Match Thread: Big spending Forest Vs West Brom sponsored by bloody cricket | Page 7 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Big spending Forest Vs West Brom sponsored by bloody cricket

Had you offered me 1-1 at the start I may have been tempted to take it but it is definitely 2 points lost for me. However there are more positives than negatives.

If we can get the final ball and shot anywhere near the quality of our approach play then we are going to start turning sides over regularly.

I would like us to be tighter defensively but think that will come too, particularly if teams are too worried that we will counter.

And what the bollocks has AK done to Guedioura? He looks immense. Fit and a class above this division.

We could be in for an entertaining top ten finish and if you offer me that now I would probably take it.
 
Football is an 18 man game nowadays, and 14 of them get to play. Unfortunately injuries will soon kick in, and players like Soudani, Worrall, Yates will get their chance. In fact we will probably see some of them on Tuesday against Bury. If he is any good, it won't be that long before Soudani makes the breakthrough.
 
Whatever you might say, that game was fantastically entertaining.

We had them completely on the rack for over an hour. After we scored West Brom looked physically and mentally shattered, but unfortunately it was us that tired. The sheer intensity of our play for that took them apart but the problem is what happens when the players can't match that any more.

I agree with Jock; Karanka waited too long for fresh legs. He allowed the game to slip away from us for ten minutes before he changes things, and when he finally did the team seemed to lose all shape and organisation.

Defence never gave me any confidence and I never mentally felt we were winning as I was just waiting for the sucker punch. West Brom were putting some right old bombs into that box and every set piece I was waiting for the collapse. Too much headless chicken defending and we are appalling at fullback. In contrast, I thought Pantillimon was superb; he collected so much in the air even though he had no shots to stop.

The forward play was streets ahead of anything we have seen in years. Balls were being played that took apart a very good west Brom defence. What was missing was getting it on target. 5 shots on target looks appalling, but of our 15 that were off target I would say a large number were very credible chances that just missed.

Grabban is a superb lone forward and his hold up play was something else. He did fluff a chance and was unlucky with others. On another day he would have had a hat trick and he will be exactly what we need.

Lolley needs to learn to shoot. He made great runs only to take the wrong option every time and pass to someone in a worse position rather than hit it.

Guedioura was outrageous. His near goal from the half way line nearly put the goal of the season to bed. He was exactly what we need in driving forward.

I thought Darikwa was poor. I would say he managed to be average defending but going forward I felt his deficiency was exposed by all the new players. He offered nothing. In possession he took forever just to pass back to the guy who gave him the ball, while west Brom would get everyone back. No penetration, no unpredictability, nothing. Osborn was better going forward but once again, the lad can't defend. Phillips was told to target him, as will every decent winger.

This is what PL side's do- they defend well and then exploit your one mistake and walk away with points. It's disappointing to lose the win, but you have to put those games to bed and in the future we will.

I really fear for Reading on Saturday. I don't see them coping with what we offered tonight

Absolute top post that pope!
 
Oz did OK against the best winger in the league. Can see a premiership club coming in for Phillips and many left backs in the championship will take a breath of relief. Oz's height is more of the problem but he is worth his place for his threat going forward. Prefer players to play the champagne pass and fail than pass backwards and sideways (like Livermore).

I know this isn't going to happen but would like us to go three at the back, particularly when a game gets stretched and players tire. This would do several things.

Negate pass over Oz's head as a get out clause (saw this numerous times last season).

Puts a big player in middle of defence as teams pressure us with more high balls and set pieces.

By pushing wingbacks forward in to midfield, puts more legs in to midfield. Colback and Geddy were struggling last 10 mins last night

Wingbacks give us width so now we can play at least one of the wide men up close too lone striker. Thus we have two strikers or one behind the other. WBA were noticeably more dangerous once Gayle came on as he and two strikers, stretched our back four, making more space for others.

Overall a promising performance against a very good team (which may be a lot weaker after the weekend).
 
352 with Dawson slotting in fox left CB Fig right, Ozzy and Darikwa wing backs would be a good option to change things up. The squads quite versatile formation wise, AK hopefully will be able to adapt in games to cause most teams a headache.
 
Oz did OK against the best winger in the league. Can see a premiership club coming in for Phillips and many left backs in the championship will take a breath of relief. Oz's height is more of the problem but he is worth his place for his threat going forward. Prefer players to play the champagne pass and fail than pass backwards and sideways (like Livermore).

