Chasing Our Tail

[Salvatore Matrecano]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

[ThePromisedLand]

An experienced British DOF would be a start.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Totally agree TPL.

[ThePromisedLand]

Before anyone mentions his name - Psycho does NOT fit the profile.

[Alf]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

They weren't though. The majority of AK's tenure (21 weeks out of 26) was spent outside the top 6.

Being 5th for one week isn't a top 6 side. The week AK left we were 7th, the 2 weeks before we were 10th.

Having a 6-8 week period when most your players are fit & firing & you spend the odd week in the top 6 is just a good bit of form, not a genuine top 6 squad.

The first 11, when fit, settled & on form is top 6, but few sides see first 11's last all season, here it lasted a few months.

The squad for me is a handful of top 6 players backed with mostly a mid-table support cast. Over a season it's simply not good enough.

[zicorice]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

Totally understand where you are coming from, but have to respectfully disagree re AK gets us into top 6 if he stays. The performances in December (A pi$$poor Ipswich team aside) were awful. At Millwall I remember 1 half chance all game (I was a bit inebriated though so may have missed something) and the Sheep game was a good result but poor game.

Funnily enough, I agree re Sheff Utd in terms of talent, but they have a really stable structure (started by Nigel) and have grown. Their attacking options are a bit of a Forest underachieving old boys club. Mcgoldrick, Sharpe, Dowell. It feels like if they brought Blackstock out of retirement he would start banging in goals!! Even Madine looks like a footballer! They seem to sign players with a point to prove, I doubt agents see Sheff Utd as easy paydays-unlike us.... Mcgoldrick, we now know believed his own hype when at Forest (see Paul McKenna interview for hilarious, but scarily classic example). He knows his career is nearly over and is exhibiting his talent rather than his cash in Prysm on  Saturday night.

I think it's different for them, although their fans are generally pretty horrible, they don't have delusions of grandeur, they know what they are. The current manager is one of their own and has got them playing the type of football not normally associated with them. 

I wish only one thing for next season (again) That is finish the season with the same manager we start it with. Everything else should then look after itself....hopefully.

[Strawberry Avenger]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

Totally understand where you are coming from, but have to respectfully disagree re AK gets us into top 6 if he stays. The performances in December (A pi$$poor Ipswich team aside) were awful. At Millwall I remember 1 half chance all game (I was a bit inebriated though so may have missed something) and the Sheep game was a good result but poor game.

Funnily enough, I agree re Sheff Utd in terms of talent, but they have a really stable structure (started by Nigel) and have grown. Their attacking options are a bit of a Forest underachieving old boys club. Mcgoldrick, Sharpe, Dowell. It feels like if they brought Blackstock out of retirement he would start banging in goals!! Even Madine looks like a footballer! They seem to sign players with a point to prove, I doubt agents see Sheff Utd as easy paydays-unlike us.... Mcgoldrick, we now know believed his own hype when at Forest (see Paul McKenna interview for hilarious, but scarily classic example). He knows his career is nearly over and is exhibiting his talent rather than his cash in Prysm on  Saturday night.

I think it's different for them, although their fans are generally pretty horrible, they don't have delusions of grandeur, they know what they are. The current manager is one of their own and has got them playing the type of football not normally associated with them. 

I wish only one thing for next season (again) That is finish the season with the same manager we start it with. Everything else should then look after itself....hopefully.

Amen to that.  Some great comment there.  We started the season with delusions of grandeur (hierarchy included...)

You expect or demand promotion but sack the guy you appointed to do it.  You know...the one who assembled teh squad to play HIS way....   'O....kay....'  

For the record.  I wanted Aitor to stay.  Always thought it was a two year project (so did he...apparently.)

We'll never know. :/

So again, can we finish eh season with the same manager we started with...

SA.  :cool:

[Strawberry Avenger]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

They weren't though. The majority of AK's tenure (21 weeks out of 26) was spent outside the top 6.

Being 5th for one week isn't a top 6 side. The week AK left we were 7th, the 2 weeks before we were 10th.

Having a 6-8 week period when most your players are fit & firing & you spend the odd week in the top 6 is just a good bit of form, not a genuine top 6 squad.

The first 11, when fit, settled & on form is top 6, but few sides see first 11's last all season, here it lasted a few months.

The squad for me is a handful of top 6 players backed with mostly a mid-table support cast. Over a season it's simply not good enough.

Brilliant post.

Bite of reality sandwich post.

SA.  :cool:

[Strawberry Avenger]

An experienced British DOF would be a start.

:angel: :idea:

Yes please.

SA.  :cool:

[Strawberry Avenger]

SA, your argument with the players not being good enough falls down because the players WERE good enough early in the season. Playing well as a unit and a tight gameplan they were 5th, Holding theor own against all the tops teams when we played them.

The recruitment in the summer was wasteful and scattergun but somewhere in this bloated squad we have enough talent to mount a top 6 challenge. I am certain we have more talent in our squad than Sheff Utd, I am also certain that Karanka would have got us top 6 if he had stayed.

It isnt working now and we are going backwards and for that reason I am losing patience. But someone desperately needs to come up with a strategy that works and that we see through.

We were never top 6 all season under Aitor.  We huffed and puffed and ran out of breath just before the international break.

We had such a slow.....slow start under Aitor.  Wasn't it littered with draws?  No back to back wins.

Our recruitment was wasteful and had a scattergun bloated squad yet we're good enough to be top 6 when we never were under Aitor who for any length of time and haven't been since.

'Nearly men' is what this squad is.  Brittle and lacks character.  But if you're wasteful and use a scatter gun for recruitment using £20 million on super agent and don't recruit using a British DoFootball? 

You're asking for it.

And now?

We have it.

Again.

SA.

[wassy04]

Out of interest who are the brittle and players with lack of characters you refer to?

[Duncan Mckenzie]

Before anyone mentions his name - Psycho does NOT fit the profile.

Why do you think that TPL and out of interest who does fit the profile in your opinion?