A stay of execution for our beleaguered manager - at least till the next crisis.
We lined up in some zany 4-3-3/5-0-5 formation, with Campo in goal, a back-four of Moloney (recalled from Rushden), Morgan, Wilson and Lynch, Perchio in the holding role with Anderson, McGugan, Tyson, Earnshaw and Garner as attackers.
Not the greatest game, but certainly a great three points. And a clean sheet to boot!
Tags: barnsley, nottingham forest Posted in
No manager will come out and say that he expects to be sacked, so (as with Casual Kelv) Colin Calderwood’s comments are no surprise.
To me, the main thing that has been proven this week is that people are quick to resort to hyperbole. The reaction from professional journos is entirely predictable, and can be justified by their need to sell papers (or get hits on their website or whatever). Some of the Forest blogging community are similarly provocative in their headlines, presumably in an attempt to increase their hit rate, either for personal pride or to try and get people to click on their ads (and I will admit to choosing my headlines carefully, if not “provocatively”). But look at the forums (fora?) and messageboards, and you will see people who have no such interests using very strong words, and (unforgivably in my view) often presenting opinion as fact.
Many blogs and messageboards have been outspoken, and people have a right to their opinion. However, whether you think he should stay or go, the club are in a much stronger position now than they were two and a half years ago, and Calderwood appears to have the confidence of both the dressing room and the boardroom. My opinion is that these are good enough reasons for the manager to retain his job, at least until the end of the season - if we go down, then I would expect the situation to be reviewed (as relegation would be a disaster not just on, but probably off the pitch as well).
Naturally, the chairman and hapless CEO are both under-fire as well. “Back him or sack him!” people cry. I think this illustrates the fact that, sometimes you just cannot win. If the chairman came out in support of his manager, people would only harp on about the “dreaded vote of confidence” and use that as a stick with which to beat manager, chairman and CEO.
Anyway, onto the match. Barnsley will still be missing Iain Hume who had a scare this week in his recovery from a fractured skull - I wish him all the best for a full recovery. For Forest, I am glad to see that Brendan Moloney (recalled early from his spell with Rushden & Diamonds), Matt Thornhill, Ian Breckin and Rob Earnshaw are in the squad. I can sense changes to the starting line-up, with these lads having a good chance of getting in the team.
We will be back with a podcast tomorrow - it feels like a lot has happened since the Birmingham match…
Tags: brendan moloney, colin calderwood, iain hume, ian breckin, mark arthur, nigel doughty, nottingham forest, rob earnshaw Posted in
Stand-in skipper “Casual” Kelvin Wilson has become the first Forest player to speak out in support of his beleaguered boss. You already know that I find the whole situation distasteful, but what exactly do we gain from this? Do you ever see players coming out in this situation saying, “I think the boss is a fool - if the chairman had any sense, he would have sacked him long ago”?
I do genuinely think that most of the current squad like Calderwood, but it is also in their professional interests to say so, as new managers usually bring in new players - in Casual Kelv’s case, he might not get in the team under a new man, let alone be captain.
Tags: colin calderwood, kelvin wilson, nottingham forest Posted in
Billy Davies will be appointed as the next manager of Nottingham Forest, at least according to our esteemed local rag.
I don’t want Davies as manager. As I have said in previous posts, I don’t even think that sacking Colin will achieve that much. For those of you who think that Davies would be good choice, have a read of this article, which is admittedly partisan, but also have a look at the comments. An egotistical manager who relies on defending a lead, and whose team displays a distinct lack of leadership - if all this is true, would this really be an improvement on Colin? All of these accusations have been levelled at the bronzen one by disgruntled Forest supporters in the recent past.
Finally, players like Robert Earnshaw have stated that part of the reason they enjoy life at Forest is because they feel wanted (I cannot be bothered to look up links, but have a read of the official site or the NEP shortly after Earnie signed). How do you think our best striker will feel if the club appoint the man who signed him, then never played him when they were at Derby?