I know this isn't going to happen but would like us to go three at the back, particularly when a game gets stretched and players tire. This would do several things.

Negate pass over Oz's head as a get out clause (saw this numerous times last season).

Puts a big player in middle of defence as teams pressure us with more high balls and set pieces.

By pushing wingbacks forward in to midfield, puts more legs in to midfield. Colback and Geddy were struggling last 10 mins last night

Wingbacks give us width so now we can play at least one of the wide men up close too lone striker. Thus we have two strikers or one behind the other. WBA were noticeably more dangerous once Gayle came on as he and two strikers, stretched our back four, making more space for others.

Overall a promising performance against a very good team (which may be a lot weaker after the weekend).
I agree if AK had put Dawson on and changed to a 3 for the last 10 mins, we may well have held on for the win. When Gayle came on it changed the dynamic of the game and caused us problems.
 
352 with Dawson slotting in fox left CB Fig right, Ozzy and Darikwa wing backs would be a good option to change things up. The squads quite versatile formation wise, AK hopefully will be able to adapt in games to cause most teams a headache.

Call me old fashioned but I do like full backs that can defend and put good tackles in.... Stuart Pearce & Viv Anderson were two of the best full backs of their era but it didn't stop them rampaging up the wing when they had to but when they had to defend they could do that very well but you can't say that about our two.

Give our 2 FB's a licence to move further up the field and it will cause more problems - besides, we now have players in Lolley & the 3 Musketeers with pace to break at pace down the flanks.

Sorry to disagree Mr R but it's only my opinion!!!
 
You are allowed your opinion rederthanred and it is very valid. My argument, supported by Mr R was that when WBA changed their shape we should have changed ours, to 352. Our midfield was over run in last 15 and went back 10 yards resulting in numerous opportunities. We can still play the first 75 mins as you suggest. Feel AK is too rigid in a mid two, although Geddy and Colback were far more attacking and flamboyant than Watson/Colback were last year. A lot depends how the game pans out and is far easier from the stand and with hindsight. But that is why AK is payed to watch Forest and I pay to watch Forest.
 
The issue with 3-5-2 is the lack of pace in whomever is playing sweeper/libero. If they read the game well that's not necessarily an issue, I'm also unsure Dawson is the man to consistently bring the ball out of defence into midfield.

Plus he won't be playing 40+ games which means Worrall comes in (good) but one injury...
 
Agree with both, we need fullbacks who are better defensively & aerially, but we also need to be flexible and be able to change formation when the situation demands it.
 
WBA are a big physical side. Every set pieces against us you would feel nervous .

Looking at social media etc I think some folk are getting carried away at how good some of our players were tonight. Could easily have lost . Felt disappointed with lolley thought he was poor tonight

I don't do social media but even your good self must acknowledge that we have a squad capable of moving forwards where we have been going backwards or flatlining.

Imo this is the reason for the ticket sales and optimism. I must have gone from orgasm to heart failure a half dozen times yesterday and whatever else, most entertaining 1-1 I've seen for a while.
 
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Had you offered me 1-1 at the start I may have been tempted to take it but it is definitely 2 points lost for me. However there are more positives than negatives.

If we can get the final ball and shot anywhere near the quality of our approach play then we are going to start turning sides over regularly.

I would like us to be tighter defensively but think that will come too, particularly if teams are too worried that we will counter.

And what the bollocks has AK done to Guedioura? He looks immense. Fit and a class above this division.

We could be in for an entertaining top ten finish and if you offer me that now I would probably take it.

I agree Bash that once we get the final ball and finishing anywhere near the quality of our approach play we will definitely start spanking a few teams regularly , it will also mean not so much onus will be on our defensive strengths .
You score 2 we'll just go and get 4 or 5 ! :grinning:
 
Looking like a sell out chaps. Going to be a belting atmopshere

Hope so....
Had you offered me 1-1 at the start I may have been tempted to take it but it is definitely 2 points lost for me. However there are more positives than negatives.

If we can get the final ball and shot anywhere near the quality of our approach play then we are going to start turning sides over regularly.

I would like us to be tighter defensively but think that will come too, particularly if teams are too worried that we will counter.

And what the bollocks has AK done to Guedioura? He looks immense. Fit and a class above this division.

We could be in for an entertaining top ten finish and if you offer me that now I would probably take it.

