Posted March 10th, 2010
by Rish
Although he didn’t get the Championship player of the month award, Chris Cohen can at least content himself with a slot in the Championship Team of the Week (opens as a PDF).
New boy George Boyd (reminds me of “what are the scores, George Daws?”) had a very decent first half and a reasonable second period on Saturday, but has been told that he must work harder by Billy Davies.
In the meantime the manager is scouting for possible replacements for injured skipper Paul “Kenna” McKenna, with Wolves’ Andrew Surman allegedly on the list (perhaps to play left-back with Chrissy back in the centre of the park?). Billy also comments on the importance of the unsung heroes supplementing the efforts of the “sexy players” (whatever he means by that), while stand-in skipper Lee Camp says that he is not a Derby fan and has “no interest” in Robbie Savage.
Finally, the Freekicks Foundation (from whom we got the picture of Georgie Boyd above), are walking from Peterborough’s London Road to the City Ground this week. The Foundation aim to provide football-related activities for ill, bereaved and deserving children. If you would like to donate then please do so via their Justgiving page.
Tags: andrew surman, billy davies, chris cohen, freekicks foundation, george boyd, Lee Camp, paul mckenna, robbie savage, wolverhampton wanderers Posted in News
Posted February 25th, 2010
by Rish
Makeshift left-back James Perchio has surprisingly been selected for the Football League Team of the Week. Billy Davies seems happy enough with his contribution but clearly doesn’t want him to play there.
Meanwhile, Chris Cohen has been rewarded for his tireless hard work (and no small amount of skill recently) by being nominated for the PFA Player of the Month award for February. Click here to vote.
Finally for today, somewhat unsurprisingly, Leicester’s Jack Hobbs wants revenge on Saturday after we spanked the Foxes in December. In the meantime, Chris Gunter has noticed that our away form has slipped a little recently, and has suggested that we try and start winning these matches again. Good idea, young man!
Tags: billy davies, chris cohen, chris gunter, jack hobbs, james perch, Leicester City, nottingham forest Posted in News
Posted February 17th, 2010
by Rish
A welcome victory against a team that we NEVER seem to beat (albeit one who are on a poor run away from home). We have now won eight on the trot at home!
Billy Davies reverted to the more normal home line-up:
Campo
Gunter Morgan Wilson Perchio
Cohen Majewski McKenna Anderson
Blackstock Earnshaw
Forest started well, with Chrissy Cohen coming in from the right to fire wide from the edge of the box, and it wasn’t long before we took the lead. Raddy’s corner was headed in by Ando (Ando?!) and little Robbie Earnshaw poked home on the goal-line. Only four minutes on the clock!
Forest continued their good play, with a return for some of the one-touch “champagne” football, although we did not realyl work their keeper enough. Raddy wasted a good opportunity on the counter-attack after a superb through ball from Chrissy Cohen, as the young Pole took one touch too many rather than having the shot, and Dex directed the ball straight at Mark Bunn in the Blades’ goal from another corner.
What was starting to take the eye was the rather, erm, physical approach that our opposition were taking. Rahoul couldn’t make it, so when he asked for a text update, I replied that they had “reverted to type i.e. dirty”. Darius Henderson is your archetypal “big strong lad up front”, and he is not scared to use his physical presence. I am not quite sure how he escaped a booking for repeated fouls in the first half, although the only caution in the first half was to Raddy, who committed a late tackle and chopped his man in the process. I am not quite sure how their centre-half escaped a red card for a challenge on the edge of the box which looked two-footed to me (reminded me of Garath McCleary’s deserved red on Saturday), but I sit in the Trent End, so perhaps any readers who are up in Victor’s Veranda could help me out?
Sheffield United almost scored when Nyron Nosworthy’s deep cross was misjudged by Perchio and forced Campo into a late intervention to palm the ball away from the far corner, but Forest should have scored with the best move of the match; excellent play from Gunts and Chrissy set up Ando just inside the box, but his first-time shot was just over when should really have hit the target. I was hoping that we wouldn’t regret the missed opportunities.
