I don't know about you but I love watching a good winger. Nothing beats the attacking danger of a marauding wide man dancing in and out of tackles and providing that killer shot or pass. And it was wing wizardry that put Bolton Wanderers to the sword at the City Ground on Saturday.
Yes Tim Ream was a makeshift right back and had a nightmare (capped by being stretchered off in what appears, thankfully, not to be too serious an injury) and yes the rest of the Trotters defence looked more like the Peckham brothers of that name than a coherent Bolton back line. But you can't take away just how good Michail Antonio and Chris Burke were.
For the first 20-30 minutes especially the pair tormented their opponents. The strength, for me, is that they can operate as a pair. If Burke, rejuvenated since Dougie Freedman's arrival, doesn't get you with his nifty footwork, clever touches and accurate crosses and shots then, from the other side, Antonio offers something completely different.
Michail is one of those mercurial talents who gives off the air off not always quite knowing himself what he's going to do. I don't mean that in a bad way either, he's unpredictable and, when relying on instinct on Saturday, his raw pace, power and direct running simply blew Bolton away. His goal, the second, was breathtaking. Teams may be tempted to 'double up' on him to try to nullify that explosive talent. but they know they leave open the risk of the wily Burke weaving his magic on the other flank.
It's a combination that is not only refreshingly exhilarating to watch but shows why Freedman has managed to get off to such a strong start. At the beginning of the season, during the unbeaten run (it seems so long ago), the threat from the flanks ensured that won games even when we didn't dominate or play particularly well. Good, strong width can give a side the tools for deadly counter attacks or - when on top - stretch teams to unlock defence. Dougie has realised that is where the talent lies in this squad - especially considering who is missing - and it's a strength that should be played to as much as possible.
Freedman's 4231/41221 not only frees up Chris and Michail but gets Henri Lansbury further forward, where he can become involved while making sure we have the numbers around him so that we aren't so easily overrun in the centre of the park.
The Freedman formation change fixed three key problems Pearce encountered after that early season run. He had often moved Lansbury to a deeper role to mitigate the loss of Reid and Cohen - the two players he put at the heart of his side at the beginning of the campaign. That role didn't suit Henri or the team as a whole - he didn't win the ball too well and wasn't in a position to contribute the sorts of passes and shots that are a big part of his game. Gardner and Osborn provide the poise and the tenacity respectively that make for a more balanced engine room and the springboard for those further forward.
But, returning to the theme of this blog, it is in the wide positions that Pearce allowed himself to get outflanked.
He, quite rightly, wanted to use the loan market to add a splash of Premier League quality to the squad, especially in light of Reid's continued absence. Sadly, he opted for Tom Ince who didn't seem 'up for the fight' when the going got tough and only served to sideline Burke - whose experience and guile were then sadly missed.
Worst of all, Antonio's early season threat was lost. Michail, the clear player of the season for me, was probably a victim of his own success. Colin Fray describes his blistering run and finish on Saturday as Collymore-esque. Praise indeed in these parts and he's right - it's the sort of explosive goal rarely seen since Stanley in his pomp. But the fact he has pace, power, direct running and - on top of that - is good in the air, meant the temptation was too strong for Pearce to move him up front.
That, however, meant he was too far forward for his movement, running and dribbling to have any impact and he got bogged down battling centre halves from a standing start, rather than running at them with purpose. It killed his best assets stone dead
Now restored, the unlikely dynamic duo of Antonio and Burke makes us a far better prospect. They're scoring, creating and generally terrorising defences at will and Freedman needs to do all he can to keep that going. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed watching a pair of wingers at the City Ground.
The obvious duo would perhaps be Stone and Woan. They operated at a higher level in a different formation but, similarly, offered variety on the flanks. If Antonio and Burke go on to have half the success of those two we'll be lucky.
Then again, we've been fairly lucky to have the odd decent winger grace the flanks of the City Ground turf to light up poor teams. In the post-Premier League era* two shine out. Andy Reid mark one was a Burke-esque twinkled toed magician. Over time he drifted inside and now, in his second spell, his quality on the ball means he has to play in the middle to try to dictate a game.
After Reid departed for White Hart Lane we had Kris Commons. It may be tough to admit it now but we could've done with hanging on to someone of his quality instead of facing the galling prospect of him turning out for them lot down the road. Yet Commons, like Reid over his career, has drifted inside and was a more central attacking midfielder for a lot of his stay on Trentside.
Garath McCleary left just as he was hitting his stride but showed glimpses of the explosiveness Antonio has shown - and was probably the key part of Steve Cotterill's relegation saving rescue effort. Let's hope he doesn't come back to haunt us at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
But those three have been bright lights in some pretty dark days. We've never been able to field a pair of top performers in both of the wide positions with the likes of Nicky Southall (good at set pieces but less of an impact in open play) and Paul Anderson (good tactically for Billy but not enough of a creative force) not having the quality of the current pair.
I agree with Dougie Freedman that the play offs are beyond us but as long as Antonio and Burke continue to offer the sort of entertainment we witnessed on Saturday I'll be happy regardless. For now we should try to enjoy our football without the burden of worrying about matters at the top and bottom. Exciting players shouldn't be taken for granted - let's just hope they can deliver more displays like that on Saturday. If they do, it'll certainly be worth turning up.
*It'd be massively unfair to compare any Forest winger to John Robertson so I'll go without mentioning him - save for this footnote to doff our cap to the very best!
Monday, 23 February 2015
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Good luck Dougie, you'll need it
Dougie Freedman. There's two words I didn't expect to be typing tonight. Still, at the ongoing soap opera that is Nottingham Forest, little should surprise us now should it? A returning character back at the Queen Vic, cue the 'doof doofs'.
