Forest v Millwall

[MaltaRed]

Going to get slaughtered for this, but I am getting seriously worried about next season.

When you have a club challenging for the playoffs one season and fighting relegation the next, you often see similar traits and we have many of them

• Team was inherently overachieving compared to the quality of the squad? Check
• Team overly reliant on 1 or 2 players to score goals? Check
• Several key players are older, fading or injury prone? Check
• Other teams have started to suss the tactics? Check
• Team is unreliable or nervous at home? Check
• Even when winning, the team struggled to find goals under pressure? Check
• Problems with atmosphere (in a potentially limited capacity ground)? Check
• Club is absolutely skint? Check
• Inability to replace the key goalscorer if he is too old or injured or leaves? Check.
• Sale of some key players without equal quality replacements? We don't know yet. But our recent record in the transfer market suggests we would be unable to replace Lolley, Cash or Grabban.

Quite simply, we cannot afford another striker who can do what Grabban does unless we stumble across one by a miracle in the lower leagues or get the jump on others; which we haven't the financial resources to do.

And Grabban's goals need replacing at the age of 32.

We are so toothless and have looked more so as the season goes on. The days when we could put three past Luton or Birmingham or QPR away look a long time ago. You can't imagine us scoring 3 at home again this season. It's a while since we scored one.

Obviously see what the summer window brings because that changes everything. And hey, by some miracle we might get promotion. But it does feel that we are going into a decline that the players aren't fit or confident enough to get out of.

It's getting harder to see where the goals come from, especially at home and everyone knows how to take points off us at home. We aren't lucky enough with refereeing decisions to get the breaks we might need to counteract that. We can all see that late season slump that Boro had last year happening.

Like I say, I'll be slaughtered for this but after seeing the accounts I am really worried for next season. Watching that last night was desperate and I think that could easily become the norm. This team don't even really seem to know how they score the goals they do. There isn't a specific way they play that gets goals and without Lolley and Grabban, we would almost certainly be the lowest scorers in the league.

If Villa come down, Lolley goes there. Simple as that. Diakhaby on loan is the standard we can afford in replacement.

Definitely you will not be slaughtered by me Pope...I have your same feeling ... we have been there before ourselves. When Billy MK 1 left , the team was all over the place. When Freedman came here, we went on a play off push run. The following season total opposite. Ths list goes on...that's why I always say that when the chance comes nd you are up there with a chance of promotion you should exploit it.
Last games have been a worry, we dont score enough goals, we leave our opponents in the game, nd now the defence went off the boil too ... said it before, no chance that we will be winning games 4-3 or even 3-2 ... we dont have it...

 

[Calvin Plummer]

There is a little over reaction here, mostly I think because dream of top 2 has been well and truly shattered. However we haven't become a piss poor side over night, we are a solid championship side, with a solid manager who despite his inclination towards the conservative largely has us performing above expectation.

We have:

A keeper easily good enough for this level, he has a mistake in him but the confidence he instills in his defence is priceless.

A pair of very good championship fullbacks.

A solid central defensive partnership, they aren't perfect but given our defensive style by and large they've coped very well week in and out.

A dominant central midfield partnership, full of energy and experience. It's not always pretty but together they've been the heart beat of the team. Yes there are injury and age considerations but right now we are well ahead of any pairing I can remember for a long time. We also have Silva who appears to be turning into a solid third.

We have a winger playing through a broken toe, who hasn't been at his best this season but is a quality player.

One of the best strikers in the division, yes aging but he won't become shite overnight.


That is a very solid building block for next season, if (big if I know) we keep the squad together and add just 3 players:

Adequate cover for Sow
An attacking player so Ameobi can be a player to come on and offer something different rather than be a starter
A striker to take the pressure off Lewis and again give us different tactical options

Then we will absolutely be challenging the top 6 places again.

 

[jbacsta]

There is a little over reaction here, mostly I think because dream of top 2 has been well and truly shattered. However we haven't become a piss poor side over night, we are a solid championship side, with a solid manager who despite his inclination towards the conservative largely has us performing above expectation.

We have:

A keeper easily good enough for this level, he has a mistake in him but the confidence he instills in his defence is priceless.

A pair of very good championship fullbacks.

A solid central defensive partnership, they aren't perfect but given our defensive style by and large they've coped very well week in and out.

A dominant central midfield partnership, full of energy and experience. It's not always pretty but together they've been the heart beat of the team. Yes there are injury and age considerations but right now we are well ahead of any pairing I can remember for a long time. We also have Silva who appears to be turning into a solid third.