The second half started with the dismissal of Darius Henderson. I don’t know what for as I watched the ball, but two or three Forest players went mental at the ref and the linesman was flagging. Oddly enough, the ref produced the red card without consulting the lino, even though he clearly didn’t see the incident but his assistant did. Seems strange to me, although Henderson didn’t seem to argue too much.
I have to say that ten-man Sheffield United were excellent in the second-half. I guess the red card galvanised them, and their workrate was exceptional. However, they ratcheted up the dirtiness, and the referee failed to show any real authority. As an example, Lee Williamson fouled his man, and then kicked the ball away; I think the booking was for dissent, rather than the foul, but the ref called Williamson towards him, and then as the midfielder continued to back away, the ref walked towards the player instead. Way to go to stamp your authority on the match, Mr Referee! Also, the Blades were constantly stealing yardage at throw-ins, which would have been fine, except the ref kept telling them to move back, then failed to act when they took another ten yards.
Nonetheless, Yeates followed Williamson into the book (again, apparently for dissent, rather than the foul), and I don’t understand how makeshift right-back Jamie Ward did not get booked for repeated fouls on Ando. Towards the end, Sheffield United’s left-back Kallio took down Gunts in full-view of the ref and lino, and the ref was not going to punish the defender until the assistant encouraged him to do so. Well done linesman, and although Kallio argued his case, he missed the ball and took the man.
Back to the actual football, and we were being pressed back by the ten men of Sheffield United. As so often, Forest were guilty of sitting too deep, and they looked a bit tired and backed off too much, allowing space to the opposition. There were a few hairy moments, although Campo did not have too many nasty moments to deal with, other than a couple of mid-rangers from the dangerous Yeates (one missed and one saved). Forest did create a couple of chances on the break, a decent effort from Chrissy was parried by Bunn, and Ando, looking knackered and on his wrong foot, could only direct the rebound into the side netting. Ando was soon replaced by Tys, and the least-popular-man-in-Derby soon forced an excellent save from Bunn as he drove for the far corner after a good pass from Earnie (who soon made way for Goldie).
With Forest looking tired, Raddy was withdrawn for the Mooooossssse, who made a decent cameo as an energetic box-to-box player in the last five minutes, but there was still time for Perchio to make the tackle of the day, as Stephen Quinn bore down on goal in stoppage time. An excellent intervention from a player who still looks rather uncomfortable to be playing on his wrong foot, and one that probably earned us two points. Well done James.
Billy commented afterwards that we look tired, and I don’t think many Reds fans would disagree with him (although he also used the interview as an opportunity to remind everyone that our squad in weaker now than a month ago). Ando has only just come back from a rest, and looked knackered after sixty minutes, Robbie Earnshaw was in a similar position, and while Chrissy was his usual industrious self, he seemed half a yard behind at times today. Fortunately, we have a better squad than last season, so can still call on the likes of Lewis, Goldie, Tys, G-Man and Big Dele. Man of the match today is probably between the two central midfielders: Raddy showed some amazing skill in the first half and a prodigious workrate in the second, but for me the main man today was the skipper, who showed that he still has it with some superb tackling and imposing himself on the match even as the Blades threatened. Nice one.
Tags: billy davies, chris cohen, chris gunter, darius henderson, james perch, nottingham forest, Paul Anderson, paul mckenna, radoslaw majewski, Robert Earnshaw, sheffield united Posted in Match Reports
Posted February 10th, 2010
by Rish
So much to report upon…
As we already know, Forest didn’t sign anyone in the transfer window (Just Got Back has expressed this far more eloquently than I could, before reporting on last night’s match against Coventry), and Billy had a rant about the lack of signings, especially the failure to tie up Raddy “Radi” Majewski. And worse than that, we have started to lose games, when only a couple of weeks ago, we felt like we would win every … single … match … we … play.
Has the bubble burst? I hate to say it, but possibly:
- Billy playing mind games with his superiors in the media suggests that he is frustrated, and a frustrated manager may not stick around for long.
