As an occasional blogger on the events at the City Ground, it's always hard enough to keep up with everything that's happening but you know things are particularly bad when we've had more managers than blog posts in recent times.
I have to say I greeted news of Alex McLeish's departure with a weary shrug and the fact that us fans are not that surprised to lose a manager after 41 days and just 7 games speaks volumes.
Big 'Eck's shotgun stay on Trentside bypassed the usual honeymoon period - heading straight for a short, sharp divorce. I suppose it was less of a marriage, more an uncivil partnership (which is rather apt this week I guess!).
The Scot seemed destined for the exit door as soon as the dust settled on a laughably botched transfer window. The cherry on the cake must have come when top target Chris Burke consigned McLeish's charges to a defeat at his old stomping ground on Saturday with a brace.
It was a result that rubbed McLeish's nose into it so much that it's a surprise he didn't have a Steve Bruce-esque mangled conk come the final whistle.
Let's be honest, performances under McLeish have been as disjointed as said snout and I can't say that after a record of seven games with just one win, four losses and 15 goals conceded I'll mourn him too much.
The issue really is that, coming after a slightly farcical deadline day and ruthless sacking of Sean O'Driscoll, it leaves us looking like a bit of a joke.
Which serious manager actually wants the job now?
At the end of the Watford game one old wag in the crowd near me shouted 'Adkins in'. He was joking then but he's probably hoping for that to come true now.
The former Saints boss is definitely an impressive character - and would certainly bring positivity to the club at a time when it's not exactly in abundance.
But does he want to walk into a club in the state Forest is in? He's surely too sensible to sip from this poisoned chalice at this time?
Who else is there?
I see Billy Davies' name mentioned by a string of tweeters and bookies.
The feisty wee Glaswegian is still known affectionately as 'King Billy' in some circles and I suppose this is the week for unlikely monarchical comebacks, what with Richard III turning up under a Leicester car park.
Still, Billy back? Surely that's a plot even too far fetched for the soap opera that is Nottingham Forest? Mind you, like Leicester's car park Plantagenet, you get the impression Shakespeare might have had some fun with Billy!
If it happens though you fear it would be a move from the owners to try to win fans back over than for footballing reasons.
Di Canio? There's a storm we could probably do without. Roy Keane? Likewise. Owen Coyle? Maybe - although Bolton's slide under him was worrying. Sean O'Drisc... Oh hang on - we've not so much burned that bridge as dropped a nuclear bomb on it...
Here's a thought. Why not hand the reins to John Pemberton with Rob Kelly until the summer? Then we can take the time to appoint a chief executive or similar figure who can help the Al Hasawis get to grips with running a club in the English game.
That person can help weigh up the options and then together they can pick a manager in the summer who can be given time (definition = much much longer than 41 days) plus the scouting infrastructure needed to build on the start made by O'Driscoll - who had started to mould the basis for a decent squad.
Sackings and general upheaval have long-since cost us a shot at a promotion that, in itself, would have been too much, too soon anyway, especially a year after we only narrowly escaped the drop.
The goal now should be some much needed calm. Can we at least manage that for a bit?
No comments:
Post a Comment