City Ground League Form

[Trailer Park Tom]

We have won 2 of our last 12 home games and only 5 wins at home since the start of last season. This form is concerning and it needs fixing for our ambitions to be met. 

I personally think we are easier to play against with possession and are more dangerous with a back 5. Additionally, I feel that unrealistic fan expectations last season caused a sing when we are winning atmosphere in the ground that quickly turns negative (along with premier league politics).

Id be interested to see what people think about this and how we can make the ground a fortress again?

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Not sure what point you re making, our form both home and away was tragic all of last season, mildly disguised by beating the bottom 2 already relegated sides right at the end.

Certainly the style of play looks far more confident in the 3 games to date this season, that may change should we go on a poor run of results. But is home form worse? Pretty sure its not, we ground out a few largely unexpected 1-0s in the first PL season but look at the match stats for those games. We usually had 20-30% possession and doubt there was a game all season where the opponent didn’t have more goal attempts.

We are starting to look like we belong now, Danny Murphy with the throw away comment at the end of MOTD, Forest and Wolves “2 good teams”. Pretty sure he has never called us good before.

So with being established comes complacency amongst the fans, no longer the new boys still happy and excited despite losing, we expect a result now and when we don’t its a bit flat. Gone is the raw excitement of the promotion season and the end of season 22/23. That season too it was 1-1 vs Wolves and we were in the middle of a bad run with the rumours of Cooper being sacked growing rapidly it was a poor atmosphere then. However think the atmosphere when we do win or are playing well is still good, agree we do need to convert the home draws to wins against bottom half teams though if we want to progress in that mini league.

[Sausage Roll]

We got one point from Wolves and Bournemouth at home last season. This time we've got two.

Yes I know that's being flippant but it's a fact.

[wassy04]

Is not the point that it doesn't really feel like we have improved based on these first three games? I don't think it's unreasonable to think we would've improved based on the time spent in the league and new signings. Not saying I expect improvement per se but the lack of improvement so far is slightly disappointing for me.

We'll see how it looks after we play some of the better teams. Tbf to Nuno we were noticeably more competitive against the top half sides in terms of performance under him compared to under Cooper, even if the results were fairly similar or worse in some cases.

[Username]

The atmosphere has changed although I thought we got behind them for decent parts on Saturday, we aren’t the twelfth man we were in our first season back.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

The football being served up is good, attacking and entertaining and for the most part the atmosphere apprears good too.

Only a matter of time before we give someone a good spanking like we did Fulham last season. That was the best performance seen at the CG for years.

I am happy and fail to see any real problem although the actual results themselves could and should be a bit better.

[Tricky]

The football being served up is good, attacking and entertaining and for the most part the atmosphere apprears good too.

Only a matter of time before we give someone a good spanking like we did Fulham last season. That was the best performance seen at the CG for years.

I am happy and fail to see any real problem although the actual results themselves could and should be a bit better.

At the end of the day, we have played two teams at home, that one would consider to be mid-table sides. We have drawn both. We beat a newly promoted side at their place. 

Given before the season started, many Forest fans were saying they think we will finish mid-table. To have come away with a draw against two sides likely to be in or around us, by our own expectations and to beat one of the sides possibly destined to be relegated, is about par for the course so far. 

We have scored 3 and conceded 2 in the league so far. We are unbeaten in the league so far and only just got knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties to a full strength Newcastle side, while we fielded half a team of new arrivals. We have one of, if not the, highest number of attempts at goal so far this season. We have been unlucky that some of those efforts have produced excellent saves from the opposition goalkeeper and we have had a goal ruled out for offside. Yes we have looked suspect at the back occasionally, but I think once Moreno is integrated into the side and Aina is possibly moved to Right back, we will see our defence shored up a little more. 

The next two games will be tough matches and I can only see us losing to both Liverpool and Brighton. But after that, we have more opportunities to pick up points. By which time, hopefully our new arrivals will be up to speed with the league and we can improve our game.

At the end of the day, we are three games in and unbeaten. Let us embrace the fact that at the present time, we are a top ten side for the next couple of weeks.

In Nuno I trust

[Sausage Roll]

The atmosphere has changed although I thought we got behind them for decent parts on Saturday, we aren’t the twelfth man we were in our first season back.

Possibly because the expectations have changed. First season it was very much backs against the wall, they shall not pass. We knew we'd probably not have much of the ball.

Now there's more of an expectation to attack teams.

[wassy04]

The atmosphere has changed although I thought we got behind them for decent parts on Saturday, we aren’t the twelfth man we were in our first season back.

Possibly because the expectations have changed. First season it was very much backs against the wall, they shall not pass. We knew we'd probably not have much of the ball.

Now there's more of an expectation to attack teams.

A not unreasonable expectation I'd argue too against Bournemouth and Wolves.

[Trailer Park Tom]

So the general feeling is we draw a line under last season home and away and it's just how it's played out against two sides generally doing better than us.

I'm not disappointed with the start we have made but I see this as more of a pattern. 

I guess we will find out after Fulham and Palace.

[wassy04]

I think due to the soft start fixtures wise everyone is pretty chilled, I suspect it'll turn quickly if we take a few poundings from Liverpool and Brighton. Alternatively, get a win in one of those games as excitement will dramatically rise.

I'd be happy if we're competitive in both, not expecting any points though, just hopefully not thrashed.

[Fumanchew]

First season back 8 wins 6 draws at home 30 pts, 1 win 5 draws away 8pts

Last season 5 wins 5 draws at home 20 pts, 4 wins 4 draws away 16

If you can’t say that’s progress then I don’t know what is

22/23 wins at home: West Ham (1-0) Liverpool (1-0) Palace (1-0) fester (2-0) Leeds (1-0) Brighton (3-1) saints (4-3) Arsenal (1-0)

Low block and absorbing the pressure and getting a goal on the counter, we opened up as a team back end which I thought may carry on into last season

23/34 wins at home: (cooper) blades (2-1) villa (2-0) nuno Man Utd (2-1) West Ham (2-0) Fulham (3-1) so first year we beat all that went down, just didn’t beat Luton or Burnley, if we had that’s 7 wins 3 draws (both cooper games)

Nunos home form was 1pt per game. Coopers was 0.8 last season, his first season was 1.57 so that’s some drop off that nuno had to figure out what to do to fix

Currently it’s still at 1pt per game… but as people have said last season at home to Bournemouth we lost, so that’s already a point