- We have the perennial “square pegs in round holes” situation, a weaker squad than we had three weeks ago, and Billy’s apparent willingness to tinker with the balance of the team to make a political point.
- Chris Cohen was apparently decent at left-back last night, but he has driven our midfield for the last four to six weeks, and with Tys and G-Man McCleary apparently out of favour/form, he leaves a gaping hole on the wing that is, unfortunately, not the same shape or size as Joe Garner.
- The players are starting to look tired, particularly Paul McKenna, and against Sheffield Wednesday, there were indications that, having been beaten into submission at D*rby, they have got the fear.
- The reason why our players are good, but not necessarily great, is that some of them are either brilliant, or rubbish: Moose, Earnie, Ando, McKenna, Garner, Goldie, even Dex – all of them either make an amazing contribution or look like rabbits in the headlights. McKenna and Moose, in particular, have really flattered to deceive in the last week or two. Our form since October was usually about the team playing greater than the sum of its parts, but all the proverbial cogs do need to be working for the machine to function*
What does this all mean? Firstly, that I am probably feeling unnecessarily negative after a hard week and a half for the Reds; secondly, that it is worth remembering that only two or three months ago, we were all saying that upper mid-table would be a victory this season, and even Billy was saying only a couple of weeks ago that promotion in one season is too much; all is not lost, as we are still only four points from the top of the table, and the play-offs would hardly be a disaster… Finally, remember that there is always the emergency loan market (ahem)!
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In other news, Amy Fearn coming on as a supersub referee last night was the first time a woman has officiated a League match. Our luck against Sheffield Wednesday has been recognised (especially as both Billy and Alan Irvine admitted that it shouldn’t have been a penalty), but nonetheless, Dex-On-Fire took his chance and ended up in the Football League Team of the Week (NB this link opens as a PDF). Finally, Radi Raddy Majewski’s thunderbolt against Derby has been nominated as one of the top 20 goals of 2009 in the Football League – vote for it here!
* Sorry if I am mixing my metaphors here!
Tags: alan irvine, amy fearn, billy davies, chris cohen, coventry city, dexter blackstock, Guy Moussi, joe garner, just got back, paul mckenna, radoslaw majewski, sheffield wednesday Posted in General
Posted February 7th, 2010
by Rahoul Baruah
After last week’s setback (and its subsequent fallout), we finally get back in action in front of nearly 4000 Wednesday fans.
A couple of changes see us line up in a 4-4-2:
Campo
Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Perchio
Cohen, McKenna, Moooooooooose, Tyson
Blackstock, Earnshaw
This saw Tyson replace Anderson on the left (probably giving Ando a rest) and Moooooose replacing Majewski in the middle – a controversy that Billy brought to everyone’s attention in the post-match interview. As you’ll hear, we have our own feelings on this; Billy and the club are both playing a dangerous game.
As for the game itself, it was pretty poor from us, Wednesday looked well-drilled and organised, but the match really belonged to the officials who were as poor as anything I’ve seen in a long while.
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Tags: billy davies, chris cohen, chris gunter, dexter blackstock, Guy Moussi, james perch, kelvin wilson, Lee Camp, nathan tyson, nottingham forest, paul mckenna, rob earnshaw, sheffield wednesday, wes morgan Posted in Match Reports, Podcasts
Posted February 3rd, 2010
by Rish
Nigel Clough has denied any wrongdoing following on from the handbags at the end of Saturday’s match, and appears to be asking for leniency as it is a local derby (not sure that this is an argument that will curry any favour with the FA). However, Billy Davies has continued with his claims and made an official complaint (involving lawyers) against Sir Brian’s son. I saw some footage on East Midlands Today, and while it wouldn’t stand up in a court of law, it doesn’t look too clever on Nigel’s part (I have had a look but cannot find the footage online – sorry)…
In the meantime, Garry Birtles has a grumble about Forest not adding any players to the squad (no, not even a left-back), while there are vague rumours circulating that Nigel Doughty may have had enough of January inactivity and will “restructure” the acquisitions panel.