Update (27/11/08, 12.30): Brian Laws has just signed a new contract at Sheffield Wednesday.
Tags: billy davies, colin calderwood, derby county, nottingham forest, Robert Earnshaw Posted in
The Daily Mail is again reporting that Big Sam is being lined up to replace Calderwood. This seems to be a story that won’t die and, to be honest, if Doughty is looking, then Allardyce has to be a candidate.
Do we want him though? I like him as a manager (although he did shit on Notts) - especially his use of psychology, sports science and modern training methods. And he did especially well at integrating a diverse dressing room full of “difficult” characters.
But there is the problem. We have a young, mainly Notts-based squad, playing for the most part attacking, stylish passing football. My Bolton-supporting mate says the hoofball thing was made up. However, before Sam, Bolton achieved promotion scoring over 100 goals. With Sam they were reknowned for grinding out one-nils with a team of old, over-the-hill misfits. Although admittedly, pre-Sam Bolton couldn’t stay up. I also remember reading an article showing that (using Opta statistics) Sam’s Newcastle had an average pass length of 20-30 yards (up from 5-15 yards previously).
So where does that leave us (apart from in trouble)? We have had “direct” managers before; some have even been popular (Harry Bassett, Paul Hart - the football at the end of his reign was “direct” to say the least). But in the back of my mind, I can’t help thinking Big Sam might be the wrong man at the wrong club (just like the current Bolton manager when he was here).
Tags: sam allardyce Posted in
I usually try and have a think before posting but am deliberately trying to capture the mood here.
0-0 is perhaps not a surprise from two teams who struggle to take their chances, but the reaction at the end is more interesting. I am following using BBC Live Text (which appears to have been taken over by the Press Association, leading to everything being articulated much more politely), but also following the 606 forum, where people listening to the match report:
CC goes over to the Forest fans to chants of “CC out(?)” and applauds them. He’s shook hands with all his players too.
This leads to speculation that this is Colin going through the motions, a goodbye gesture if you will.
I guess we’ll know in the next few days…
Tags: colin calderwood, doncaster rovers, forest supporters, nottingham forest Posted in
Billy Davies is being lined up as our next manager, should we lose tonight (not a bad choice but I’d prefer Brian Laws - which isn’t going to happen).
Meanwhile, Calderwood searches for someone to stick the ball in the back of the net - this time it’s Chris Porter.
And what are the odds of Gareth Taylor scoring against us?
Tags: billy davies, chris porter, gareth taylor Posted in
So there is once again talk of a protest at the next home match, although once again the jury is out as to whether anything will actually happen, and exactly what people would be protesting about. In this writer’s opinion, it would achieve precisely nothing, other than to give ammunition for Leicester and Derby fans, and several of the national newspapers, to have a chuckle at the expense of this once great club (author’s note: please remember that this was a long time ago, and unlikely to be repeated in the modern game).
In the space of 45 minutes, Colin Calderwood has gone from being on the crest of a wave (that is, some fans were actually not baiting him all the time), to being flushed down the toilet. Of course I think that he is responsible, but not because of tactical ineptitude; the main problem is that, with the exception of Rob Earnshaw, he failed to get some experienced players in. We could really do with a couple of big ugly grafters, ideally one at centre-half and one in centre-mid. It is ironic that a Bristol City fan’s report had us down as a bunch of chancers, timewasters and niggly cheats (I wasn’t at the match so don’t know if that is true or not), because that is exactly the opposite of what I have seen. The problems we had with referees earlier in the season actually highlighted that we are too nice - referees will allow a bit of needle (ask Tys, he has been the victim of several batterings by opponents), so why shouldn’t we give as good as we get?