I'll be honest, I'm underwhelmed. Dougie looked to be on to good things with Crystal Palace but jumped ship to Bolton, where things didn't work out. A Bolton fan friend was, well, less than impressed with his tenure at the Trotters to put it mildly.
The people who seemed obsessed with Pearce's win percentage at City will probably be outraged now since Freedman's figure was worse at both Palace and Bolton. Still, if Danny Mills hasn't got a bad word to say about him he'll be ok, right?
I just hope the new man at the helm hasn't been set a 'get the top six this season or else' target. We're a long, long way off being ready for the big time. We shouldn't go down but we cannot be complacent and think that isn't a danger. In essence this next 18 games should be the perfect period to settle on a formation and build a side that can be the basis going forward into next season. That makes sense and would be logical but you fear that Fawaz doesn't deal in the world of slow, steady building.
But, regardless of the new man at the helm we have to now face up to some home truths.
Firstly, we aren't a big club any more. I was appalled to read some people arrogantly suggest we could pinch a manager from a top six club as new boss in that heady hour when it appeared I'd be blogging on potential replacements for Pearce. We're not a Premier League club in waiting and we've certainly got no divine right to have a place in the top flight. Especially not since we were last there in 1999, when Freedman himself wore the Garibaldi and struggled to fill the shoes of Van Hooijdonk and Campbell. Most professional players in football today probably don't even remember us being in the top flight. It's a little depressing but it's time to accept that our name alone counts for a lot less than it once did. We should, rightly, aspire to get back to where we once were, but we can't expect it. Brian Clough left a wonderful legacy at this club but we're not far away from squandering it entirely. Footballing wise we're certainly back where we were when Ol' Big 'Ead worked his miracle.
In fact, you worry that we're becoming seen as a bit of a joke, frankly. We sack a manager every few months with no plan whatsoever for the future. When Southampton lost Pochettino they knew exactly what sort of manager would fit their system and ethos. Players, managers and coaches are brought in to fit the style and structure of the club. System, ethos, style and structure are not words you can associate with Nottingham Forest at the moment. Pretty much the best thing to come from the Pearce era is the renewed emphasis on making the academy at the heart of the club's future. It's a start, but we've got an awful long way to go.
We also have to accept that it is going to take some time to get to where we want to be. Constant chopping and changing has created a mismatch of a squad forged together by bits and bobs from different managers. We must have a long term plan, with coaches, scouts and board members all buying into it. It can't go on being Fawaz playing at it like it's a computer game. He needs sound advice from trusted senior employees and, importantly, to listen to it. I've read tonight that some people at the club were as shocked as we were by the Freedman appointment. Did he weigh up all the options, speak to the chief exec etc and go for someone who shared the club's vision or did he just plump for someone who wanted a job and was available? Too many more sackings and even those out of work with a point to prove will start to say no (cough, Warnock, cough). The one constant in the 'failures' of O'Driscoll, McLeish, Davies and Pearce is the club itself.
The job of shaping a squad is even harder given that we are under a transfer embargo. Freedman can make just one signing, and even that comes with financial caveats. He must get more out of what he has at his disposal. Some may say that's not too hard given the potential of the players at his disposal. That maybe true but he's lacking a left back worthy of the name, a tackling midfielder and anyone with confidence at the moment. He can get more out of this current set of players and he'll have to. He'll also have to integrate our next crop of young players. We can't keep getting in average players on loan to fill full back and midfield berths - we need to start to forge those players 'in house' and use our budget wisely on the rarer creative and goalscoring positions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Fawaz means well. He's invested an awful lot of money but it's not just cold hard cash we need. It's proper management. That's from the top to the dugout and onto the field with the players themselves taking some responsibility too.
So, a club stuck in a rut with little or no strategy except a failed short termism and scant opportunity to change the squad. There's your in tray Dougie. Welcome back and best of luck. By God you'll need it.
I'll be honest, I'm underwhelmed. Dougie looked to be on to good things with Crystal Palace but jumped ship to Bolton, where things didn't work out. A Bolton fan friend was, well, less than impressed with his tenure at the Trotters to put it mildly.
The people who seemed obsessed with Pearce's win percentage at City will probably be outraged now since Freedman's figure was worse at both Palace and Bolton. Still, if Danny Mills hasn't got a bad word to say about him he'll be ok, right?
I just hope the new man at the helm hasn't been set a 'get the top six this season or else' target. We're a long, long way off being ready for the big time. We shouldn't go down but we cannot be complacent and think that isn't a danger. In essence this next 18 games should be the perfect period to settle on a formation and build a side that can be the basis going forward into next season. That makes sense and would be logical but you fear that Fawaz doesn't deal in the world of slow, steady building.
But, regardless of the new man at the helm we have to now face up to some home truths.
Firstly, we aren't a big club any more. I was appalled to read some people arrogantly suggest we could pinch a manager from a top six club as new boss in that heady hour when it appeared I'd be blogging on potential replacements for Pearce. We're not a Premier League club in waiting and we've certainly got no divine right to have a place in the top flight. Especially not since we were last there in 1999, when Freedman himself wore the Garibaldi and struggled to fill the shoes of Van Hooijdonk and Campbell. Most professional players in football today probably don't even remember us being in the top flight. It's a little depressing but it's time to accept that our name alone counts for a lot less than it once did. We should, rightly, aspire to get back to where we once were, but we can't expect it. Brian Clough left a wonderful legacy at this club but we're not far away from squandering it entirely. Footballing wise we're certainly back where we were when Ol' Big 'Ead worked his miracle.
In fact, you worry that we're becoming seen as a bit of a joke, frankly. We sack a manager every few months with no plan whatsoever for the future. When Southampton lost Pochettino they knew exactly what sort of manager would fit their system and ethos. Players, managers and coaches are brought in to fit the style and structure of the club. System, ethos, style and structure are not words you can associate with Nottingham Forest at the moment. Pretty much the best thing to come from the Pearce era is the renewed emphasis on making the academy at the heart of the club's future. It's a start, but we've got an awful long way to go.
