02-08-2018, 02:07 PM
(02-08-2018, 01:22 PM)Strawberry Avenger Wrote:(02-08-2018, 12:12 PM)ThePromisedLand Wrote: I’m a negative so & so!
8th
Forest finished last season top of the bottom 8. This season, if they finish top 8 then that is progress. Good progress...for me. HOWEVER...
I'm not Marinakis.
But Forest have spent big, smashing their transfer record to £13 million, recruited a striker for £6 million and spent millions more (reports of £25 million...) to bring in 11(!) players to outfit the squad with two competitive players for each position in the squad.
Forest have gone about their Summer building with an 'Eye of Sauron' razor sharp professionalism of a club that is now well run with people in recruitment who KNOW what they're doing. Ie. They've done their homework. And they've been shrewd in their outgoings too. Bringing in 1.5 million for MacKay who is OUT, 300-500k for Lichaj (OUT), Kapinao 1 million (out and replaced with a free transfer who is probably better for the Championship and can push Pants...). So there's 3 million right there. With nothing more than a blunt, 'X has left the club.' on the website. The days of Forest letting even unwanted players going for nothing are over. It's business! Business that? That buys a decent RB which is the only position which needs quality competition. Crocks, Cohen, Hobbs and Vaughan? Out. ..and their wages along with them. Pranksters like Cummings? Out, on loan. There's still another 5 or so players to go. But I'm guessing it won't be long before they do. With the likes of Ward training with Sheff' UTD. Traore? Gone. Perennial under performers like Henderson, Estimov are also likely to leave. The old soft touch Forest having ten players sat in the stands, picking up good wages, crocked or underperforming is being bleached out of history as we speak. Forest have even recruited a new club doctor! Whether that deals with the gyspy curse of injuries, we'll have to wait and see. But maybe the new owners saw something in the past arrival of Hobbs and others or the length of treatment time and decided to make a change in recruitment and medical personnel. Further evidence of overhaul in how Forest recruit and treat players. The players brought in seem to be of a more robust physical and mental condition. Journey men and passengers are out.
Noting the 'sharp' professionalism, Forest removed the players not involved with the squad from the team sheet on the website!
Aitor Karanka has been utterly ruthless in January, bringing in ten players and shipping loads out care of his trusty Chicago Typewriter (following a Preston performance that must have had a Karanka 'paint peeling' response at half time which prompted him to need more than '2-4' players to avoid relegation...)
That ruthlessness has continued as Forest utterly shelled out a squad of any remaining pretenders, ripping up the carpets, knocking off the plaster, blowing the doors off...ie the Forest squad has been gutted and completely overhauled in a revolution that hasn't been seen for a very long time.
A succession of 6+ managers patchwork of players? Gone.
In? Athletes. Strength. Balance. Skill. Talent. Height. Energy. Pace. Experience. Captains (MORE THAN ONE!). Youth. Depth. Quality for each position. Did I say Balance? ;) Robustness. Quality passing. Hunting in packs. Extra height in the backline. Huge depth in midfield. Wingers. Defenders. An experienced goal keeper or TWO! Championship ready players. Premier quality players. Continental players. A cosmopolitan squad. A high quality striker. THREE battle generals! 8 youth players on the pre-season trail. COMPETITION. An embarrassment of riches on the subs bench. No one is guaranteed of their place 'so' much. This is what has been brought to a revitalised squad which has been re-forged in Karanka's image.
...and with that? Expectation.
So. Karanka is ruthless. Marinakis is ruthless. The latter has spent 25 million(?) and anything short of a top 6 finish will not go down well.
Stoke have spent big? WBA came down with 6 wins in 47 matches? Swansea are rebuilding. Boro have Pullis. There's Villa who has escaped the ignominy of FFP? There's Derby. 6 teams who were well ahead of Forest last season. And then you have the perennial outside surprise package who comes out of nowhere. Hopefully, that is Forest this time around! I think all of those teams will be beatable with this new look Forest squad. I think Forest will surprise many this season. And that surprise factor may work in Forest's favour.
Short answer. I full expect, if we sign THAT RB that Forest will have an all out assault on the top 6. But they haven't been built on, year on year like the teams above. So expecting the autos would be unfair. Anything higher than top 6 would be fantastic. Could we go up via the play offs?
I think that's a possibility.
If Forest had a 'Vuk' style CM signing and another quality striker? Autos. (Forest possibility need more competition for ACM. But Forest have signed players who can all play that role!)
But bringing in the RB pretty much completes the transfer business...with rumours swirling Forest may yet target that 'other' striker closer to the transfer window deadline. (...and I always thought you need at least two quality strikers to get out of this division.)
So, Karanka, it's over to you. You live and die by the sword.
SA.
Great post!