (whereupon I would suggest we’d need to sign better full-backs).
 
Freeman was too good for this division when Sheff Utd got promoted. A year without games and an injury that wasn’t sorted properly have very obviously taken their toll but I am guessing Hughton knows what he can do and is trying to bring him back to form. If he can and we then sign him he could be the difference next season

Ifs and buts I know but that’s my thoughts on the situation.
 
Freeman was too good for this division when Sheff Utd got promoted. A year without games and an injury that wasn’t sorted properly have very obviously taken their toll but I am guessing Hughton knows what he can do and is trying to bring him back to form. If he can and we then sign him he could be the difference next season

Ifs and buts I know but that’s my thoughts on the situation.
Develop Johnson mate, and spend elsewhere
 
Freeman was too good for this division when Sheff Utd got promoted. A year without games and an injury that wasn’t sorted properly have very obviously taken their toll but I am guessing Hughton knows what he can do and is trying to bring him back to form. If he can and we then sign him he could be the difference next season

Ifs and buts I know but that’s my thoughts on the situation.
I actually agree on this one. There is a good footballer in there he just needs games to get back after the operation