We also have to accept that it is going to take some time to get to where we want to be. Constant chopping and changing has created a mismatch of a squad forged together by bits and bobs from different managers. We must have a long term plan, with coaches, scouts and board members all buying into it. It can't go on being Fawaz playing at it like it's a computer game. He needs sound advice from trusted senior employees and, importantly, to listen to it. I've read tonight that some people at the club were as shocked as we were by the Freedman appointment. Did he weigh up all the options, speak to the chief exec etc and go for someone who shared the club's vision or did he just plump for someone who wanted a job and was available? Too many more sackings and even those out of work with a point to prove will start to say no (cough, Warnock, cough). The one constant in the 'failures' of O'Driscoll, McLeish, Davies and Pearce is the club itself.
The job of shaping a squad is even harder given that we are under a transfer embargo. Freedman can make just one signing, and even that comes with financial caveats. He must get more out of what he has at his disposal. Some may say that's not too hard given the potential of the players at his disposal. That maybe true but he's lacking a left back worthy of the name, a tackling midfielder and anyone with confidence at the moment. He can get more out of this current set of players and he'll have to. He'll also have to integrate our next crop of young players. We can't keep getting in average players on loan to fill full back and midfield berths - we need to start to forge those players 'in house' and use our budget wisely on the rarer creative and goalscoring positions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Fawaz means well. He's invested an awful lot of money but it's not just cold hard cash we need. It's proper management. That's from the top to the dugout and onto the field with the players themselves taking some responsibility too.
So, a club stuck in a rut with little or no strategy except a failed short termism and scant opportunity to change the squad. There's your in tray Dougie. Welcome back and best of luck. By God you'll need it.
More Maierhofer and less misery
I don't know about you but I like watching Stefan Maierhofer. The bean pole Austrian has lined up for Millwall in each of the last two seasons at the City Ground and has provided some light relief from two dismal defeats.
Last season Ian Holloway's men were the party poopers in an odd occasion which came straight after Stuart Pearce had been announced as being on his way in the summer. This time the Lions once again did their bit to dent the enthusiasm for Psycho with a win that leaves Forest looking firmly downwards. Any faint optimistic talk of the play offs which may have lingered has to end - in this form we may be lucky to get another 13 points let alone make up a 13-point gap on the top six.
But enough of that doom and gloom for now. At least we had Maierhofer. Last season he snarled and griped and harrumphed his way through the game and was promptly hauled off before he could be hit with the red card that loomed. This season, back for a second loan spell in south London, he was at it again. Youngsters wanting to perfect the 'what, me ref?' shrug should study him. He also displays an excellent technique in running after a long punt up field with his back to the ball, often ending up bouncing face first into a centre half with no intention of winning the ball or, indeed, knowing where the thing is. He's bit like a crazed dog on an eager chase crossed with one of those street mime artists who extravagantly flail their limbs about. It's probably just me that finds the whole thing strangely fascinating and, at times, laugh out loud funny.
He also has other attributes to admire. He's one of those 6ft 7 1/2in big men who doesn't jump and doesn't really win that many headers. Nor does he run much. I like to imagine each of his actions in a game is accompanied by a comedy sound effect.
Yet there's another big reason why I enjoyed Stefan Maierhofer's performance yesterday. That was because with him at the forefront of their attack Millwall looked unlikely to be able to take advantage of another pitiful display from the men in red.
When Holloway shuffled his pack we were in trouble. Yes, it took an all-too-familiar howler to let Ricardo Fuller in but you just felt it was coming. The plucked-from-non-league Lee Gregory battled with purpose and power to unsettle Wilson and Hobbs and Fuller loomed dangerously, with his experience and guile an obvious threat.
The arrival of that duo meant that some end product seemed likely to the man-of-the-match work of the on-loan Diego Fabbrini. At times the Italian threatened to take the 'comedy bad guy' crown from the marvellous Maierhofer with a couple of Bafta worthy tantrums. Yet, the odd mardy aside, Fabbrini's talent shone out in a game that was desperately devoid of it (Dorus De Vries's super save aside).
The Watford man displayed a touch, control and vision that looked a level above of anyone else and, frankly, showed up our midfield duo of Tesche and Lansbury. Both of those showed flashes of talent but, as a pair, they simply don't dominate games and didn't again here.
Millwall, not constrained by an embargo of course, seem to have shopped sensibly this month to plug a few defensive gaps. Jos Hooiveld kept Britt Assombalonga on the fringes of the game (although there was precious little supply in fairness) and Shaun Cummings is another solid defensive addition to the ranks as the Lions look to make an escape from the bottom three. You can't help thinking that we maybe ought to have done more to plug our defensive gaps than chasing Gary Gardner and now, it seems, Jack Grealish. I'd happily let Jorge Grant or Oliver Burke have a go in midfield if we could finally become more solid at the back.
Which bring us to the other defensive addition made by Holloway. Dan Harding. He had been maligned in certain quarters while on Trentside but I can't help but feeling he deserved a longer run in Forest red. He's maybe only capable of a 6 or 7/10 performance but he looked a lot more assured than Danny Fox or Eric Lichaj in that position and obviously has a lot more experience in that berth than Stephen McLaughlin.
That was perhaps more marked yesterday by the fact that McLaughlin was at the heart of the decisive moment. I don't think we should be too harsh on him. 'Proper' defenders have made plenty of similar errors over the years to his woefully tame header back to De Vries but his showing as a whole yesterday suggests he has a little way to go if he's to be 'converted' into a full back.
