Nottingham United?
So a one-all draw away at QPR, and from what I heard on the radio, it was a good performance. Not that that counts for much – a lot of people were saying we were unlucky against West Brom, whereas I thought we were disjointed and their game-plan worked when ours didn’t.
But much more worrying was the post-match interview. Unlike my brother, I think I’m coming around to Billy Davies. He comes across as thorough, organised and seems to know his stuff.
But this hints at deep, deep trouble ahead.
Davies stressed Pleat’s presence did not cast doubt over his future, saying: “Don’t misunderstand me. I have known David a long time and never had a cross word with him. I will not be walking over this.”
But he added: “I’ve identified clearly three defenders and got none of them. Now I cannot identify to you why we didn’t get them.
“We have defensive frailties and I cannot tell you why we are having to play with an outside-right at right-back.”
For the record I can see both sides. Nigel Doughty wants a structure where decisions are spread across the club, so when the manager (inevitably) leaves, there isn’t a massive void to fill (see Charlton following Curbishley’s departure, or us throughout the nineties). Billy Davies wants the power to do what he needs to do, make decisions quickly, get things done and get those players signed.
It seems that one of the two will have to back down. But which will it be?
Tags: billy davies, david pleat, nigel doughty Posted in
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
They should try and find a compromise. Billy should pick the players and then after consulation with the Muppet Committee, if there are no financial or structural objections (which should take an hour or two to find, not weeks) then Billy should be allowed within the guidelines of what they club are prepared to pay, go and get the player. One problem I hope doesn’t exist is the commits certain Committee members have outside Forest which stops then paying close attention and quickly when a player is highlighted. I wholely doubt Pleat’s commitment especially, to Forest. I think he’s in it for the money. Billy is a good manager, so I’d disagree with your brother. He has a good track record, especially at this level and if giving the opportunity, will make Forest into a great team again. U reeeds!
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
P.S. If Billy leaves, Forest are looking at dark days ahead. Things in football like this committee, or Directors of Football (Woodward at Southampton comes to mind) don’t work. Brian always said “There’s only one person that can run a football team properly, and that’s the manager”. I find it hard to disagree.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
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August 23rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I don’t care about club politics, do the frigging job you are paid to do Billy, how about effing off if you dont think you can continue. Nottingham Forest will continue without you, you self obsessed little twat
August 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I would just like to point out that I don’t think that Billy is a bad manager. I just don’t think that I like him. I don’t like the way he airs the club’s dirty linen in public and it really gets on my nerves that all the bad things are everyone’s fault but his own.
Some matches he gets it woefully wrong (see the Derby matches at the CG last season, or Burnley away), but I do think that he is capable of progressing this club. The very fact that we survived last year, and that this year’s bench is made up of last year’s first-teamers is testament to that.
The worry I have is that he doesn’t seem to care for the club, only himself, and if he senses any genuine problems will p*ss off and then blame the club (just like he did at Derby).
August 24th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Pachuca Red, you can use extreme examples like Woodward as proof that the DoF role doesn’t work but at the same time you can look to people like Arnesen, Comolli and the bloke at West Ham to see that it does.
Pleat and the committee are there to ensure that a manager doesn’t end up buying a load of right old crap that we’re then stuck with a la Megson when the manager goes. And frankly, if you look at the appalling mess of a squad that Davies left Derby with, you can’t blame them.
I’m with Martin on this. Davies should shut up and manage, and if he doesn’t like it he can go and find himself a club where they will open the sweet shop doors for him. There are much better young managers out there than Davies who will be happy to work within what is not that unusual a structure.
August 24th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
If Billy wants a right back he should bring back Brendan Moloney instead of putting him out on loan to Notts County, he should also bring back Joe Heath from loan at Lincoln to left back. They are both potential stars !
August 25th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Unfortunately Mickely, I don’t think that we can recall Heath or Moloney as they are on fixed-term six month loans. Seems a bit foolish to me as they both showed a lot of potential last year as specialist full-backs.