I love having a team of kids - it really fills me with pride when I see them put in a decent shift and get a point (or once in a while, three), but it turns out that Alan Hansen’s prophecy is true for most teams (except Man United). CC did bring in Fletcher and Camp, players who are not ageing but have a good deal of experience at this level, but for all that Campo commands his area better than Smudge, that is no good if the defenders still won’t get rid of the bloody ball when it comes into the danger areas (Kelvin that means you).
The squad is obviously thin in certain areas - a defensive centre midfielder (although Perchio has been outstanding for much of the season), and at right back (although Perchio has been outstanding there in a couple of matches). In other areas, I am worried that CC may undermine certain player’s confidence by sticking with them too long - Kelvin, Luke, even young Garath are looking weaker for it.
Of course, ultimately it is all the manager’s responsibility, but still I don’t want him sacked. One, because until Brian Laws leaves Wednesday, I am not sure that there is anyone out there who would be able to do a better job; two, sacking the manager is usually a “sticking plaster” approach and rarely a long-term solution; three, the current squad were almost all bought, or brought through under Calderwood’s stewardship, and I get the impression that they like and respect him; and four, because I really want him to succeed as Forest manager, playing the kind of football that we have seen most weeks this season - I just wish we could get some points as well.
Finally, I completely understand the booing on Saturday - I just cannot condone it. In any workplace, if you have young staff and you yell abuse at them (no matter how well paid they are), it will only depress their level of performance. The way they played against Norwich was poor, but you could see they were still trying at least, and I have seen too many Forest players not bothering over the years (did someone mention Andy Andrew Cole?). The situation is dire, but let’s be grateful for small mercies…
Off-topic: Does anyone know what happened to the muppets trying to drive down Trentside at full-time? By the time we got past them, I was half-expecting to turn around and see the three cars floating down river - I hope no-one got hurt and nothing got damaged. After a frustrating home defeat in the bitter cold, the drivers should really have known better…
(Updated 24/11/08, 10pm, to include links)
Tags: colin calderwood, james perch, kelvin wilson, Lee Camp, luke chambers, muppets, nottingham forest, rob earnshaw Posted in
As it has been nearly two full days since the match, you will all have read the facts and some opinions elsewhere. For me, like most other Reds, Saturday was not only bitterly cold, but bitterly disappointing, and the tide has turned against CC again (not so much for the result, but more from the nature of it).
As it turns out, the neutral and the Norwich fans seem to be quite willing to give the credit to Norwich custodian David Marshall, who undeniably kept the Canaries in the match, especially in the first half. From a Forest point of view though, the defeat was down to a lack of composure, poor decision making, and more soft goals conceded - this is definitely a match that we lost, rather than Norwich winning it (lest we forget, the Canaries didn’t actually have a shot on target in the second half!).
However poorly we played in the second half (and let’s face it, it was dire, despite Marshall having to save from Joe Garner, Chris Cohen and Paul Anderson - although the latter two efforts hardly stretched the keeper), we had enough style and chances to win the game with 45 minutes to go. In fact, we should have had two goals before the red card, with Tys flashing his header criminally wide, and Garner making it easy for Marshall when he had all the time in the world. In the meantime, Norwich could have scored one themselves with Campo having to be alert to stop Bell’s effort (and bail out his defenders in the process).
I give some credit to Glenn Roeder and Gary Doherty for not disputing the red card, as it was as clear a professional foul as you will ever see (although from the Trent End, clearly not a penalty); Doherty just got there too late (but I bet a lot of other managers would have still grumbled - Alan Pardew?). From the resulting free-kick, Marshall produced probably his best save from Matt Thornhill’s effort which was heading for the bottom corner. Of course we then conceded an awful goal, with Kelvin Wilson failing to clear, and then a line of Forest defenders failing to get rid before Matthew Pattison volleyed home. There was still time for another save for Marshall from Garner’s header, before Paul Anderson equalised (just as I remarked that we might not get a goal before half-time).