The goal just put the rancid cherry on a particularly sour cake. I've tried to remain positive but it's hard not to be concerned by that showing. We're still left without a settled and solid back four - although Todd Kane seems a decent signing. Our midfield keeps shuffling about to no avail and you can't help feeling that moving Michail Antonio further forward has reduced the effectiveness he showed earlier in the season as a dangerous winger. We're also now signing or chasing players in positions that we really ought to have covered. With Lichaj on the books we shouldn't have to be using up one of our possible signings on Kane. With Burke and Paterson in the squad then Grealish shouldn't be a target. Yet failures and poor form have meant having to do just that. I'm not yet sure how good Gardner is but he certainly doesn't like the sort of player who could have the impact Fabbrini or Hooiveld had on Millwall yesterday.
In most Championship seasons 45 points would be enough to stay up but here's a sobering thought. In 2012/13 Peterborough were relegated on 54 points. 20 more points seem a long way off on that display don't they? We desperately need to finish the season on a high, playing better football with a more settled side. That way we can at least feel a lesson has been learnt from all this.
And the manager? I've backed him so far but he really does need to address our serious issues and quickly. You feel he won't survive if points cannot be plundered from four more games against struggling sides, particularly Wigan at home and Blackpool away. Fawaz's finger will be hovering over that trigger finger once again and the manager must show he can deliver progress even if promotion is beyond him.
It's all getting very gloomy at the moment. And we've not even got a comedy Maierhofer to come back and bring light relief...
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Financial Fair Play - is it actually any good?
Financial Fair Play sounds like one of those concepts that you couldn't fail to support. It's a bit like when a political party says 'we'll save the NHS' - of course we support that, right until the moment when you realise that their idea to save the thing is to get rid. Maybe I'm a cynic but I can't help feeling the reality of 'FFP' (as if the world needed another acronym) might be as grim as that of the electioneering politician.
Uefa's website says: Financial fair play is about improving the overall financial health of European club football. Again, you'd struggle to argue with that. But how has that panned out so far?
The only thing I have to go on with any real certainty is the impact on Forest - and you have to say that in a couple of instances the effect has been a little perverse.
Firstly, we saw the sale of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow to Newcastle United at the start of the season. The departures were against the wishes of the manager but, it seemed, entirely understandable. Why? Well the £7 million recouped from the sales paid for Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga - our two most potent attacking threats this season. Given that we got the duo back on loan you may think it was a smart bit of business and, in truth, it probably was making their pruchases 'cost netural'. But was this an example of FFP encouraging us to think within our means? Perhaps, but then consider the fact that we've 'cashed in' on two of our most highly rated young assets earlier than we may otherwise have done to buy in players from elsewhere. Is that what FFP is for? To encourage you to move on players sooner that you would like to try to meet the rules?
The second case comes with the current situation facing the selection of Stephen McLaughlin. If selected on Saturday he will become an 'established' player in the eyes of the rules. Under our current FFP-induced transfer embargo (I'll return to that in a moment) we can have 24 such 'established' players. It means Stuart Pearce now has to weigh up more than just form and talent when he decides on giving the ex-Derry City man a go. Instead he needs to think about the fact that McLaughlin's selection would mean he's left with just one potential signing available (unless anyone else is shipped out). It could be a risk to trust him over a loanee.
Paul Taylor's excellent piece today highlights how this may not be too much of an issue since we can only legitimately squeeze one other on-loan player into the matchday squad. He's right but it's still a perverse situation in which an up and coming talent could, in theory, be dropped to make way for a short-term signing. Again, does this do anything to encourage a healthy financial outlook or does it just encourage forking out loan fees and wages on temporary options.
Beyond Forest (yes, such a world does exist apparently) you hear tales of Premier League clubs hoarding young players much longer than they otherwise would just in case they might need to hit a quota. Does this help youngsters or just delay the necessary process of them heading down the leagues to get a club and make a career?
I suppose it could be argued that I'm just a bitter fan who is upset at his club being 'caught out' by the regulations. Maybe there's some truth in that. As a fan you can't ever be happy to be under an embargo (one which will seemingly last for at least three transfer windows) but you have to accept that our short termist policy has completely and utterly failed. We're still only just throwing off the excesses of the McLaren era when, seemingly in panic, he was allowed to throw money at Ishmael Miller, Matt Derbyshire and Jonathan Greening after missing out on Dutch imports. I'd happily leave that era behind and give more of a chance to our youth teamers who are now, at least, integrated much better into the club's structure post-Billy Davies. But, as we've seen, the rules don't necessarily encourage that. Cash in on young stars and be wary of wasting squad places on relatively untested rookies. That's the message we've had.
And questions still linger. Would this not just stop a Jack Walker-esque home town hero bankrolling his club as high as possible? If so, why do we want to do that? Who sets the figure for 'acceptable' losses? Will this not just entrench the supremacy of the top clubs - those who make enough money to be able to spend more under FFP already, thus pulling the ladder up on those who want to break that up?
Again, forgive me for being cynical but I can't help but feel the better financial health promised by Uefa might be about as forthcoming as a genuine promise on our actual health in election year.
Uefa's website says: Financial fair play is about improving the overall financial health of European club football. Again, you'd struggle to argue with that. But how has that panned out so far?
The only thing I have to go on with any real certainty is the impact on Forest - and you have to say that in a couple of instances the effect has been a little perverse.
Firstly, we saw the sale of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow to Newcastle United at the start of the season. The departures were against the wishes of the manager but, it seemed, entirely understandable. Why? Well the £7 million recouped from the sales paid for Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga - our two most potent attacking threats this season. Given that we got the duo back on loan you may think it was a smart bit of business and, in truth, it probably was making their pruchases 'cost netural'. But was this an example of FFP encouraging us to think within our means? Perhaps, but then consider the fact that we've 'cashed in' on two of our most highly rated young assets earlier than we may otherwise have done to buy in players from elsewhere. Is that what FFP is for? To encourage you to move on players sooner that you would like to try to meet the rules?
