Your Thoughts On The Current Nottingham Forest Manager

[Alf]

I want to join this debate, I thought we did well this summer when compared to previous. We’ve signed 4 players who look like they could make a real impact in a promotion battle (I’m including ameobi). Samba and Sow are two of the best signings we’ve made in years too.

i agree on Silva, set piece delivery is not enough. Semedo is just a kid and will be up and down, this is his first season playing regularly. No problem with using him in a rotation, he will improve.

Of the rest Mir looks average and we’ve barely seen the rest (thought chema looked decent v stoke)

So in conclusions thats 4 very good signings, a couple of solid ones and a few misses. I would always air those odds, we normally get 0 good signings!

It's more a change of approach I'd like to see. I wouldn't be so demanding if the owner wasn't. Modesto won't kop it if we have a few injuries and go on a bad run, Lamouchi will. Yet you look at the success we've had and it's mostly been built on players already here.

Semedo is the perfect example of a player who'll probably only be coming good as he's ready to leave the club. I look at him & the likes of Muric & think that's resource which could be allocated better. i see little point in us training up other team's players. I'd sooner give Semedo's game time to Yates tbh, that way as both he & his value improves we profit from both. Not the club he's due to return to. To me loans should always improve a side from the off, not after half their loan period is up.

Also, look at Jenks. 2m for a right back who doesn't appear to be as good as the one we already have. Why didn't we just not loan out Richardson, and use that 2m for someone like Grosicki, who's scored 13 goals since the begining of last season?

I don't expect perfection, but whereas I think Mouch has constantly made good decision after good decision, and is undoubtably moving the club forward, recruitment still seems to be hit & miss and the area which we need to look at to ensure we do move forward.

In Jan I would like to see 2-3 key additions made. Ones which, like Sow, make a difference from the very off and don't need developing or bringing up to speed. The Semedo's, Bostocks, Murics, Mirs etc, all have their place & were fine for a club chancing it, but this may be our opportunity this year now and we should grasp it with both hands, signing players who 100% improve the team from the very off.

We've sold 11m worth of players this year and spent very little of that. We need to aleady have several quality attacking options lined up to some straight in the second the transfer window opens if we want to take the opportunity we seem to have this year.

I like this post Alf. Not saying I agree with all of it, but it's properly reflective and well reasoned. I think Jenkinson was a solid signing and think competition for Cash will keep him improving. For the record, I stated early on that Cash has all the attributes to be a top modern right back. If I were a Prem scout, him and Worrall would be on my shopping lists.
Muric is a really odd one. If he had started well, his confidence may have been up and he may have been top draw. That's the risk with young keepers. I always thought Pants was fine though. Samba however is a big upgrade. Semedo is different to Yates and is worth having just for the quality he brings. His goal at Swansea and performance vs Brum have helped contribute 6 points towards where we want to be. Chema looks decent early doors, Silva is contributing and as you say Sow has had a big impact. I see Ribeirio as an upgrade on Robinson too. Mir looks short on confidence and needs a goal. 
Sorry to make the comparison but the core of our European Champions were already here when Cloughie took over. However adding the likes of Shilts, Burns, Lloyd, Archie, etc over a couple of years took us to the top. Granted there were very few misses from Clough and Taylor. We also have alot of signings from previous regimes who are not part of his plans to shift or see out contracts.
January is only important if Oct, Nov & Dec continues as Aug & Sept have. If we drop off then what do we do? If we are clear out front and firing on all cylinders then what? Who did Norwich sign last Jan?  It is so hit and miss.

I guess I am saying I agree with your sentiments on signing policy. No more scatter guns, just quality and "sure things" - even though no such thing as a sure thing! The last window seems so far quite successful, the next one has to be very successful.

Thanks Wassy. Back at you mate.

Yeah, some fair points in there. As you say, there's no such thing as a sure thing, but you can play the percentages. We did with Grabban, Daws & Adomah & they've worked fine.

Yeah, here's hoping we do enough to get over the line in the next one. Now's the time :)