Finally, wee Billy and Chris Cohen are nominated for Manager and Player of the Month for January – results announced on Saturday.
Tags: billy davies, chris cohen, derby county, garry birtles, nigel clough, nigel doughty, nottingham forest Posted in General
Posted February 1st, 2010
by Rish
Well, we cannot ignore this one can we?
I was just about to post some thoughts on the match, but got sidetracked by Billy accusing Nigel Clough of assaulting him during Saturday’s match:
“I told him I wouldn’t have minded him doing it to my face but to do it when my back was turned was cowardly,” an incensed Davies said. “That’s why I never shook his hand at the end. I said to him on the touchline he was out of order because when I was in the middle of that scrum he came from behind and kneed me in the back of the leg. I felt the blow on the back of my right leg and it was deliberate.
“He tried to claim it was an accident but he knows, as well as I know, that it was no accident. He was trying to be clever and he did exactly what he was trying to do, but to do it behind my back was a bit cowardly and that was my disappointment.”
The FA are to investigate, and Nigel has refused to comment. Amazing stuff…
On the match itself, I was otherwise engaged so couldn’t even listen in, but I am going to be honest and agree with Rahoul; I had a gut feeling that this might have been the one that got away. Put simply, I think it meant more to Derby this time, they needed a result to boost morale, and when you are having a disappointing time, you naturally focus upon games like this.
That’s not to say that I don’t mind losing to Derby, of course I do, and I am terribly disappointed that the Reds never really got going on the day. However, if this is the pinnacle of Derby’s season (as Robbie Savage’s comments and the DVD release suggest), and they only end up scraping safety (or worse), then more fool them. But I won’t be crying over this one if we end up in the top two, or in the play-offs (even if we don’t go up).
I certainly hope that the noises from the dressing room about learning from the experience hold true (we were always going to get complacent at some stage), and I found it interesting that Billy said (in the audio link) that he picked the wrong team (whether that is an admission of culpability or trying to protect the players is another matter).
Let’s look at the bigger picture, we have been THE best team in the country recently, and it would take a dramatic loss of form for us not to be one of the top three or four teams in the division over the course of the season. I was Mr Cynical for a long time, but it is hard not to be so confident when you have watched this team over the last few months…
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In other news, it comes as no surprise that we haven’t signed Victor Moses, who has gone to Wigan; unfortunately there are rumours that Nicky Shorey will also be staying in the Premier League, with Fulham keen to take him on loan.
Tags: billy davies, derby county, fulham fc, nicky shorey, nigel clough, nottingham forest, paul mckenna, robbie savage, victor moses, wigan athletic Posted in General, News
Posted January 22nd, 2010
by Rish
With the news confirmed that Matt Thornhill has left for an initial month’s loan (possibly to be extended) at Cheltenham Town, Vital Forest report that combative-and-mardy-but-kind-of-likeable forgotten man Joe Garner could also be leaving the City Ground on loan, to either Carlisle or Millwall.
In the meantime, Colin Neil Warnock has said that Forest have not bid for Victor Moses (despite reports elsewhere suggesting that he could be a Red by next Tuesday), and Messrs Hughton and Calderwood still hope to prise James Perch away from Forest (with Chris Hughton refuting Billy Davies’ earlier claims that Newcastle were playing dirty tricks by publicising the bid).
Other Reds in the news include Lee Camp confirming that he thinks talk of an England call-up is ridiculous (in case you are interested I would pick Hart, Green and Robinson in that order – let Campo play in the Premier League first), and Chris Cohen waxing lyrical about Billy’s touchline antics and tactical nous. The comments on the latter article show just how popular a player young Chrissy has become, and deservedly so!
Tags: billy davies, carlisle united, chris cohen, colin calderwood, james perch, joe garner, Lee Camp, matt thornhill, millwall fc, neil warnock, newcastle united, nottingham forest, victor moses Posted in News
Posted January 20th, 2010
by Rish
Some bloke called Stuart Pearce who says that he used to play for us is now saying that we are going to win the league as we have “spent a few bob in the summer”.