The second case comes with the current situation facing the selection of Stephen McLaughlin. If selected on Saturday he will become an 'established' player in the eyes of the rules. Under our current FFP-induced transfer embargo (I'll return to that in a moment) we can have 24 such 'established' players. It means Stuart Pearce now has to weigh up more than just form and talent when he decides on giving the ex-Derry City man a go. Instead he needs to think about the fact that McLaughlin's selection would mean he's left with just one potential signing available (unless anyone else is shipped out). It could be a risk to trust him over a loanee.
Paul Taylor's excellent piece today highlights how this may not be too much of an issue since we can only legitimately squeeze one other on-loan player into the matchday squad. He's right but it's still a perverse situation in which an up and coming talent could, in theory, be dropped to make way for a short-term signing. Again, does this do anything to encourage a healthy financial outlook or does it just encourage forking out loan fees and wages on temporary options.
Beyond Forest (yes, such a world does exist apparently) you hear tales of Premier League clubs hoarding young players much longer than they otherwise would just in case they might need to hit a quota. Does this help youngsters or just delay the necessary process of them heading down the leagues to get a club and make a career?
I suppose it could be argued that I'm just a bitter fan who is upset at his club being 'caught out' by the regulations. Maybe there's some truth in that. As a fan you can't ever be happy to be under an embargo (one which will seemingly last for at least three transfer windows) but you have to accept that our short termist policy has completely and utterly failed. We're still only just throwing off the excesses of the McLaren era when, seemingly in panic, he was allowed to throw money at Ishmael Miller, Matt Derbyshire and Jonathan Greening after missing out on Dutch imports. I'd happily leave that era behind and give more of a chance to our youth teamers who are now, at least, integrated much better into the club's structure post-Billy Davies. But, as we've seen, the rules don't necessarily encourage that. Cash in on young stars and be wary of wasting squad places on relatively untested rookies. That's the message we've had.
And questions still linger. Would this not just stop a Jack Walker-esque home town hero bankrolling his club as high as possible? If so, why do we want to do that? Who sets the figure for 'acceptable' losses? Will this not just entrench the supremacy of the top clubs - those who make enough money to be able to spend more under FFP already, thus pulling the ladder up on those who want to break that up?
Again, forgive me for being cynical but I can't help but feel the better financial health promised by Uefa might be about as forthcoming as a genuine promise on our actual health in election year.
10 reasons to stick with Stuart Pearce...and 5 things that must improve
January 14, 2015:
As Saturday’s Derby County game approaches, Andrew Brookes gives us 10 reasons why Nottingham Forest shouldn’t dispose of the services of Stuart Pearce. And five things that need to improve — immediately
1. Constant change doesn’t work
As most Forest writers would testify, Forest Boffin nailed it this week when he outlined the importance of stability in the Championship dugout. It’s telling that only Roy Keane’s Sunderland and Ian Holloway’s Palace have been promoted after changing manager mid-season in the league’s current guise. Take a look at Mick McCarthy. He’s done a fantastic job of getting more from his Ipswich squad this year – building on 14th and 9th placed finishes.
2. We need to learn from our mistakes
We’re still recovering from the fact that Sean O’Driscoll patched together a back four in a few short weeks after becoming the first boss of the Al-Hasawi era. As he was sacked before he got chance to improve it, we’ve chopped, changed and not settled properly on a system. With Greg Halford and Dan Harding leaving and Danny Collins said to be available, it’s only now that we’re adapting that hastily arranged line-up. Pearce hasn’t set up a side that’s solid enough to tough out a result, but he must know that and ought to be given chance to do the necessary work to improve it.
We’re still recovering from the fact that Sean O’Driscoll patched together a back four in a few short weeks after becoming the first boss of the Al-Hasawi era. As he was sacked before he got chance to improve it, we’ve chopped, changed and not settled properly on a system. With Greg Halford and Dan Harding leaving and Danny Collins said to be available, it’s only now that we’re adapting that hastily arranged line-up. Pearce hasn’t set up a side that’s solid enough to tough out a result, but he must know that and ought to be given chance to do the necessary work to improve it.
3. The embargo
Without complete freedom in the transfer market, it’s vital that we get the most from what we’re allowed to spend. It’d be nice to stick with someone who understands the squad’s weaknesses so he doesn’t waste time and money chasing the wrong signings in the wrong positions.
Without complete freedom in the transfer market, it’s vital that we get the most from what we’re allowed to spend. It’d be nice to stick with someone who understands the squad’s weaknesses so he doesn’t waste time and money chasing the wrong signings in the wrong positions.
4. Contacts
Linked to that last point is Pearce’s standing among young up-and-coming talent. The most recent two signings (Todd Kane and Gary Gardner) seem to have been attracted due to Pearce’s England Under-21 days – as were Michael Mancienne, Tom Ince and possibly even Matty Fryatt. Ince was a huge disappointment but that’s a separate matter; the point still stands that decent young players wouldn’t mind coming to play for Pearce.
Linked to that last point is Pearce’s standing among young up-and-coming talent. The most recent two signings (Todd Kane and Gary Gardner) seem to have been attracted due to Pearce’s England Under-21 days – as were Michael Mancienne, Tom Ince and possibly even Matty Fryatt. Ince was a huge disappointment but that’s a separate matter; the point still stands that decent young players wouldn’t mind coming to play for Pearce.
5. Attacking signings
Many feared Pearce was a dull, defensive manager yet oddly it’s at the back where we’ve struggled most. Fryatt, Michail Antonio, Britt Assombalonga are all great signings and are an exciting attacking prospect that have already showed their worth. If we can get organised, they will flourish and take care of the goals needed to succeed at this level.