Disappointingly, Matt Thornhill was subbed at half-time, apparently injured - he had once again had a quietly productive 45 minutes, but I hoped that having McCleary, Anderson and Cohen all in midfield, and Tyson upfront would see lots of incisive running and balls into the channels to scare the bejesus out of Norwich. I was wrong. Most of the time, the Reds could not even string two passes together, and they singularly failed to make the most of the width of the pitch, the extra space and the extra man. Some players did make good runs, but didn’t get the ball, and Anderson was particularly unfortunate that his running with the ball was not rewarded as there was simply nothing else on (eventually resulting in a frustrated left-footed effort that was easy for Marshall - Ando must have felt that he had little option but to go it alone by that stage). In the meantime, Chris Cohen continued his industry, but in this half little was going right for him, and Garath McCleary was having one of those days were he just looked overawed.
The worst thing for me was not seeing a poor performance, or hearing the frustrated jeers of the crowd (although neither of these things were pleasant) - it was seeing the Reds’ players shouting at each other, frustratedly looking for someone to blame. Most of the midfield did this, as did Casual Kelvin, setting a poor example as captain with his languid style of play and laying into young Joe Heath next to him. Even before Ian Breckin’s little run in the team, I had remarked that we needed someone like him in the team: experienced and does not mess about with trying to control or pass the ball - if it needs to be got rid of, then get rid of it! This match once again placed sharp focus on Kelvin’s lack of suitability for the captaincy, and even (on current form) a place in the team - when he is good, he looks magnificent, but that has only happened in one or two matches, which simply isn’t enough. The own goal was also a fine example of the lack of leadership and accountability - Lita should never have been near the 18 yard box, and when Wes made that last ditch tackle the situation should still have been dealt with. The hapless Chambers tried to clear, but it was a calamity as the ball seemed to ricochet off Cohen and slip in. So many players in the wrong places, so many mistakes.
So it is the “L” word again - leadership (or lack of it). We have a team of kids, Lee Camp and Nathan Tyson were the oldest out there at 24 and 26 respectively, and no-one seemed able to act responsibly and take things by the proverbial scruff of the neck. Kelvin Wilson just should not be in the team at the moment, I don’t care if Breckin would struggle to play three games in a week, he would still do better than Casual Kelv. On the other hand, at least Wes seems to be trying to step up to the mark, he was one of only three Reds players who didn’t seem scared of the ball (Cohen and Anderson being the others) - I just wish Wes stopped thinking that he was Franz Beckenbauer and stuck to short, simple passes. After a decent performance against Birmingham (and subsequently shooting his mouth off to Radio Nottingham about it), Luke Chambers reverted to type with a hopeless performance in which he was constantly out of position and got just about everything wrong. This was compounded by Anderson’s deployment on the left, which meant that he wasn’t able to dig Chambers out of various holes as he has down so often when playing on the right. As Joe Heath is getting his chance at left-back, what harm could it do to recall Brendan Moloney and give him a run on the right?
For me, this is comfortably the worst performance that I have seen from Forest this season, even worse that the 5-1 mauling at Wolves (it wouldn’t have mattered what Forest did that day, we would still have been battered). For what it’s worth, Paul Anderson gets the eighteensixtyfive man of the match award, and he and Chris Cohen (the sponsor’s MOTM) were visibly upset at the final whistle. Chambers and Cohen at least had the decency to come up to the Trent End and applaud us for having sat through that dross on such a cold night.
Tags: colin calderwood, david marshall, Match Reports, norwich city, nottingham forest, Paul Anderson Posted in
In other news:
Craig Armstrong (remember him?) joins Our Nigel at Burton.
Metgod found moving from Madrid to Nottingham easy.
The Justin Campaign fights against homophobia in football.
And Roeder has no complaints about the sending off.
Sorry, no podcast this week as I was on a stag do.
Tags: burton albion, craig armstrong, glenn roeder, johnny metgod, justin fashanu, News, nigel clough Posted in