We have a winger playing through a broken toe, who hasn't been at his best this season but is a quality player.

One of the best strikers in the division, yes aging but he won't become shite overnight.


That is a very solid building block for next season, if (big if I know) we keep the squad together and add just 3 players:

Adequate cover for Sow
An attacking player so Ameobi can be a player to come on and offer something different rather than be a starter
A striker to take the pressure off Lewis and again give us different tactical options

Then we will absolutely be challenging the top 6 places again.

Thats pretty much how I see things but I can also agree with Pope. The trick will be keeping this squad together and adding those three players. The situation to be honest is very fragile and could go either way. With my particular hobby horse in mind ( the £5 million central midfielder) is there one that fits that description currently playing below half way championship football? because thats where we should realistically be shopping.

 

[Pope John XXIII]

Thats pretty much how I see things but I can also agree with Pope. The trick will be keeping this squad together and adding those three players. The situation to be honest is very fragile and could go either way. With my particular hobby horse in mind ( the £5 million central midfielder) is there one that fits that description currently playing below half way championship football? because thats where we should realistically be shopping.

I think that is the best way of putting our situation at the moment: fragile

 

[Calvin Plummer]

Thats pretty much how I see things but I can also agree with Pope. The trick will be keeping this squad together and adding those three players. The situation to be honest is very fragile and could go either way. With my particular hobby horse in mind ( the £5 million central midfielder) is there one that fits that description currently playing below half way championship football? because thats where we should realistically be shopping.

Swift at Reading might be worth a punt.

5 goals, 9 assists, averages 2.5 tackles/interceptions a game which is well below Sow/Watson but still a healthy output and we need more creativity/goals.

 

[jbacsta]

Swift at Reading might be worth a punt.

5 goals, 9 assists, averages 2.5 tackles/interceptions a game which is well below Sow/Watson but still a healthy output and we need more creativity/goals.

Thats it then. Buy him.

 

[orbitalforest]

Poacher don't do the next match day Fred, you've not got the touch.

Yeah put yourself in self isolation for a couple of weeks please Poacher ,stock up on bog rolls & beans etc , don't start a match thread for f**ks sake !

 

[ZedRed]

Thats it then. Buy him.

With what money?

 

[jbacsta]

With what money?

Details like that don't bother me.

 

[MaltaRed]

There is a little over reaction here, mostly I think because dream of top 2 has been well and truly shattered. However we haven't become a piss poor side over night, we are a solid championship side, with a solid manager who despite his inclination towards the conservative largely has us performing above expectation.

We have:

A keeper easily good enough for this level, he has a mistake in him but the confidence he instills in his defence is priceless.

A pair of very good championship fullbacks.

A solid central defensive partnership, they aren't perfect but given our defensive style by and large they've coped very well week in and out.

A dominant central midfield partnership, full of energy and experience. It's not always pretty but together they've been the heart beat of the team. Yes there are injury and age considerations but right now we are well ahead of any pairing I can remember for a long time. We also have Silva who appears to be turning into a solid third.

We have a winger playing through a broken toe, who hasn't been at his best this season but is a quality player.

One of the best strikers in the division, yes aging but he won't become shite overnight.


That is a very solid building block for next season, if (big if I know) we keep the squad together and add just 3 players:

Adequate cover for Sow
An attacking player so Ameobi can be a player to come on and offer something different rather than be a starter
A striker to take the pressure off Lewis and again give us different tactical options

Then we will absolutely be challenging the top 6 places again.

Calvin, I agree but disagree at the same time. The players you mentioned above are an enigma. One day, against the likes of Leeds, WBA, Brentford, we see the above players ...on other days we see L1 level players...in recent weeks, unfortunately, we have seen more of the latter then of the former

 

[seasider red]

There is a little over reaction here, mostly I think because dream of top 2 has been well and truly shattered. However we haven't become a piss poor side over night, we are a solid championship side, with a solid manager who despite his inclination towards the conservative largely has us performing above expectation.

We have:

A keeper easily good enough for this level, he has a mistake in him but the confidence he instills in his defence is priceless.

A pair of very good championship fullbacks.

A solid central defensive partnership, they aren't perfect but given our defensive style by and large they've coped very well week in and out.

A dominant central midfield partnership, full of energy and experience. It's not always pretty but together they've been the heart beat of the team. Yes there are injury and age considerations but right now we are well ahead of any pairing I can remember for a long time. We also have Silva who appears to be turning into a solid third.

We have a winger playing through a broken toe, who hasn't been at his best this season but is a quality player.