Many feared Pearce was a dull, defensive manager yet oddly it’s at the back where we’ve struggled most. Fryatt, Michail Antonio, Britt Assombalonga are all great signings and are an exciting attacking prospect that have already showed their worth. If we can get organised, they will flourish and take care of the goals needed to succeed at this level.
6. Alternatives
We were very publicly turned down by an out-of-work Neil Warnock when we last had a vacancy. That’s veering on ‘last pick for the team in PE’ territory! I’m sure there are plausible candidates but we can’t assume a decent manager would want to join us. I like Brian McDermott but would he, freshly scarred from his Leeds frying pan, want to jump into the Forest fire? Mark Cooper is a good up-and-coming manager. Again though, it’d be wrong to assume he’d jump ship at Swindon and that he’d definitely be a success – remember his McLeish-esque disaster at Peterborough? Uwe Rosler would interest me but, as he proved at Wigan, there’s no guarantee of success in this league. We’ve tried all sorts of different types of managers. At some point we have to admit that short-termism is dead – we have to stop, take stock and build around somebody. I’m happy to let that be Pearce. As the Warnock experience hinted, our ‘brand’ is tainted in the eyes of some (including the aforementioned McCarthy of course). We may not be able to recruit anyone better.
We were very publicly turned down by an out-of-work Neil Warnock when we last had a vacancy. That’s veering on ‘last pick for the team in PE’ territory! I’m sure there are plausible candidates but we can’t assume a decent manager would want to join us. I like Brian McDermott but would he, freshly scarred from his Leeds frying pan, want to jump into the Forest fire? Mark Cooper is a good up-and-coming manager. Again though, it’d be wrong to assume he’d jump ship at Swindon and that he’d definitely be a success – remember his McLeish-esque disaster at Peterborough? Uwe Rosler would interest me but, as he proved at Wigan, there’s no guarantee of success in this league. We’ve tried all sorts of different types of managers. At some point we have to admit that short-termism is dead – we have to stop, take stock and build around somebody. I’m happy to let that be Pearce. As the Warnock experience hinted, our ‘brand’ is tainted in the eyes of some (including the aforementioned McCarthy of course). We may not be able to recruit anyone better.
7. Attitude
I’m always encouraged by what Pearce has to say in the press. He’s positive, forthright and a refreshing change from the era of media bans and farcical filmed press conferences. As a figurehead he’s someone we can be proud to be led by, which leads to…
I’m always encouraged by what Pearce has to say in the press. He’s positive, forthright and a refreshing change from the era of media bans and farcical filmed press conferences. As a figurehead he’s someone we can be proud to be led by, which leads to…
8. Club legend
It’s the elephant in the room. I cringe a little when I read that he ‘deserves more time because he’s a legend’ but I have to admit that his iconic status makes me more inclined to get off his back. Does that cloud my judgement? Maybe. But, frankly, who wants Pearce to fail? There’s plenty of clubs out there who would quite like the fan-manager relationship we enjoy with ‘Psycho’. It’s maybe not rational or logical but it’s worth giving time to see if it’ll work out.
It’s the elephant in the room. I cringe a little when I read that he ‘deserves more time because he’s a legend’ but I have to admit that his iconic status makes me more inclined to get off his back. Does that cloud my judgement? Maybe. But, frankly, who wants Pearce to fail? There’s plenty of clubs out there who would quite like the fan-manager relationship we enjoy with ‘Psycho’. It’s maybe not rational or logical but it’s worth giving time to see if it’ll work out.
9. Structure
The club, at long last, is starting to develop a structure. Paul Faulkner and John McGovern seem to work well with Pearce and he’s keen to be involved in the academy. It’d be easy to throw that away in search of short-term gain and later regret it.
The club, at long last, is starting to develop a structure. Paul Faulkner and John McGovern seem to work well with Pearce and he’s keen to be involved in the academy. It’d be easy to throw that away in search of short-term gain and later regret it.
10. Positivity
It’s about time we stopped moping and tried, at least, to be a little more positive. We’re not Coventry or Portsmouth for a start, nor are we Leeds. Also, I don’t know if you’d noticed but the dirty sheep are on the horizon. We can’t travel there as a mess with our heads down and get walloped again. A good result at the sheep dip could transform Pearce’s season and be the launch pad to kick on. Yes, the opposite result might prove a tipping point but let’s be positive. Just for once.
It’s about time we stopped moping and tried, at least, to be a little more positive. We’re not Coventry or Portsmouth for a start, nor are we Leeds. Also, I don’t know if you’d noticed but the dirty sheep are on the horizon. We can’t travel there as a mess with our heads down and get walloped again. A good result at the sheep dip could transform Pearce’s season and be the launch pad to kick on. Yes, the opposite result might prove a tipping point but let’s be positive. Just for once.
So there’s my colours nailed to the mast. But before you shoot me down I’ll admit that even I can see that there’s a more than valid call for concern at the dreadful current run of form. So, since I’m in the mood for lists, here’s five things Pearce must do right away to ensure the points above aren’t overshadowed by negatives:
1. Defence
As I stated above I thought Pearce’s team would be defensive, solid and unspectacular to start off with. Most managers build from the back and most developing teams tough out a fair few 1-1 and 0-0 draws while they find their feet. We need to develop a harder edge and stop conceding quite so many goals. Individuals in the back line have certainly let their boss down but there has to be a workable line-up found amongst the squad that can keep some clean sheets, especially now Jack Hobbs has returned.
As I stated above I thought Pearce’s team would be defensive, solid and unspectacular to start off with. Most managers build from the back and most developing teams tough out a fair few 1-1 and 0-0 draws while they find their feet. We need to develop a harder edge and stop conceding quite so many goals. Individuals in the back line have certainly let their boss down but there has to be a workable line-up found amongst the squad that can keep some clean sheets, especially now Jack Hobbs has returned.