As we are planning on spending, not selling, Forest have rejected a “derisory” offer from Newcastle for James Perch, with Billy Davies not holding back (that makes a change for him) on his disappointment at the story being leaked. I say quite right too, and unless we can retain Shorey, we will need Perchio even more.
Speaking of Nicky Shorey, it has been confirmed that he will miss a single game following his red card against his old club. Unfortunately that is the last scheduled game of his loan period, but interestingly there is no comment such as “Shorey is likely to have played his last game for the club”.
Billy Davies is making a case that his signings have proven excellent value for money, and it is hard to argue if Campo really cost £250k; my Dad was also suggesting that £250k for Ando is proving to be a bargain. In fact, out of the players that Billy has signed, only Joel Lynch has not made a real impact this year (although he played well at centre-half during the early season injury crisis, and is potentially one for the future), and Goldie has been the only one who has looked overpriced at times (although he has made excellent contributions at others).
It is with a sense of inevitability that Arron Davies has left the club, although with a little more surprise that the powers-that-be have also decided to release Joe Heath, Aaron Mitchell and James Reid. Good luck to you all (especially Heathy – he looked OK I thought).
Finally, this little gem from the Championship Manager website: “Radoslaw Majewski is too good for the Championship”!
Tags: aaron mitchell, arron davies, billy davies, david mcgoldrick, james perch, James Reid, joe heath, joel lynch, Lee Camp, nicky shorey, nottingham forest, Paul Anderson, radoslaw majewski, stuart pearce Posted in News
Posted January 17th, 2010
by Rahoul Baruah
GeriRed asked (in the comments) why William Davies keeps playing Cohen (left-footed) on the right and Anderson (right-footed) on the left, when you’d expect them to be the other way around.
Well I’m just a punter who bangs on about tactics without knowing what I’m on about; but in my (ill thought out) opinion, there are good reasons.
In the “olden” days, a winger had two jobs.
The first is obvious: cross it. Wing it, cross it, head it and in was the way. It was English football. An essential skill here was running at the full-back, taking it outside, and then getting your foot around the ball to put in the cross.
The second is slightly more subtle: making space. When your winger has the ball near the touchline, the defence has to move across to cover; leaving space, either on the other wing or for a central midfielder to slip free of his marker.
With the way the game has changed, that first job is much less important than it used to be. Alan Shearer is the last striker I can think of who played that way, with both Blackburn and Newcastle using out and out wingers to get the ball to him.
Instead, today, the second job is much more important.
That’s why, when Paul Hart failed to replace Jim Brennan, his diamond formation suffered – no width (in this case, from the advancing full-backs) meant no space for the attackers.
That’s why, against Reading yesterday, Ando wasn’t actually taking on the full-back and trying to go outside him. Instead he and Cohen were there to stretch the defence, to draw the defenders out of position and make space for Madge, or Gunter and Shorey to run into.
And as they don’t need to go outside their man, as they don’t need to push a cross in from the byline, the fact that they’re left or right footed becomes much less important.
However, there is another reason for the switch that is much more important than crossing and making space. Nowadays, there is another job that wingers are required to do. That is defend.
In the olden days the full-back was on his own when the winger ran at him. Today, we expect the opposing winger to have at least two tracking him. And normally that’s the full-back and our winger.
In our side at the moment, we have Gunter and Shorey (alas no more) at full-back. Of the two I would say Gunter’s real strength is bombing forwards, while Shorey is much more content to advance more slowly. This means that, when the attack breaks down, we have a massive gap on the right hand side.
And ultimately, this is why Cohen is playing on the right (and also why Tyson isn’t making the team). While both Cohen and Ando track back, Cohen is that bit better in the tackle than Ando. So if Gunter is caught, Chris can act as his replacement.
But then again, I’m just second-guessing WMD – he’s the tactical genius, unlike me.
Tags: alan shearer, billy davies, chris cohen, chris gunter, jim brennan, nicky shorey, Paul Anderson, paul hart, reading, tactics Posted in General