One of the best strikers in the division, yes aging but he won't become shite overnight.


That is a very solid building block for next season, if (big if I know) we keep the squad together and add just 3 players:

Adequate cover for Sow
An attacking player so Ameobi can be a player to come on and offer something different rather than be a starter
A striker to take the pressure off Lewis and again give us different tactical options

Then we will absolutely be challenging the top 6 places again.

Agree with most of that the only thing is the "if we can keep the squad together". I don't think there's any chance of that happening at least 1 of the "star turns" will go in an attempt to finance the addressing of the problems you highlight, and that is probably acceptable provided the money generated is wisely invested, the problems will really start if we try to cash in on more than one or if others decide the grass may be greener elsewhere and start agitating for moves and the squad disintegrates all together.

 

[Will.NFFC]

Agree with pretty much all the above. This season has a real Blackpool 2009-10 feel about it. Not style, but just a group of players that seem to have just for the most part worked. It’s not the prettiest and if I’m being honest, even 37 games in, I’m still unsure as to how it’s worked so incredibly well.

The blackpool feel though is that I just can’t necessarily see a scenario whereby it works as well next season. Be that through keeping the squad together, adding key players, or the players being as motivated and playing out their skin as they have for most weeks.

the hope is this is a very blackpoolesque season and we go up and it becomes very different, but I can’t escape the feeling that we’ll do a classic Forest and fall away or capitulate in the play offs. Hope I’m wrong, but there needs to be some clarity for the hierarchy on the club next season.

 

[Apollyon]

How about Sherlock chap?

Just how is Bobs saxophone chap?

 

[Apollyon]

Sabri brought a lot, but I am not sure if it will be enough for promotion or even play offs.

We should have given Jokanović everything he asked for.

Sabri bought none of them.

The TAP did chap. AS WELL YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

[da fuq]

Does anybody really think Sow, Watson and Grabbs will be able to play to the same level next season and play for most of the season

Doubt it

And do you really think we are going to be able to keep hold of
Figs
Cash
Worrell
Ribs
Lolly
Sow
Silva
Carvs


I reckon we would do well to keep 6 of those

We peaked around Jan and our limitations have been shown

The future is not looking good

 

[Apollyon]

Does anybody really think Sow, Watson and Grabbs will be able to play to the same level next season and play for most of the season

Doubt it

And do you really think we are going to be able to keep hold of
Figs
Cash
Worrell
Lolly

I would keep them and sell the others. Sow is a sick note. Silva is overrated. Not impressed at all by Ribiero and Carvalho, although very talented, isnt cutting it.

We need to strengthen. We havent done that for a while

 

[Old Red Fart]

In some ways I hope we don't make the top 6, this bunch of players would get nowhere in the PL and we would have to spend a considerable amount to stay up.
There's some doubt in my mind that our owner is prepared to do that, although I'd love to be proved wrong.

In the meantime the Championship is always exciting.

 

[InvincibleBrianMan]

In some ways I hope we don't make the top 6, this bunch of players would get nowhere in the PL and we would have to spend a considerable amount to stay up.
There's some doubt in my mind that our owner is prepared to do that, although I'd love to be proved wrong.

In the meantime the Championship is always exciting.

We are as good as nearly all the teams in the championship and that gulf in quality is true for any team that gets promoted though.
Personally I'm sick of being a mid table second tier side and want to see us back in the top flight regardless of any fears over needing to rebuild.
There is an element of now or never in my estimation. I can see the squad dissipating, the manager leaving and back to square one if we don't do it this year.

 

[Old Red Fart]

Can appreciate your views IBM. Luckily for me I've had a bit of the good times so am not quite as bothered as some on here. Even so I'd still like to see us in the top flight so long as we could compete. And that's the sticky point in my opinion.

Hope SL is here at least for another season, and with a bit of proper backing.

 

[NQ's Finest]

We are as good as nearly all the teams in the championship and that gulf in quality is true for any team that gets promoted though.
Personally I'm sick of being a mid table second tier side and want to see us back in the top flight regardless of any fears over needing to rebuild.
There is an element of now or never in my estimation. I can see the squad dissipating, the manager leaving and back to square one if we don't do it this year.

Agree IBM, even if you get relegated the very next season the cash injection into the club is immense, provided of course you are prudent with your spending. Norwich look set for an immediate return to the Championship but haven’t overspent so you would think they will be on a very sound financial footing which will bode well for them. If you contrast that with Villa who could be in real bother if they get relegated. Unfortunately the game is all about money these days and if you’re not in the EPL you’re feeding off scraps I’m afraid.