2. Rotation
I’m all for managers changing things around to outfox an opponent or overcome a weakness but you do feel that some of the changes this season haven’t always paid off. I’m not completely against three centre-halves for example but when we did line up that way we nullified Michail Antonio – who had been our most potent attacking threat. Getting our dangerman to worry about defending as a wing-back seemed barmy. Chopping and changing certainly hasn’t helped us settle into playing decent football either.
I’m all for managers changing things around to outfox an opponent or overcome a weakness but you do feel that some of the changes this season haven’t always paid off. I’m not completely against three centre-halves for example but when we did line up that way we nullified Michail Antonio – who had been our most potent attacking threat. Getting our dangerman to worry about defending as a wing-back seemed barmy. Chopping and changing certainly hasn’t helped us settle into playing decent football either.
3. Motivation
The manager and his staff suggest confidence is a factor in our current malaise and they’re right but, as difficult as it may be, they’re going to have to put that mindset right and inspire them to perform. Timid won’t do – especially in this league – and too many players need to offer leadership on the pitch for Pearce.
The manager and his staff suggest confidence is a factor in our current malaise and they’re right but, as difficult as it may be, they’re going to have to put that mindset right and inspire them to perform. Timid won’t do – especially in this league – and too many players need to offer leadership on the pitch for Pearce.
4. Loans
It’s too early to judge the most recent two arrivals at the City Ground but we need the January signings to do better than our loan window acquisitions. Sadly for me Jack Hunt faded after a bright start to his loan spell and, embargo or not, was never going to be worth pursuing permanently, especially as the silly money Palace quoted. Worse still was the half-hearted Tom Ince, I would elaborate but that’d be putting more effort in than he did. Like it or loathe it the loan market is vital to add some Premier League quality into any Championship side yet often our two loanees were barely worthy of a spot on the bench. We mustn’t waste the chance to get in some extra quality again – and with Antonio, Burke, Paterson and youngsters the wide positions shouldn’t be a priority.
It’s too early to judge the most recent two arrivals at the City Ground but we need the January signings to do better than our loan window acquisitions. Sadly for me Jack Hunt faded after a bright start to his loan spell and, embargo or not, was never going to be worth pursuing permanently, especially as the silly money Palace quoted. Worse still was the half-hearted Tom Ince, I would elaborate but that’d be putting more effort in than he did. Like it or loathe it the loan market is vital to add some Premier League quality into any Championship side yet often our two loanees were barely worthy of a spot on the bench. We mustn’t waste the chance to get in some extra quality again – and with Antonio, Burke, Paterson and youngsters the wide positions shouldn’t be a priority.
5. Ruthlessness
Pearce doesn’t strike you as someone to shirk a tough decision and he’s got plenty to make. How do we get more than just flashes of talent from Lansbury? How do we stop being so reliant on Reid? Who can step up and deliver decent set pieces? Is Lascelles good enough at the moment? Is Vaughan ever going to be fit enough? Why can’t Fox get the basics right? When will Tesche learn to impose himself better with tougher tackles? How can we ensure Assombalonga doesn’t get frustrated and drift out of games. Why does Lichaj look off the pace? The answer to some of these questions will mean leaving out some of the ‘bigger names’ of the squad – to others it will mean Pearce has to do more to get the best out of the current bunch. We can’t just wait though – he needs answers to some, if not all, of these questions pretty quickly and can’t afford to duck a string of tough decisions.
Pearce doesn’t strike you as someone to shirk a tough decision and he’s got plenty to make. How do we get more than just flashes of talent from Lansbury? How do we stop being so reliant on Reid? Who can step up and deliver decent set pieces? Is Lascelles good enough at the moment? Is Vaughan ever going to be fit enough? Why can’t Fox get the basics right? When will Tesche learn to impose himself better with tougher tackles? How can we ensure Assombalonga doesn’t get frustrated and drift out of games. Why does Lichaj look off the pace? The answer to some of these questions will mean leaving out some of the ‘bigger names’ of the squad – to others it will mean Pearce has to do more to get the best out of the current bunch. We can’t just wait though – he needs answers to some, if not all, of these questions pretty quickly and can’t afford to duck a string of tough decisions.
There’s a lot to get right and much to improve, I accept that. I still think I’d stick with Pearce but boy does he need a win down the A52 on Saturday. If he were to pull that off it’d be time to ditch the smart, besuited image and reach for the iconic fist pump. He knows he’d love to really…
Article first appeared on Seat Pitch: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2015/01/14/case-stuart-pearce/#ixzz3Q3IDZ2f7
Monday, 24 November 2014
Brian Clough wouldn't have been given the chance to work his Forest miracle these days
October 28, 2014: People often ask how successful Brian Clough would have been if he were a manager in the modern era.
It’s an interesting one to ponder but a stat this week got me thinking that, frankly, if Clough The Second Coming were visited upon us, the whole thing would probably have been nipped in the bud before it even began.
Why? Well, as several people have pointed out over the weekend, his record when he first came wasn’t that great.
Old Big ‘Ead’s first 17 games brought just two wins.
I like Fawaz. His almost childlike enthusiasm for the club is infectious. However, you’d have to say that the current owner would have sacked the man whose fairytale story attracted him to Trentside based on that record.
And, to be fair, many fans would be happy with the decision. There’d have even been a #cloughout hashtag I’m sure.
I’m not judging by the way, I often find myself getting carried away by the modern obsession with rushing to judgement. It’s easy to be swept up in a sea of hype.
I’m not sure what’s to blame – maybe it’s the fact football has become such a big money business that causes owners to reach for the trigger out of panic and fans to demand value for their expensive tickets? Maybe it’s the increased media spotlight that focuses attention on short-term results and encourages rush judgements. Or maybe it’s that as a society we’re obsessed with getting what we want instantly at the touch of a button, making us all less patient.
