Ok, maybe a little over the top as a headline and maybe a little presumptive after 2 league games and a cup win against lower league opposition, but the optimism amongst some fans is finally being played out on the pitch. Forest, as we all know are notoriously slow starters to the season. Well so far so good.
Beating Blackburn late on as we did, as I pointed out last season when we sneaked late points shows a resilience to not give up or let heads drop. And ok, the goal was a little gifted, I’m not sure exactly what Jake Kean was trying to do being so far from goal and trying to claim the ball over a player, but it cost Rovers.
At best he’d have fouled Mackie and given away a penalty, but he was never going to succeed, and when Mackie ended up with the ball and played it to Darius Henderson, he still admittedly had a lot to do. There were still 16 yards and two defenders to finish past. Which he did, with aplomb.
My brother is a Sheffield United fan, who always raved about Darius, and though I wasn’t always convinced, he always caused us problems. I’m beginning to see that hype a little more now. Instead of being a shambling huge bloke we ask to just put his head on anything, he has other qualities too, shielding the ball, holding it up, and finishing. The one thing I have been warned about is there’s a ref who takes exception to his style of play, he will get penalised every time and see no joy, and maybe even sent off. Which we see all too often with Blackstock anyway.
We have weapons yet to be utilised too. Abdoun is still a relatively unknown to Forest, and although scurrilous rumours have suggested we never wanted him from the Greek press this week, they have been scoffed at by Jim Price, who insists Billy sanctioned the purchase, and the only questions to answer are his fitness and international clearance. Loosely translating an Algerian (or French) news source they say that Abdoun isn’t match fit yet, as his fitness when signing was behind his new team mates due to the later start of the Greek season, that he hadn’t done as much work.
It’s this that bothers me with Forest fans at times. We don’t play a new guy, and rather than do any research, people merely suggest Davies doesn’t like him, or didn’t want him. We’ve played 3 games!! He might want to slowly work him into the side.
Although it’s not been a free scoring side thus far, Henderson’s goal will hopefully silence those same voices that moaned that strikers weren’t scoring, which completely misunderstood how last year’s team was set up. For me too many people see a formation as basic. 4-4-2 works as it’s linear, they understand, everyone has easily defined roles. But you get too many idiots who see other formation as defensive or not understand a new role for a player other than the traditional defined roles. Too often they saw a sole striker as defensive rather than actually freeing up the midfield to play freer roles and encourage them to attack quickly.
In what is going to be a tough start on paper, the forthcoming matches with Watford, Wigan, and the next match with Bolton should prove a tough battle. If we come through these matches well it will illustrate where we are. Wigan have been active in the market following relegation, and Watford were there or there about's last season. You’d assume one of those should be a defeat, but it’s very hard to tell at the moment.
Interestingly enough, it could all rest on ex players performing on their day, Holt at Wigan and McGugan at Watford, with the former target Darren Pratley at Bolton potentially being a thorn in the side.
But so far so good. The omens are looking good. Long may it continue.
Beating Blackburn late on as we did, as I pointed out last season when we sneaked late points shows a resilience to not give up or let heads drop. And ok, the goal was a little gifted, I’m not sure exactly what Jake Kean was trying to do being so far from goal and trying to claim the ball over a player, but it cost Rovers.
At best he’d have fouled Mackie and given away a penalty, but he was never going to succeed, and when Mackie ended up with the ball and played it to Darius Henderson, he still admittedly had a lot to do. There were still 16 yards and two defenders to finish past. Which he did, with aplomb.
My brother is a Sheffield United fan, who always raved about Darius, and though I wasn’t always convinced, he always caused us problems. I’m beginning to see that hype a little more now. Instead of being a shambling huge bloke we ask to just put his head on anything, he has other qualities too, shielding the ball, holding it up, and finishing. The one thing I have been warned about is there’s a ref who takes exception to his style of play, he will get penalised every time and see no joy, and maybe even sent off. Which we see all too often with Blackstock anyway.
We have weapons yet to be utilised too. Abdoun is still a relatively unknown to Forest, and although scurrilous rumours have suggested we never wanted him from the Greek press this week, they have been scoffed at by Jim Price, who insists Billy sanctioned the purchase, and the only questions to answer are his fitness and international clearance. Loosely translating an Algerian (or French) news source they say that Abdoun isn’t match fit yet, as his fitness when signing was behind his new team mates due to the later start of the Greek season, that he hadn’t done as much work.
It’s this that bothers me with Forest fans at times. We don’t play a new guy, and rather than do any research, people merely suggest Davies doesn’t like him, or didn’t want him. We’ve played 3 games!! He might want to slowly work him into the side.
Although it’s not been a free scoring side thus far, Henderson’s goal will hopefully silence those same voices that moaned that strikers weren’t scoring, which completely misunderstood how last year’s team was set up. For me too many people see a formation as basic. 4-4-2 works as it’s linear, they understand, everyone has easily defined roles. But you get too many idiots who see other formation as defensive or not understand a new role for a player other than the traditional defined roles. Too often they saw a sole striker as defensive rather than actually freeing up the midfield to play freer roles and encourage them to attack quickly.
In what is going to be a tough start on paper, the forthcoming matches with Watford, Wigan, and the next match with Bolton should prove a tough battle. If we come through these matches well it will illustrate where we are. Wigan have been active in the market following relegation, and Watford were there or there about's last season. You’d assume one of those should be a defeat, but it’s very hard to tell at the moment.
Interestingly enough, it could all rest on ex players performing on their day, Holt at Wigan and McGugan at Watford, with the former target Darren Pratley at Bolton potentially being a thorn in the side.
But so far so good. The omens are looking good. Long may it continue.
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