Pretty much the way that I see it.... early days, work in progress and many more positives than negatives, which is now down to AK to work upon!
 
To think it took us 23 games to draw last season! That was our downfall last season not being able to get back into games or to steady the ship when the other team equalise
 
I don't do social media but even your good self must acknowledge that we have a squad capable of moving forwards where we have been going backwards or flatlining.

Imo this is the reason for the ticket sales and optimism. I must have gone from orgasm to heart failure a half dozen times yesterday and whatever else, most entertaining 1-1 I've seen for a while.

haha agreed mate. we have reading bury and wigan to come. an opportunity to build real momentum.
 
Don't follow the harsh criticism of Ben Oz. For most of the game him and Dias kept their best form player quiet. For the goal, he had to come inside and leave Philips alone as the danger at the back post was Rodriguez. When the ball comes out to Philips Oz, Geddy and Fox are all closing down. 9 times out of 10 he would have hit a defender or fire wide/over. He will never hit it sweeter. Great Philips goal. Don't balme Oz.
 
Surprised by the comments saying our defence looked shaky. I thought we were solid apart from those last few minutes. One of the things I thought would let us down was corners and free kicks, given they had Brunt taking them and their record at scoring from set pieces in recent years. But we defended them reasonably well and Pantilimon has an awesome presence. How many crosses did he simply step out and pick out the air?

Special mentions for Osborn and Fox for me; both players who have took a lot of flak in recent years but I thought they were impressive against PL players. Only player who looked suspect to me was Darikwa; too indecisive and too many lazy passes which put us in danger.

In terms of our attacking play, the speed of passing, movement and how dangerous we looked in the final third that is the most I've enjoyed a league game since the 4-0 against QPR last season.
 
What a great atmosphere at the City Ground. Nearly 28k fans and a rendition of Mull of Kintyre that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

We were treated to a fantastic match, played at high tempo and total commitment. I was hoping Forest would play something like the way they played against Bournemouth and they didn’t disappoint. Forest controlled the first half and were solid at the back, despite a good WBA bombing it in at every opportunity from corners and (in many cases soft) free kicks. I’m really impressed by the way this Forest team presses and closes down when not in possession. We got into great positions on numerous occasions but lacked that final ball and finish.

Geddy rounded off his superb MOM performance with a really good goal, then almost followed it up with a long-range goal of the season contender, with the goalkeeper off his line. It only just went wide. At that point, Forest were well on top and should have finished it off on a couple of occasions, with Lolley two or three times squandering great positions. I just hope we are not going to regret not adding more firepower, e.g. Marriott. You had the feeling, with WBA growing in confidence because they had not been put away, that we would end up being punished. So it proved.

But this match was very encouraging. We were solid at the back, until those last few minutes, and were superb going forward at times. Plus, this is an emerging team; there should be a lot more to come.
 
Surprised by the comments saying our defence looked shaky. I thought we were solid apart from those last few minutes. One of the things I thought would let us down was corners and free kicks, given they had Brunt taking them and their record at scoring from set pieces in recent years. But we defended them reasonably well and Pantilimon has an awesome presence. How many crosses did he simply step out and pick out the air?

Special mentions for Osborn and Fox for me; both players who have took a lot of flak in recent years but I thought they were impressive against PL players. Only player who looked suspect to me was Darikwa; too indecisive and too many lazy passes which put us in danger.

In terms of our attacking play, the speed of passing, movement and how dangerous we looked in the final third that is the most I've enjoyed a league game since the 4-0 against QPR last season.

Completely agree re: attacking play, and Fox was magnificent, both his defensive work and distribution. But Ben, for all his quality going forward and distribution, simply isn’t good enough as a defender, which if he holds the LB spot has to be his bread and butter. It’s not his fault, he’s not a natural LB and is basically a ‘victim’ of his own versatility to find himself there. But he will be targeted week in, week out by opposing sides and it will sting us. Just my opinion of course and I hope I’m proved wrong, but I’d honestly rather see Fox out there purely for the extra ability to contribute to a defensive Unit and defensive duties - Stick Daws or Joe CH. we’ve got players that can play now, and Ben is better off in the middle of the park. He’d make a good number 10 if Carvhalo needs a rest I reckon.
 
We visibly tired and Darikwa in particular was very sloppy in his passing. Figi looked unfit to me and wba targeted Osborn. Osborn was excellent last night.