By comparison to Clough, Pearce’s start has been very strong (W7 D7 L3) yet some still grumble. There’s plenty that needs to be improved but the side is still developing – and still coming to terms with losing the spine of Hobbs, Reid and Cohen.
This isn’t the first time Clough’s stats from the start of his era have been dragged up. It’s a common way to show how surprisingly well a new incumbent is doing. I’m not suggesting Pearce will go on to ‘do a Clough’ but it’s a handy way of proving that a few draws and defeats early on should not lead to a rushed judgement.
It’s also timely to reflect on the figures as Leeds United bring the curtain down on the reign of Darko Milanic after a 12-days-shorter-than-Cloughie 32 days.
Football is barmy. I don’t blame anyone in particular for getting taken in by the madness but when reacting to the next defeat or bad run, I’m going to promise myself I’ll linger on the sobering thought that, in this strange era, Clough wouldn’t have had chance to work his miracle.
Article first appeared on Seat Pitch here: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2014/10/28/brian-clough-lasted-modern-era/#ixzz3K1iGmRCe
Psycho returned but it was all about another left footed talisman
August 12, 2014: It was all about Him. The man with the magnificent left foot. The fans’ favourite who left but then came back to the fold. The man who dominated the opening day of the season.
The new manager? No, I’m talking about Andy Reid.
Yes, Pearce was always going to take the headlines from his first game back in the City Ground hot seat – and his raucous reception was a brilliant way to kick off a season – but, once the dust settled, the on-pitch matters were all about our mercurial Irish talisman.
Everything came through Reid as he helped put his former charges to the sword.
At times in the first-half he appeared to have the ball on a string – with it barely spending time apart from that magic wand of a left foot.
Yes, he may be ‘all left foot’, but what a left foot! Reid has such control of this footballing magic wand that he’s able to play ‘right footed’ passes with a dextrous bend of his ankle.
He relished having wingers to spray balls out to, and eager strikers with energy and movement to interchange with. At times it gave hope that we have shed off the pedestrian plodding attack that held us back in the last campaign.
It’s no coincidence that it was his rasping shot that helped to break the deadlock on the 25th minute, the effort coming off the post to gift Michail Antonio a debut goal.
I read a pundit’s verdict of Reid last season that suggested that if had he ever had the chance to play in Italy he would’ve been coached into a top-drawer playmaker.
It’d be churlish to say ‘Andrea Pirlo’ – but it’s the classy playmaker role in that sort of mould that he’s made his own now at this level as he’s migrated from the wing play of his early days.
Almost as impressive as his passes and pirouettes were his tackles. This was a tenacious display in which he did the ‘ugly’ stuff pretty well – even throwing in a momentum-checking foul in for good measure. Hardly something to wax lyrical about I know but how many times have you been sitting in the stands tearing your hair out as our midfield does a more-than-passable statue impression as an opposition player runs through unchecked?
Yes, we don’t want Michael Brown levels of fouling – but unless you are streetwise in the Championship you’ll be bullied into submission by even the most average of outfits; as we’ve learned the hard way under Calderwood and McClaren.
Even as our attacking threat faded away in the second-half Reid kept chasing, tackling, twisting, turning and passing – ensuring that we didn’t sleepwalk into letting Jose Riga’s side back into the game.
In one sense Pearce can rest easy that his team talks can come down to four words. ‘Give it to Reid’. But he’ll be mindful of the fact that the opposition could boil theirs down to the even-more-succinct ‘Stop Reid’.
That’s where you’d like to think that the creative burden can be shared a little by the currently-injured duo of Lansbury and Vaughan.
You’d also like to hope that the likes of Burke – who scored a superb curled second to seal the win – Antonio and Paterson can stretch teams on the flanks to the extent that they will struggle to crowd out the middle of the park. Effective wide men also give Reid the perfect outlet if he gets the ball in tight midfield areas.
Reid’s partner in crime for this curtain raiser was Chris Cohen. He returned after so long at left-back that it was something of a surprise to see him in his previous position.
In a way though the spell at left-back – and he may well return there if circumstances dictate – could have improved him as a midfielder, with his tackling and reading of the game both enhanced by taking on a defensive role.
I thought Cohen often lacked the composure on the ball to match his lung-busting energy and that meant he struggled to impose himself on games unless assisted by a McKenna-style general by his side.
This game saw him rise to the challenge – with his energy and work rate freeing up space for Reid to dictate.
Of course it’s easy to rush to a judgment after one game. Let’s not patronise Blackpool. They may have been hastily put together after a tough summer but the side contained quality and promise in the likes of Orlandi and Delfouneso.
But it is fair to say we will have tougher tests ahead. Whether the midfield has enough defensive toughness remains to be seen, while Pearce is also sadly yet to be able field his first-choice defence as last season’s injury woes hang over to the new era.
Mancienne looked good although had little to do save for mopping up a couple of the stand-in Fox’s positional mishaps.
When it came to new signings, the strike force also showed flashes of promise. Assombalonga looks to be the sort of forward who is not happy if even five minutes of a game goes by without him getting a shot away – as is befitting of a hungry big-money signing.
Fryatt, so long a player on the Forest radar, displayed a clever touch and will surely relish playing with Reid once the two develop an understanding.
All this must have offered cheer to the smartly-suited Psycho, who really looked to be relishing his return to Trentside.
I once saw him crouched like a cricket slip-fielder, looking as though he fancied running on and defending a set-piece himself. Towards the end of the game he was so keen to grasp the ball that he nearly took it off a Blackpool player while it was still on the field and in play.
He’s lucky not to have had to sign a player with the passion, desire and sheer class of Reid.
Let’s hope he can continue to get the best out of him.
Article first appeared on Seat Pitch here: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2014/08/12/importance-andy-reid/#ixzz3K1fA84Mb
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