So far, So Good?

[Strawberry Avenger]

yes some will say he has only had 5 or 6 games

others will say the initial fractures and fault line goes back to around Oct 2016, he got an awesome draw, away at Arsenal who were top, scoring and generally winning and playing with confidence

however that creditable, awesome draw was sandwiched between 2 losses.

the 'not usually winning' has been evident right back to AK's PL season, ie 11 ish wins out of 55 plus games

the main problem being AK adamantly refuses to set up offensively or change anything hence he is really predictable and instills confidence in opponents imo

it is always going to 2 defensive midfielders and 1 striker, rain or shine, Bury or Barcelona

Middlesboro really wanted AK to succeed but he exasperated the life out of them, they would of settled for survival but they couldn't see AK's blinkered faulty strategy working out, he had a good squad there worth probably more than £60m

He made 47 plus signings with them.  24 so far with us.

Basically AK has managed back to back wins extremely rarely in his last 55 games, maybe twice or less

Personally and maybe unfairly I took quite a dislike to AK after the Hull cup game we crashed out of, I concluded then that he is cheque book, revolving door, harsh to say but I felt back then he would be '***** on the academy' , he hasn't really got a record in developing youth.

The cracks run deeper, he doesn't really do the arm round the shoulder, if he feels let down according to I think Craig Hignett who was assistant to him in good times, he can alienate that player, besides this he has deep faith in an analytical strategy

Surely if a manager is analytical, uses all the stats available why doesn't he change tactics 3 5 2, 4 4 2, 4 5 1 whatever

I feel disappointed BB is going but like I said, I felt the writing on the wall was his 20 games here last season

I wondered about moral, team spirit, the band of brothers type bonds that can help win games, I prefer the smaller squad, I like youngsters to be introduced with good timing into the team though I am not opposed to loans out

Huge squad upheavel and a lot of loans in can be detrimental.  also players coming from far and wide it can be difficult to for them to settle here

Ok Eric wasn't the best player, didn't fit the system, also BB he's not broken any records but these were players who loved playing here and helped others feel part of a family

I think AK was probably put under pressure to get into the play offs when he arrived in Jan so he couldn't focus on developing and learning about what he had here, hence the 10 signings

The 10 signings then was too many, too soon.  

In hindsight I genuinely believe he could of made as few as 5 really good quality signings over the last 8 months

24 seems a bit ridiculous, seems we were going for it, ***** or bust this season?  

The problem in my head is probably more to do with 'modern' football though more a combination of a relatively dour persona manager, negative predictable tactics, revolving door, neglect of the academy

The main point is, the cracks were in plain view prior to AK arriving, the departure from Boro, the 47 signings, the alienating, the analytics, the record of 11 wins in the last 2 years.

This chat has been really about lack of results and why this trend is unlikely to improve.

For me I would be happy with entertainment, excitement and progress but maybe modern football isn't about any of this

Sorry I am a bit depressed, in fact I have been since the Hull cup game January.  I want to love my club but this AK is making it so difficult for me.

That makes interesting reading.  I can see what you're getting at.  It's not about agreeing or disagreeing in my mind.  It's about time.  Forest need to actually stick with someone.  Something.  Give it time to blossom.

The proof in the pudding at Forest is whether he gets the time...and all managers need time.  But they increasingly get less of it.  He did get Boro' into the play offs and then promoted.  That's what Forest have bought into.  They knew the style of manager he was in doing so.

However, Forest's problem with managers is that they don't stick them.  In the case of Aitor, it took him two and half years to do that with Boro'.  Aitor isn't even a year into his Forest reign?  He's had less than 8 months with 'his' players, a scramble/panic window in Jan' and a meticulous Summer window.  Teams like Boro' and Leeds have been building for longer.  Wigan have momentum.  Forest haven't got any momentum because they were avoiding relegation last time round.  This season it's not even been a month playing Championship football.

Teams take time to develop...mature piece by piece.  Forest are unbeaten.  They haven't played the champaign football they almost blew WBA away with.  They've been sussed in the last three games by high press high temp and physical sides.  Any master of analytics would tell you that the Championship is all about the 'Robust but can play a bit.'

Check book manager?  If it was as easy as spending £25 million then any manager with funds could get promoted.  Football isn't.  It's arcane magic.  Alchemy.  Which way is the right way?  Which formation?  Which players?  Which blend of them to make a 'team.'  The squad on paper sounds good...but how will Portuguese youngsters adapt to the Championship in practice.  Will Grabban get an achilles injury after signing for 6 million?  Will Bre' go for £8 million?  Is Watson finished..?  Do Forest have a DCM in that context?  Do they need a more progressive CM to push Geddy?

So is the building of the team finished?  Not if you have 1 fit striker in the 18 who is 35.  Not if Watson is finished.  That means you have two players short of where you need to be.  That means Forest aren't going to get top 6 then.  Not if they don't have depth in the striker dept or a CM that can drive the team.  Funnily enough, those are the positions Forest have struggled in so far this season and it's been targeted by teams in the last 3 games.

1 is an off day.  2 can be unlucky.  3 is a pattern.  Forest have played more than 3 games!  Will ten or 15 games tell us more of the same or will it start to click?

Forest have the off field team to course correct the playing staff by adding loans and selling Academy players if they are not ready to drive the team to promotion.  (Ben' may go to Blackburn and score goals to promoted them.  That's football.)  But Forest aren't playing in a way that supports him or Soudani as a striker.  So Forest need to get a striker who does fit into the style of play.  Aitor has only brought in one striker over the Summer.  It's not enough as the absence of Grabban (injured) showed today.

I'm not happy about the mistakes.  I'm not happy being battered by Reading, Wigan and Birmingham.  3 ordinary teams.  One of whom have momentum.  (Are a team and have built on their success.)

Forest need to get some momentum.  They are building towards that.  Very different to Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham, Leeds or Boro'.

Though that may be of little comfort to those that went and saw what was on offer today.  Frustrating.

Forest need to address that DCM/CM area and the Striker dept.  If Ben' isn't going to play (and if he wasn't in the Bury 18 then why would he?) and he's off, then the greater good of the team comes into it.  I don't see Ben' or Worrall as part of a promotion chasing team.  They weren't last year...they seem to need games to develop.  Doesn't seem that's going to happen at Forest.

SA.